Weekend Update 12/29/24

[craigolio1]

Checking in after a long absence from these boards to give an update on my current long-term project, the E&N Railway's Nitinat Logger.  I have just completed the last of twenty flat car conversions, which was my year-end goal. Most of these were Con-Cor 50-ft flats acquired from BCR 570 some years ago, with a few of my own. They have now all been shortened to 40 ft; I also had four of the Red Caboose 40-ft flats.  The picture shows the fleet filling the small yard at Hayward.

Next steps are: filling and sanding the joints in the side sills, adding brake cylinders (the cast-on cylinders were on the section of underframe that was discarded) and brake wheels, and of course fabricating and installing log bunks.

Much of this conversion work was undertaken at monthly modelling nights sponsored by our local NMRA division--a great way to keep moving forward on a large project like this which has the potential to become tedious.

Awesome!!  As a fellow E&N modeller, CPR log flats are on the list. Are you working from plans or going for “close enough”.

Craig

[peteski]

Wow it sounds like a really neat install. Do you have any pics of the process? I’m always interested in cramming more lighting into locomotives.

Craig.

Mention of Decoder Buddy indicates that it is an H0 model. Those have lots more room for lights wires and capacitors.  You can cram four times as many lights than you can in N scale. 

[CNR5529]

You can cram four times as many lights than you can in N scale. 

Have you met @craigolio1? Cramming lighting packages into places no lights should fit is his reason for existing! 

[davefoxx]

Wow it sounds like a really neat install. Do you have any pics of the process? I’m always interested in cramming more lighting into locomotives.

Craig.

@craigolio1:

As @peteski mentioned, this is in HO scale.  In short, I glued the 0402 SMD LEDs to the rear of headlight lenses and wired them up to a Decoder Buddy and LokSound decoder.  For the red emergency light, three coats of Tamiya Clear Red X-27 paint were applied before installation of the lenses into the locomotive shell.

Here’s the LEDs:



Here’s the wiring job just before reinstalling the shell.  This is my personal record for wires in a single locomotive:



Hope this helps,
DFF

[peteski]

Have you met @craigolio1? Cramming lighting packages into places no lights should fit is his reason for existing! 

I'm very familiar with Craig's passion for microscopic LED installs.  I also have a similar passion. 

[Kentuckian]

That is one cute bobber, but that coupler?  Ewwww!  I know it  came with it, but IMO a MTL N or Z coupler would make it look much better then the boxing glove. 

A necessary evil on the super sharp micro layout curves.

[peteski]

A necessary evil on the super sharp micro layout curves.

Does that mean that all of your cars have those giant knuckle couplers?  I didn't think the size of the coupler mattered for staying coupled on sharp curves.   

[craigolio1]

@craigolio1:

As @peteski mentioned, this is in HO scale.  In short, I glued the 0402 SMD LEDs to the rear of headlight lenses and wired them up to a Decoder Buddy and LokSound decoder.  For the red emergency light, three coats of Tamiya Clear Red X-27 paint were applied before installation of the lenses into the locomotive shell.

Here’s the LEDs:



Here’s the wiring job just before reinstalling the shell.  This is my personal record for wires in a single locomotive:



Hope this helps,
DFF

I didn’t clue into it being an HO install. But very well executed. I love the use of the shrink tube for wire management. Well done.

[craigolio1]

Have you met @craigolio1? Cramming lighting packages into places no lights should fit is his reason for existing! 

Indeed I do have a thing for lighting. Sometimes it’s the whole reason I start a model! 0201 LEDs have really opened some doors.

Craig

[Kentuckian]

Does that mean that all of your cars have those giant knuckle couplers?  I didn't think the size of the coupler mattered for staying coupled on sharp curves.   

We’re talking a 7” radius. I need the slop in the large couplers to keep the cars from derailing. This may not be the best solution, but it’s the one I’m using. Yes, the half-dozen or so cars that will be used on this layout will all have the boxing glove couplers.

[Olivani]

0201 LEDs have really opened some doors.

Craig

Do you solder them to wires yourself or do you buy them prewired ? 0402 is the smallest I solder   


Oliver

[peteski]

We’re talking a 7” radius. I need the slop in the large couplers to keep the cars from derailing. This may not be the best solution, but it’s the one I’m using. Yes, the half-dozen or so cars that will be used on this layout will all have the boxing glove couplers.

Interesting.
However I noted that our own Chris, shows a video in https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=56358.msg776008#msg776008  where he states that he uses (body mounted) MTL 1015 couplers in his models which run problem-free on 5" radius curves. Even MTL couplers have plenty of slop. Boxing glove couplers are so "Bachmann"! Just sayin' . . .

As the Railwire motto goes "Better modeling through peer pressure". 

[craigolio1]

Do you solder them to wires yourself or do you buy them prewired ? 0402 is the smallest I solder   


Oliver

I’ve done both. If I’m soldering my self I have to use magnification and I do it in batches as I have to be in the mood to hold my breath for long periods of time.  Soldering 0201 LEDs is like make 2000m shots with sniper rifle I think.

For the 0201 white LEDs I’m currently using I bought presoldered and that’s what I’ll continue using going forward.

That reminds me I can’t recall where I got my last batch of presoldered. I feel like someone here lead me to it. Might have been eBay? I need to find the source again. Anyone?

Craig

[arbomambo]

I’m working on one of Stuart Denniston’s (T-TRAK by Denniston - https://ttrakbydenniston.com/ ) ‘bridge’ doubles!
I’m altering it, slightly, to better resemble the design of ATSF Railway’s Galveston causeway concrete bridge sections over part of Galveston Bay.
I asked Stuart to trim the side walls, which I then glued flat to each edge, then I added a section of basswood strip along the outside edge on both sides.
I’ll add Rix Products 40’s era concrete railings before I add telephone poles, paint, and weather.

[Sumner]

........That reminds me I can’t recall where I got my last batch of presoldered. I feel like someone here lead me to it. Might have been eBay? I need to find the source again. Anyone?

Craig

I've gotten them ( HERE )

Sumner