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 So the funny thing is that I built some LED lights around ten years ago and never installed them. I had plenty of excuses like the yard wasn't finalized. Our grandson came across the lights a few times and asked what they were for. Last week it happened again and he wanted to ballast the tracks like Rich Battista did in his favorite video. He asked me for a sharpie so he could first color the nail heads holding the tracks down. I got a kick out of that because he remembered it from the videos.

 Anyways he asked me what I was going to be working on. Usually it's a broken engine or similar but I was all caught up. So I thought I could help him with the ballast. He replied, "no, I've got it. Why don't you put in the lights?"

 I didn't have a good excuse ready,..... so I started putting in the lights. I had to stop a few times to help him like mixing the glue spray. Finally we ran out of time and he had to leave. So I promised I'd finish the lights.

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There will be more lighting as I build and install the buildings and light the elevated tracks in the background. I just might have to be ready with better excuses from now on, when things aren't getting done.

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small white Lego square blocks, Plastruct pipes and I beams, Super bright warm LEDs that Dale H. had recommended back then.

The Lego blocks are small squares that get the tops cut off and then remade flat with sheet plastic. The I beams are cut and grinded so that they connect the blocks to the pipe ends. The LEDs after wiring are hot glued into the blocks. The LEDs are wired in groups of five in series. So imagine two light poles with 2 lights (wired in series) on each in 2 groups connecting to one light pole that has each light wired to one of those sets. So that extra pole has four wires making it so that it can be wired in series for groups of five total bulbs.

 I did it that way years ago so that it connected directly to my old HO transformer putting out the perfect DC voltage. If I did it now I'd probably use the extra buck boards I have laying around from my pass cars.

 These lights are to represent the modern square LED lights in most parking lots.

Engineer-Joe posted:

small white Lego square blocks, Plastruct pipes and I beams, Super bright warm LEDs that Dale H. had recommended back then.

The Lego blocks are small squares that get the tops cut off and then remade flat with sheet plastic. The I beams are cut and grinded so that they connect the blocks to the pipe ends. The LEDs after wiring are hot glued into the blocks. The LEDs are wired in groups of five in series. So imagine two light poles with 2 lights (wired in series) on each in 2 groups connecting to one light pole that has each light wired to one of those sets. So that extra pole has four wires making it so that it can be wired in series for groups of five total bulbs.

 I did it that way years ago so that it connected directly to my old HO transformer putting out the perfect DC voltage. If I did it now I'd probably use the extra buck boards I have laying around from my pass cars.

 These lights are to represent the modern square LED lights in most parking lots.

You definitely nailed the down lighting to prevent light pollution. They look great. I believe the bulbs would be 5mm wide angle - yes ? Are the tops beveled?

By the way, have you any news of Dale H.? No posts or reply to emails in a long time.

Joe I must confess! When I saw these lights at your house a few years back I went and bought a bucket of the blocks at the Rochester Lego Store. Well, that's as far as I got. I think I need to stop over and revisit these as I was thoroughly impressed when I saw them on your bench. They look great on the layout!

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