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The value? Original cost was $500 per caboose

What they used for? Before radios they were used as a way to communicate with the head end of the train. They would crank them into position, to the outside of the cupola, and using a knife switch inside the cupola, use the battery powered red or white light. For example; it would let the crew know of a set/release of the air brakes had reached the rear end of the train, or that the rear of the train was in the clear after pulling into a siding. 

Things are coming together.......

The Atlas trucks are wired in with a plug in order to separate the frame from the interior of the caboose

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A lighting module is wired in to control the LED strip, and plugs to unhook everything when taking the caboose apart.

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A short LED strip is glued to the roof, along with the wiring for the Tomar LED markers.  

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LEDS are tested, and dimmed down to the lowest setting to simulate a soft, warm glow from the conductors desk lamp in the center of the caboose. 

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Assembly completed, and windows taped off.

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This particular paint scheme has all the handrails, grabs, ladders, trucks, under frame, smoke jack, and brake stands black.

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It's off to the paint shop for a gloss coat to cover the decals, a Dullcote, and then weathering to finish it up.

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Thank you Malcolm.

Mike the LED strip is from a roll. I have a lot of scraps from other projects but you can find them on EBay or Amazon pretty cheap. Just have to choose a color (temp), I think these are warm white, 2800k or 3000k.

The lighting module is made by GunRunnerJohn. I've used several of them in the past for passenger cars and cabooses that I have done. All the work is done for you, as far as the board. You just solder the track power "in" and the DC "out" to the LEDs. It's DCS friendly, built in cap so the lights don't flicker, and adjustable so you can turn the lights up or down. As I stated I turned them all the way down for a very soft glow. You could also use a longer strip but it has to be multiples of three, based on the way the strips are made. This module will be hidden even tough it's in the interior, because of it's location behind a wall, and I have screens on the bottom portion of the windows. In the past I have completely blacked them out by painting right over the top of them after all the wires were connected.   

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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