Fiber Optics

This doesn't answer your question exactly, but there was a cool thread about 4 months ago by a very talented guy that ran fiber optics through his dining car, and the end of the cable was used as candles on the tables.  Simply awesome.

I used fiber optics (not Darwin's) to create light bulbs in a tunnel section and also as lights in track signals. I find they are nice for creating special effects (for instance, car headlights) and easy to use, but for general lighting I prefer LED's.

I have gutted a couple of fiber optic Xmas trees before they went in the trash to get the fiber optic filaments out.  They are fairly good quality and I plan to use them to light up bldg, water towers, cars and whatever on my next layout.

Some strings of Xmas led lights have very sharply focused lens on very bright leds.  I've popped a bunch of those to use to drive the optic filaments.  Maybe I should say operate the filaments since people get real upset when the "drive" word is used.  Wrapping the led-optic interface in Xmas tinsel or alum foil should get a decent transfer rate.

Sorry mellow, I don't have the data rates in a pdf file yet.

@texgeekboy posted:

This doesn't answer your question exactly, but there was a cool thread about 4 months ago by a very talented guy that ran fiber optics through his dining car, and the end of the cable was used as candles on the tables.  Simply awesome.

At the moment I forget that very talented guy's name, but I heard him speak on a Zoom presentation, he is a retired college math professor and lives in Canada. Others on this Forum also saw that presentation and know his name.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

At the moment I forget that very talented guy's name, but I heard him speak on a Zoom presentation, he is a retired college math professor and lives in Canada. Others on this Forum also saw that presentation and know his name.

I believe that the Canadian fellow in question is Jack Pearce (sometimes on this Forum named “Pierce”), who I have seen at York in the past. He did dining car interior detailing and lighting for 1/43 scale motor vehicles. The dining cars did use fiber optics for candles on the dining tables. The last time I saw his stand at York, admittedly some years back, he was effectively logjammed with dining car orders and was not promising delivery of new orders any time soon.

Unfortunately I don’t have the name or contact details of his business but it might be Darwin as referred to above.

You may want to check my 2 projects with fiber in dinning cars.

Link 1

Link 2

The stuff I was thinking of was indeed the posts from @NelsonW. I guess I saw them 4 months ago but I forgot the original post date.

I think overall you'll find that fiber optic lighting is best relegated to point lighting effects, for actual illumination, an LED will be far more effective.

I use Dwarvin fiber to light a few buildings on my layout, as well as street lights downtown, and appreciate the simplicity of pushing each fiber cable into Dwarvin's power source. I use Just Plug too and have been sometimes frustrated with stripping very small wires on the Woodland Scenics lights.  

Thank you gentlemen, you have provided, as always, great insights. The table settings in the dining car are spectacular NelsonW.
Jay

@Duke Snyder 111019,

Would you mind posting a couple pics of the effects from the fiber optic lighting?

I'll post a few pictures tonight.

A few shots of of the Dwarvin Swan Neck Lamps downtown, the only lighting in the scene except for a Menard's vehicle. I may have used two fibers for the car dealership, which is partially lit by another Menards car. There is only one fiber in the shack. The website explains how to dim the lights and use paint on the fiber tips to vary color.

Thank you Duke Snyder, the photos, and your insights, were very helpful. I will be investing in this area.

Would like to hear more on the pros and cons of fiber optic lighting  used on a layout. I recently purchased a  system . Would also like to see pictures posted of your lighting scenery.  Any tips that help instalation would also be appreciated.

Last Fall Darwin a table at York.

Must be a lot of o gaugers using fiber optics on there layouts. I guess that answers my questions 🤔

I'm a fan and posted pictures earlier in the thread. I've added crossing signals with sensors and bells from Dwarvin.

Fiber optic lights for the "light bulbs" on the tunnel columns.

@Duke Snyder 111019 posted:

I'm a fan and posted pictures earlier in the thread. I've added crossing signals with sensors and bells from Dwarvin.

Not sure how to hook up pulsating lights for crossing gates and emergency vehicles.  Could you give me the how to?

Duke.i might add I have purchased the same system as you have. So far hooked up one building on my work table. Really do like . Also do you use any special florescent paint to change light color? 🤔

Bill, to change color Dwarvin recommends painting the end of the fibers with translucent paint. I use an orange from Tamiya for a couple of buildings.

My electronic skills are meager so I use Dwarvin's integrated railroad crossing kit to accomplish blinking lights and bells.

https://dwarvin.pamediamarketi...d-railroad-crossing/

I have three of these kits, one for each set of crossing signals.

There are five wires to connect into each screw terminal: two for the crossing signals, two for the sensors (in the foreground below) and one for the bell. The fiber, two for each crossing signal, is inserted in the body of the module. I use a Dwarvin wall wart for power to each DFL. (I can't remember the power requirements.) They also have a sensor that is installed between the rails.

I was on Dwarvin's website this morning and it says they were purchased by Trainz.com March 1.

@Duke Snyder 111019 posted:

Bill, to change color Dwarvin recommends painting the end of the fibers with translucent paint. I use an orange from Tamiya for a couple of buildings.

My electronic skills are meager so I use Dwarvin's integrated railroad crossing kit to accomplish blinking lights and bells.

https://dwarvin.pamediamarketi...d-railroad-crossing/

I have three of these kits, one for each set of crossing signals.

There are five wires to connect into each screw terminal: two for the crossing signals, two for the sensors (in the foreground below) and one for the bell. The fiber, two for each crossing signal, is inserted in the body of the module. I use a Dwarvin wall wart for power to each DFL. (I can't remember the power requirements.) They also have a sensor that is installed between the rails.

I was on Dwarvin's website this morning and it says they were purchased by Trainz.com March 1.

Yes they are that is where I became interested in fiber optic. They say they plan expanding the line in o scale. Hope that is tru. Thanks for your information.

Darwin is now part of Trainz.

Jay

So if one wants to add flashing lights to crossings and emergency vehicles they would have to buy a kit for each function? That could get a little costly. Would like to see hem develop one unit to control more than just one.