Ooo

Hi Keith.

I hope you can find the time to keep us posted as your project progresses. I would love to see your techniques.

I want to build some sort of holiday train myself, in the fall. I bought EL products from Miller Engineering, including wire. I'm trying to figure out what to do. I am going to ask Chris Miller if he could make me EL chase wire in only two colors ... red and green.

I'm going to paint some open hoppers for the train. Thinking of using rattle can fluorescent green and red paints for the coal loads. I have Scalecoat CP Bright Red paint from Weaver to paint the hoppers and engine. This will be my first model painting since I was a teen making WWII Tiger tank dioramas. Lol. 

My only modern diesels are Lionel's first batch of Legacy CSX AC6000's. One is non-powered, but it has a smoke unit, electrocouplers, and all the lighting. I never removed the shell on these engines ... don't know what to expect when I do.

I'll be watching what you do.

Good luck on your very cool Christmastime project.

Jim

Have seen the train each year it comes through always looks great.

I was thinking of drilling small holes in the box cars to get the pattern of the light as the real thing is. Shapes of the Bells etc. on some trains the lights change colors, if you mount a sheet of tin foil inside the cars then have a bright light inside and run it thorugh a color wheel changes colors as it moves then you would get the different color effects that you see on the train set.

Or just solid colors would work but really bright lights in the box car shining through holes might work!

Just curious if anyone here modeled a CP Holiday Train or if they are currently putting together one?
Ever since I first saw the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, I wanted one in O. ...

The CP font for high cubes...
The script font used on the CPHT was already on my pc.  I sized the script to 96 in Power Point, then blew it up 125%, to get the size I wanted.  Once printed on label paper, I cut them out and stuck them to .040" sheet styrene.  Using a handheld nibbler and an X-acto knife, I cut out the styrene script.  After removing the label paper, filing an sanding the lettering, I had the white script I wanted.

These pictures were taken prior to sanding...





... If anyone has any thoughts, ideas, or pics of their own, please post.

It is also one of my long term goals to make a CP Holiday Train in O gauge.

What is the name of the script font you used? I asked about the font used by CP in a topic a while back and didn't get any replies.

There was a topic a while ago about modeling the CP Holiday Train, and Mr. Bill posted about using fiber optics. I found the topic:

Light

I did some research, and I found the  following company called Fiber Optic Illuminators. Here is a link to the model related products: Model

I haven't purchased anything yet, but their products look promising. With fiber optics, you do need to drill all the holes, but they are powered by only 1 LED. I think the model products are used more by sci-fi modelers where the cool white LED's look better. At least the year I saw the CP Holiday Train, the white lights were more of a warm white, so if I were to purchase from this company, I'd ask about a warm white LED instead of the cool white. I'm not sure how the color changing red green blue LED works, but if it automatically changes colors, it might work well for the color changing lights around the perimeter of the boxcars. You wouldn't get the white, but you would get red, green and blue.

For the lighted Canadian Pacific Holiday Train lettering, I've seen photos of older CP Holiday Trains where the lighting wasn't as sophisticated as it is now. The lettering was white on a black rectangular background. Here are some photos from railpictures.net: CPHT1 CPHT2 I was thinking of recreating this effect using Miller EL sheets and putting a cover over the sheet with the lettering being clear surrounded by black. The edge of the lettering could be red. This would do all the work in the computer rather than having to cut out the lettering.

Some of the early CP Holiday Trains used intermodal container cars. I have a bunch of the Lionel traditional size container cars, so I plan on using those for a train.

This may be your most ambitious project to date and I just love the idea. If anyone can make this happen, you are the one.

Please keep us posted with your progress. This is a wonderful idea. Also think about adding sound to is as well.

Keith, thanks for the info on the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train font. I don't have it in any of my computer programs, but found some places to purchase it. The experiment you are doing with the EL wire looks promising.

This project has tremendous potential. I look for forward to pictures/videos. 

Good lucK! 

It is looking good.

I've found a number of photos on line and took a bunch when I saw the train in Scranton in 2010. As a general trend, it appears the lighting is getting more sophisticated over the years. It makes sense because more LED lighting displays are becoming available. Also, from looking at photos, I have the impression they put a little fancier lighting displays on the train that goes through Canada compared to the one that goes through the U.S., but I could be mistaken about that.

The train I saw didn't have the green trees or the more complex lighted scenes like in the photo you posted. It had snowflakes, bells, and reindeer. The lighting alternated back and forth. The snowflakes changed from white to blue (on the same snowflake), there were a pair of deer (sometimes more) that alternated on and off, and the 2 part bells that appeared to be swinging. And, of course, the lights around the exterior of the cars that changed colors.

You can get ideas for lighting schemes by looking at different trains in different years. The schemes seem to change a little from year to year. You can pick and choose from ideas you like that might be technically feasible to create in miniature.

The last couple of holiday seasons, I've perused the holiday lighting sale displays looking for smaller scale lighting with snowflakes, stars, etc. I've found a few things, but most of the items are too large for placing on O gauge trains. The snowflake LED light strings you have are interesting.

Keep going Keith! This is what I love about this hobby. Will love to watch your progress. This is going to look amazing when it's done. 

Hey Kieth, what if you backlight the lettering with the EL wire? Take the lettering and stand it off of the car body via thin wire to lessen shodow casting from them..this way you'd get a glow around and inside of the lettering. Back paint the lettering with black paint to keep them from being transparent...unless you want that.

Just a thought...

Keith GREAT idea/ Good luck!!

Very ambitious...I'm liking it...

Sunrise

If you need photos I have taken lots over the years of the Canadian train as it arrives on the West coast last couple of stops on the run.

Would take some time to dig them up but I have detail shots of all the cars/locos each year.

Another thought would be fiber optics.

You can buy a lighted flower or display for about $20 that changes colors and then just re run the fibers through holes  you drill in the car sides.

If you heat the ends of the fibers they bubble up into little bulbs with a wider light display.

Hi Keith, another brilliant idea from you.  Have you contacted Miller Engineering to see if they would be interested in making the animated lights on outside of engine and cars?  It might be something they would like to do........or even custom set for you set.  Anyway, nice going as usual. 

TEX

Steve

Looking awesome, it's a great idea , to model a modern holiday train looking forward to seeing it finished

Keith:

You amaze me. This is a wonderful solution for your swinging bells. The good folks at Evans Design are great to work with. I love their products.

Incredible!!! What a project! So when you add the swinging bell to the engine, are you going to have to drill those holes through the engine itself? Looks amazing, great job.

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/ledlights1.html

Of interest for a project like this might be the Transformer LED's for transformers from Evans Designs.

They have a lot of different sizes of bulbs, colors and types in very bright bulbs that work well at volts from about 5 volts to 18 volts AC or DC power for few low prices per bulb.

Depending on the trains you are running instead of a battery supply you might be able to find applications for this from track power in AC

Take a look they also have welding and  fire kits that have some nice uses.

Also under colored lighting strings 3 volt

The circuit you have seems to work great good job.

The fiber optics can be had cheaply from stores that sell the fiber optics light / table desk displays with flower arrangements and changing colors.

A great looking engine. Good luck on the rest of the train.

Larry in Calgary

Nice job drilling the bells. Great progress.

Keith, it's looking great! Thanks for keeping us posted on the progress. Terry

Keith I really like what you're doing.  Can't wait to see more of your work.

Keith, what can I say......what a neat and intricate project to take on.  Every new step you post just blows my mind as to how imaginative you are.  Great job.

TEX

Steve

KEITH KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!

Keith. I wasn't sure it was possible to surpass your PE cars but I think this one is going to be awesome! Do you know how bad I'm going to want a set like this when your done?! LOL Looking forward to seeing the progress.

Sweet, just a thought though....if you flat the back of the snow flake or sand it lightly to do the same effect, the light might not be so concentrated or focal over each LED....maybe.

...lookin good!

Great work Keith! Fantastic project. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished project. Perhaps it will be on the rails by this Christmas?

Very impressive work Keith. Very typical of your projects. This will be an exciting train when finished. Can't wait to see it.

You are doing some extraordinary work, an absolute treat to follow. 

Keith, are you going to install the main fiber optics strands in 1 light tap location, trunk of a tree way, and spread them out to the car sides...or make them divided in a partial ring to make the colors not so uniform on the sides...think a small C here- 3-4 points next to each other in an arc in front of the driving LED.

You could use a R/B/G color changing single LED driver instead of the wheel, if you find space is an issue....you'd need to find an LED driver board w/LED and tap a bridge rectified power source for it from track pick ups. 

Wow, I must have been sleeping. I missed this thread. I just finished reading your posts. What a great idea! Very nice and I will follow it closely from this point on. I appreciate the time you spend taking pictures and posting. Thank You. 

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/...l-2;x3=c.cat-level-3

Take look down at the 3rd item on the left side of this page the snowflake LED lights battery operated!

Saw these today and picked up a couple $5 each with batteries,

They light up well, have a multi color pattern that changes and flashes at different rates. Might be of use in some peoples projects. They come with small batteries that I guess would last a good season of train running, switch on side. Perhaps I am guessing around 3 volts ??

The light is most intense at the centre and less at the outside edges of the snowflake.

Red blue green yellowpurple changing colors nice fade between each color.

It is by Noma but could not find them listed on their web page.

This might be of use instead of the color wheel for some projects.

But the color wheel is best with the fiber optiks for a changing flowing color pattern.

Look forward to more undates!

Also there are some LED battery light strings now that have different colors or changing colors that might work with a row of  lights along holes drilled in a box car like you have then some LED bulb sets behind??

Some different ideas.

Have an old engine shell and a couple of box cars I might experiment with for a CP holiday train as well. Have seen the train over many years with the different designs.

Getting more complex over the years.

I do not have the time you do for doing the fine detail with the holiday train but might do a less fancy version with some beater old box cars etc.

Here is what I was thinking could clip off the far ends of those LED flakes that are now 4" across and so they would fit the box cars.

NOTE IF YOU CLICK ON THE PHOTOS THEY WILL BLOW UP WITH MORE DETAIL ON YOUR SCREEN.

Humm by doing a stationary train no power or moving then I could do only one side and use even some of the 120 volt LED light sets that have the chase pattern.

Paint the beater box cars red no decals just for lights on display.

Only for show in the dark with lights on cars

If you have a clear plastic side with each color on it you can etch the pattern of the image you want and shine the color through the side so one layer would be green for the trees, white for snow in another layer and snow men and other colors as in the image above??

Terrific project! I'm looking forward to December 4, when the prototype is back in my neighborhood. 

No new updates. How this CP Holiday Train project coming along?

I was thinking about doing a Christmas train and had the same idea of doing the fiber optics for the lights.  Where did you get the fiber and what are you using for a drill/bit?  It looks like you are just using heat shrink to have the fibers attached to the LEDs, is that working ok?  Also, are you polishing the tips or just cutting them?

Have you considered using an Arduino for the control flashing driver?  Spark fun has a mini pro that is smaller than a stick of gum, $10, plus programmer.  Or you could use a Attiny as a driver.  The attinys are $1.50 each.  Flashing LEDs is very easy with these.  These can be programmed through an Arduino.  I am using the Sparkfun mini to convert my nutcraker gateman to a servo action (actuator burnt up last year), add animation of the light arm, and also control the lights.   I could not get the Attiny to operate the servo consistently, so I went to the mini arudino.

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11113

If you wanted to get real fancy and have multiple channels of control, this example shows you how to use a driver chip to drive 10 RGB LEDs.  I was thinking of doing something like this so the box cars could have multiple flashing scenes and move things like the bells from one controller.  This ambition and work schedule and kids has only gotten to the dream stage.

How to Control a Ton of RGB LEDs with Arduino & TLC5940, Kevin Darrah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...Xtn1PhRXW_WxziScxi3U 

Merry Christmas,

Bill

The fiber optics if you heat the ends they bubble up and you get more of a light like a bulb instead of tiny pin shape of light.

I am working on a simpler concept will see how it all comes out.

Was thinking of having the entertainment car; picked up an animated thing from $1 store where the figures circle a Christmas tree thinking I might cut them off and glue on some Carolers and place this under the box car with the Entertainment stage. Have some old box cars I am repainting red. Got some EL lighting for the light strips around the box car edges. Picked up some stars from Walmart and a few other things.

$5 Fiber optic thing from $ store will work OK I guess!