Adding Rear tender light

I would say yes you could tap off the motor wires and as long as you get the polarity correct the light or led would light if it lights in the wrong direction just reverse the leads on the led you'll need a dropping resister so not to burn out the led to limit the current draw on the led!

Alan

Check the electronics board there may be an unused port to plug light into..., i have seen unused ports, sockets on steam especially, same control board as diesel with directional lights, i think

I have added the LED for the tender light, but get a lot of flickering.  Can I use a capacitor to reduce this? And what size?  The LED is a surface mount with a 1K resistor in line wired to the motor terminals to get directional lighting.

Thanks, Dan

Did you investigate suggestion to examine board for directional light output socket/plug?

As for capacitor, add a 5-cent diode (e.g., 1N400x) to block reverse voltage when motor is driven forward.  The 10-cent capacitor value you'll need will be at least 100uF (25V or more).  

If going through the hassle of messing around at the component level, consider adding a constant-current chip such as a 25-cent LM317 (plus a 5-cent resistor) to provide constant brightness.  It's all about what your parts "stash" looks like or if you have to buy these nickel-and-dime parts in onesy-twosy quantities where postage will be way more than the parts.

I can't see a port on the board for a reverse light. This is a 2010 version of Lionchief.  I have 1N34A and 1N914 diodes from an HO project.  Can I use these as blocking diodes, which one is better, and does the large stripe go in line toward or away from the LED?

Thanks for your help!

1N914.  Diode's band/stripe goes to + LED wire.

I know this is a silly question, but does the diode go across pos and neg, joining them, or just inline on the pos leg.

Thanks.

call Jeff at the train tender. he has a kit for doing it. 585-229-2050

Inline.  Band of diode to the pos leg of the LED assembly.

You make no mention of whether you have a capacitor in-hand.  Adding just a blocking diode to your original LED+resistor will not demote flickering.

Thanks to Stan and others for your replies.  Before I started adding items to the LED (other than the resistor), I soldered the LED ground lead to the ground lead going to the motor instead of the tender truck and it worked - no flickering!  I guess the board sends a clean, filtered signal to the motor and now to the LED.

Thanks again!

New question.  I am working on a 6 wheeled tender which came with my 2-8-2 and can find pictures of a MOPAC Mike with this tender, but can't see a rear view pic.

This has the rear light in the back panel of the tender and I thought most MOPAC tenders had the rear light up on the back of the tender deck.  Anyone know about this before I start cutting and changing?

BTW this was a K Line Southern 2-8-2 which has TMCC and very good railsounds that I am detailing and redoing to MOPAC.

Thanks, Dan

I have the LC+ PRR A5 and would like to add a backup light. I also have a Legacy B6 with the same slope-back tender that does have the light installed. Hopefully I can just order the parts from the legacy tender.