Light build

[Hos]

Hello! Turns out I really enjoy my rekindled train hobby. I've embarked on a project to light up all the trains I have. Interior car, headlights, fire box, locomotive cab, etc.

I've started with my Polar express set. Reason being is I got an amazing deal on the full set of 3, plus the 2 I already had. Problem is the led boards inside allow light to shine upwards and through the roof. Looked like junk at night.

So, I took all the cars apart, added tin foil (amazing as a light blocking shield) to the tops, adding light pipes with opposing 3500k leds, bridge rectifiers (because the lights are non dcc controlled), leds on the observation end, rear light on the last car, and I'll bridge the current to each car with 30ga wires so each car powers the whole line.

This will probably take a while as I'm still waiting on parts, but Im really liking this. I might add black accents to things like door handles etc. We will see. Got my micro paint brush set and I'm anxious to try it and my magnifier out.

 

[Hos]

Once dried, I'll tinfoil the top of the led to stop the abarrant light from escaping.

 

[Hos]

Top and tinfoil on.

 

[Rico]

Very cool solution, I’ll use that on some buildings that are “leaking”.
And glad you’re enjoying your return to the hobby!

 

[Iron Horseman]

Very cool solution, I’ll use that on some buildings that are “leaking”.
And glad you’re enjoying your return to the hobby!

Yes, much better solution for structures than the one I tried. I used a permanent black magic marker. It was a wooden building. After several months the marker leached through the wood, through the paint and ruined the paint job. Re-painted and it leached through again. Had to throw the structure away.

 

[Iron Horseman]

I've started with my Polar express set. Reason being is I got an amazing deal on the full set of 3, plus the 2 I already had. Problem is the led boards inside allow light to shine upwards and through the roof. Looked like junk at night.

Hmmm, which Polar Express Set do you have? I might have to get mine out and checkout what they look like in the dark.

 

[BigGRacing]

Your lights look brilliant....pardon the pun

 

[Hos]

Lol. They are bright. But not more than a new bulb on the real coaches.


I have the Lionel HO Polar express. I have 5 cars. Two I bought separately and a whole coach set I scored for $30! I changed all the couplers to nice kadee knuckles and painted the exterior flooring in a wood finish (burnt umber, raw umber, and a dark brown oil paint). With a firm 1/16 inch brush it makes lines that actually look like planks.

Currently. I'm experimenting with the light pipe. A full 6 inch pipe with opposing leds leaves about 3 inches in the middle putting very little light. So I cut the pipe and added 2 additional leds in the middle. I'm still not getting the smooth light I want, but I might just have to experiment with painting etc.

I'm open to suggestions!!!

 

[Hos]

Here's the current light pipe and inside the cab. I think I'll have to change the design up a bit.

 

[Hos]

Ok, I figured it out. Hopefully what I found will help anyone else thats in my position. Heres what I did.

I put a bridge rectifier from the track power to the capacitor. From the capacitor I added the resistor (560ohm 1/2w). From there, I wired in parallel three 3mm warm white LEDs. The LEDs had their culmonators sanded down and CA glued to the square light pipes which you can see in the pictures. The bottom of the light pipe which is facing down and angled is sand blasted with 320 grit which makes a nice glow. The underside of the cab roof I glued tinfoil on so no light escapes, but also all the light is reflected downwards. I also painted the inside floor white as the windows are frosted and theres no interior detail. I added baffels over the entrance points of the wires from the trucks as light shinning down onto the tracks doesn't look right. To do that I used card stock and glued one edge down so the paper lifts and moves as the trucks twist.

The overall result is a beautiful illumination that looks like prototypical at night. For the porch light on the end car, I added an additional 470ohm 1/4w resistor to make it a little less jarringly bright.

 

[Hos]

Well, this project is on hold. I'm waiting on parts. I'll update when they arrive.