Weekend tinplate photos/videos 3/9/18!

Chris Lonero posted:

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Chris,

  Thanks for letting me know about Evans Design,  way cool engineering for LED's.  Which size LED's did you install in your new Caboose tail?

PCRR/Dave

I used the “chip” LEDs in red. Here are a few pics of how I did it. I meted a little of the insulation on the wires going to the lights in the caboose then soldered the wires from the LEDs to them. I used liquid electric tape and let it dry.  

Chris, love the idea and pics. It appears the raw LED wires are sandwiched between rear an roof. This would not cause them to short out?😁

Joe Gozzo

Joe,

   In reality with the way the roof goes onto the body of the Tin Plate Caboose, there is a very small gap formed in the corner allowing the small lines to run outside and into the rear holes where the LED is then glued.  It looks like Chris hot glued the lines where they passed thru, to stabilize and protect them, from being rubbed as the Caboose moves down the tracks.

A very nice piece of custom work, adding the LEDS.

PCRR/Dave

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Joe,

   In reality with the way the roof goes onto the body of the Tin Plate Caboose, there is a very small gap formed in the corner allowing the small lines to run outside and into the rear holes where the LED is then glued.  It looks like Chris hot glued the lines where they passed thru, to stabilize and protect them, from being rubbed as the Caboose moves down the tracks.

A very nice piece of custom work, adding the LEDS.

PCRR/Dave

 

Dave is correct about a small space between the roof for the tiny wires going to the chip LED’s but the wire used for the chip LED’s are called “magnet” wire and appear to look like bare wire but they are insulated so if the touch they metal it’s not a problem.   The spot of hot glue I put in those spots near the roof line are just to keep the wires in place.  It doesn’t look that pretty but it gets the job done and you won’t see anything but the LED’s once the roof is on.     Here is a better look at the wires and the different size chip’s that can be used.  The chips I used for the caboose are the 3.2mm

One other tip is wire management. With the small wire used for Evans LED’s I use small heat shrink tubing especially when I’m installing multiple LED’s.  I use a small heat gun to shrink the tubing around the wires.   Keeps things much neater and manageable. 

Chris,

   Great stuff, love the idea of the heat shrink tubing, thanks for all the idea's.  The Red 3.2 mm chip looks to give off considerable light, if you were doing the job again would you use a 5.0 mm chip or is the 3.2 bright enough?

PCRR/Dave

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Chris,

   Great stuff, love the idea of the heat shrink tubing, thanks for all the idea's.  The Red 3.2 mm chip looks to give off considerable light, if you were doing the job again would you use a 5.0 mm chip or is the 3.2 bright enough?

PCRR/Dave

If it was a standard gauge caboose I would probably go with the 5.0mm but it think the 3.2mm for O gauge is a good choice and it also fits a little better in the lens. 

Chris,

   That is exactly what I wanted to know, I will order the 3.2 Chips also for the Cabeese, then and I want to get a 5.0 Red Blinking LED for the top of my HellGate Bridge.  Bill gave me this idea long ago, he installed one on his HellGate, and now that Evans Design has the LED's made up with the resister right in the line, I believe I will add the larger blinking LED to the HellGate Bridge Top also.  

Thanks Chris for all the good technical Info on the LED's, and for directing me to where I could purchase the Blue Comet Caboose for my mini collection.  Want to pick up the Celebration Series Caboose MartyE just got and add the 3.2 Chips to it also.  That should give me a nice little 7 Caboose 817/2817 Consist to pull behind the Gun Metal Gray 249ERR.

I just made a deal on a nice Lighted AF Tin Plate Caboose, that I may also add to the 817 Consist, there maybe some way to add the LED's to the tail of her also, we a shall see when she arrives.   I may Reto-Fit Lionel Box Couplers on to her also, this AF upgrade may take a little Engineering.

PCRR/Dave

Dave. Just make sure you order the ones that work with track power. Show us the results when your done. 

Chris,

   Roger that!

PCRR/Dave

A mixture of genealogy, Marx, Hafner & Wyandotte. Plastimarx battery set 5105. I don't have any other boxed sets, but found the banked track unusual.

Steve

Steve,

   Have not seen a set like that sense I was a young boy!

PCRR/Dave

Dennis Holler posted:

So.... does Scale-craft count as tinplate?  Mostly brass and bronze but definitely prewar.  I guess I would need to put some tinplate wheels on it to truly claim it as "tinplate"... maybe "Brassplate"?   Anyway, I really love  K4's and also like the Scale-craft locos and cars.  This is Scale-craft K4 #3 for me and with apologies does need some work.  It was set up for outside third rail and still has a giant universal motor in it.  Plus I figure the two rail scale guys won't like it because it is 80 years old and not detailed enough.  Just kidding on that last part! BTW, those are not original Scale-craft drivers, not sure what they came from, but I'll have to replace those at some point.  This thing is a real doorstop too, I think it would keep a semi from rolling back down a hill.

Dennis, I'd keep the wonderful cast/machined drivers.

Jim