Jerome's Switcher Roster

[wheeler1963]

Steve, LM answered the first question for me. I'll be painting up and SW1500 in matching maroon/black to be it's mother. Your second question, walkway stock from Cannon & Co.

http://shop.cannonandco.net/product.sc?productId=122&categoryId=16

http://shop.cannonandco.net/product.sc?productId=123&categoryId=16

 

[wheeler1963]

Lol a real "B"eep.

Stephen, it could be a "Beep", weren't they made from GP bodies??

 

[wheeler1963]

OK, so I'm starting to venture into the world of electronics (very slowly). I ordered some LED's and wire last week. I tried my hand at soldering wires to the LED's and seeing if they'd work for me. Well I didn't do too bad. The wire I originally bought (45 gauge) was way too small for me to work with, so I used some 6mm wire I got for wiring up trucks etc. I made a test LED and touched it to the #2 and "C" terminals on an installed NCE decoder. We had lights folks!! BTW, that LED is 1 millimeter long, less than a grain of rice!!

 

[PEIR]

Stephen, it could be a "Beep", weren't they made from GP bodies??

I think you're right. CN had a few oddballs on a SW1200 chassis and cab with the long hood off of a GP7/9 called "Sweep's" http://www.cnrphotos.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=11277

 

[Littlefoot14]

Jerome,

Are those the Ulrich models LEDs?

 

[kbkchooch]

OK, so I'm starting to venture into the world of electronics (very slowly). I ordered some LED's and wire last week. I tried my hand at soldering wires to the LED's and seeing if they'd work for me. Well I didn't do too bad. The wire I originally bought (45 gauge) was way too small for me to work with, so I used some 6mm wire I got for wiring up trucks etc. I made a test LED and touched it to the #2 and "C" terminals on an installed NCE decoder. We had lights folks!! BTW, that LED is 1 millimeter long, less than a grain of rice!!

Jerome.
Make life easy on yourself, get the pre-wired ones from Ulrich models! www.ulrichmodels.biz

Small. bright, and a whole lot easier to deal with!

 

[wheeler1963]

Jerome.
Make life easy on yourself, get the pre-wired ones from Ulrich models!
Small. bright, and a whole lot easier to deal with!

Karl, not at $3 per LED. For the price of 2 LED's from them, I get 100. A little soldering isn't that hard to do. in my opinion.

 

[MGWSY]

Yup even with a 75% failure rate you will still make out better the $3 per LED. And thats really pushing it as you might destroy 10 leds tops from soldering to long to them. Its sad to see that people will pay $3 for 1 10 cent LED and 1 cent of wire.

 

[kbkchooch]

Yup even with a 75% failure rate you will still make out better the $3 per LED. And thats really pushing it as you might destroy 10 leds tops from soldering to long to them. Its sad to see that people will pay $3 for 1 10 cent LED and 1 cent of wire.

10 years ago I would have agreed with you, but even with reading glasses and a lighted magnifier, its tough for me to do. Finger neuropathy is a bitch, coupled with 49 years+364 days on these eyes and you see why I would rather have somebody else solder those little buggers!
If I HAD to, I'd do it, but I dont have to and for the few engines I have with ditch lights, 3 bucks an LED ain't an issue!

 

[diburning]

Yup even with a 75% failure rate you will still make out better the $3 per LED. And thats really pushing it as you might destroy 10 leds tops from soldering to long to them. Its sad to see that people will pay $3 for 1 10 cent LED and 1 cent of wire.

Here's an idea.... maybe you can wire them up and sell them for a buck each and make a little money while modelers like me don't have to pay $3 each

I don't know about a 75% failure rate, but I destroyed every single one of those LEDs that you sent me. (I guess it takes practice! or maybe a smaller iron )

 

[NYSW F45]

OK, so I'm starting to venture into the world of electronics (very slowly). I ordered some LED's and wire last week. I tried my hand at soldering wires to the LED's and seeing if they'd work for me. Well I didn't do too bad. The wire I originally bought (45 gauge) was way too small for me to work with, so I used some 6mm wire I got for wiring up trucks etc. I made a test LED and touched it to the #2 and "C" terminals on an installed NCE decoder. We had lights folks!! BTW, that LED is 1 millimeter long, less than a grain of rice!!

That right there is why I send my stuff to Mark to do. I would not have the patience to deal with trying to solder that small azz led.

 

[LoudMusic]

I have a new challenge for you. Continental Grain #219 started life as an SW1200.

It now appears to be fitted with one hell of a muffler system.

And now goes by the road name TEMCO, sans ugly growth on its hood.

And the caption for the following pictures claims that in 2008 both SW1200s were dead on a siding. Actually look like they're in the same spot as the above picture.

A dying breed indeed

Hey! I just found an intermediate picture! It was apparently repainted before they took those jet engines off the hood.

 

[Rico]

Wow what the heck...
Just a matter of time before Tooter does up a scooter with a "monster muffler"!
Waiting for the pictures Greg.............

 

[wheeler1963]

I needed a quick and efficient way to test my soldering skills on these LED's. So here's what I came up with on a trip to Radio Shack today.

2 AAA 1.5V batteries and a couple of alligator clips do the trick.

 

[diburning]

Jerome, I use something similar, but smaller. I take two 1.5V button cell batteries, take two pieces of stiff wire (the ones that come with Walthers kits for coil cars or tank cars will do just fine) and put one wire on top of a battery, put that battery over another battery, then put the second piece of wire under the second battery and secure it with tape. If you want a bulb tester, put an additional piece of wire between the two batteries. (or make a separate tester)

The two outer wires will be 3V, any combination of the middle and one of the outer wires will give 1.5V.

 

[pantoine]

I usually use a 3v lithium button cell (CR2032 or similar), as it fits neatly between the legs of most LEDs and even older cells from old computers will be enough to light most LEDs.

 

[diburning]

Some LEDs, especially the white ones require a bit more to light up (3.1-3.5V). With those I use a 9-volt battery with a resistor (Hooked together with gator clipped wires)

 

[ICG/SOU]

Any progress on those SW14s?

 

[wheeler1963]

Trey, no progress on those. They're back in the storage drawer for now. Still trying to finish up a bunch of stuff that has been laying around here.

 

[LoudMusic]

Have I provided enough pictures to get you interested in the giant muffler switchers?