lighting up a vehicle

look excellent!

How do you will void the light leaks?

AG.

Since they are LEDs I think I could just use tape, or heat shrink or even paint the "bulb" to block the offending areas.

Sorry, I gotta say it... I read, "Lighting up a vehicle" and immediately thought if said vehicle getting hit with crew-served weapons of various types to ensure it's destroyed. That's what we always said in the Army. Something comes your way you no longer want to be functional or it's occupants to be reamaining upright and vertical, the order always seemed to be, "LIGHT IT UP!"

It looks great, jrmertz.  Nice addition.

I love lighted vehicles on the layout. For me, my solution is 1-800-Jack Pearce. 

Thanks everyone for the nice responses!

Have you seen the chip LED's now being offered by Evan Designs?

 

Being flat-fronted, they might cause less light leakage since there's little or no sideways exposure.

 

---PCJ

I have seen their smaller offerings, I just happened to have these left over from a different project.  In the future I will probably test out smaller lights.  thanks for the tip!

A couple of mine.

Nice work Spence!  Hopefully one day I'll have as nice a collection of vehicles lighting up my streets.

Nice look to all of them.  I love the headlights on the moving UPS truck, Spence.  That is so cool!

All of the LED's are from Evan's Design. The UPS trucks were the easiest to install.

The LED lights make for excellent night photos.

Very nice job jrmertz. Little details like that really bring a layout to life. 

Would like some info on Jack Pearce, it was mentioned they call 1-800 Jack Pearce for lighted vehicles. Thanks.

          ROZY205

       
       



Where did you get the ups trucks from?

Those aren't "trucks," those are "package cars."

I got the UPS trucks from various sources. Ebay, Diecast Direct, Awesome Diecast, & from a UPS catalog for employees only.

jmertz - I see UPS trucks from time to time on Amazon's toy section, but frankly considering how ubiquitous they are on our streets, it is surprising how few 1:43 and 1:50 you do see for sale.  Amazon has none right now, and diecast direct only this one, a style from a few years ago.

 

http://www.diecastdirect.com/a...p?ProductCode=RT4349

 

And of course, I'm sure the bay has lots for sale . . . it always does.

 

I think Spence has by far the best collection of UPS trucks I have seen.  Something happens where you get to a certain point in a collection, a critical mass factor takes over, and the collection - the sheer number and variety of the things, whatever they are becomes much more important than any of the things, no matter how fine and rare they are.  That is the case here.  I love to watch these videos, there are so many good trucks of so many varieties, its like the real thing.  

Thank you Spence and Lee!!

I've continued to try lighting vehicles and got two more lit. I really like the way A car looks when it lights up. 

I love the lighted vehicles JR. I have a 49 Ford police car from Jack Pearce and I am looking for additional cars. This post makes me want to tackle this project myself.

Looks like you've been bitten by the light bug. Once you start you can't stop!! It sure is a fun project and it adds so much to the scenes you put them in. Enjoy!

I certainly have the bug. Really enjoy the projects. I still need to try doing some taillights. I may try taillights on the jeep this weekend. 

A vary useful item to get is liquid electrical tape. If I remember right harbor freight and probably eBay have it in various colors and it's very handy. Where the lights is bleeding through on a plastic housing you could dab it on with a toothpick in thin layers allowing it to dry and unlike tape, nothing to unravel plus it will conform to irregular shapes. Pick up a bottle and try it, you might like it  

Some of the vehicles out there do not have clear lenses and I've heard a couple people say they use white glue to create the lenses.  Any idea how this is done?

I chose the old school method of incandescent bulbs.  All are 1.5 volt....the headlights and dash light are simple grain o wheat's scavenged from Lemax accessories and the tail lights are sub miniatures axials, 0.75 in diameter, from Miniatronics Corp.

 

Here's the axial bulb along side a grain o wheat for comparison.Bruce

Very nice, Bruce; exceptional.  Now, I hope your next post will be "How You Did It?"

Thank you, Carl.

I'll return to the topic for a tutorial when I go back inside the car to correct a few issues.  I need to blacken the back of the dashboard so light doesn't shine through the plastic.  It's been tough getting decent pictures in a low light environment with my simple point and shoot.

 

 

Bruce