My first project using fiber optics

An excellent idea Nelson.

Looks awesome.

Amazing!

Nelson, looks great and adds a WOW touch while running the trains at night.

TEX

Steve

The words patience and creativity come to mind.  You've created a very nice effect.  

Very neat. Nice work..

Beautiful job! Jack Pearce does something similar that he sells at York. This really sets your dining cars apart from all others.

That is very cool. Nice job.

Nelson,

Where did you mount the light for the fiber strands and how did you bundle them?

Thank all of you for the fine comments.

Big Jim,

Under the passenger section of the MTH car are 2 large pockets. I used one for the led and strands. The other I used for a Small RC type plug running to the led. I bundled the strands by pre-shrinking some small shrink tubing then pushing the strands in. I had to stretch one end slightly with a pair of needle nose to start the strands in.  I then placed the next size tubing onto the led leaving it hang over about 1/2 in. and shrunk that one onto the led only but not the overhang. This made a plug and socket for the led and the bundle to come together inside. All the shrink tubing was from Harbor Freight pack. Used the Red and the White.

Hope that made sense

That's really cool, and talk about detail!   A perfect application for fiber, well done!

Thanks Nelson, nice job lad!

Pretty slick Nelson   Would fibre-optics work for ceiling lights as well?  Does light come out the side of the strand if it's not covered/painted?  If so, couldn't a 1"-2" section of the strand be left alone so it could shine thru?

Oh so .

Nelson

Simply amazing and fabulous, very well done!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,

Alex

Bob,

The fiber comes either end glow or side glow. I do not think the side glow would be bright enough for lighting looks more like dim neon. The fiber I used was end glow to get the tips to look like flame the fiber was cut on a 45 deg. angle.

There have been at least two good articles (possibly more that I don't know about) in Model Railroader magazine that you might be interested in. The first is from the April 1973 issue, titled "Modeling with fiber optics" by D. Derek Verner. The second is from the April 1992 issue, titled "Fiber-optic streetlights" by Ed Goff.

Very nice touch Nelson!

Andy

Pretty cool effect.  Where did you find room for the orange LED?  Would love to see a video of the car rolling along.

You are the consumate protomodeler, Nelson. Great detail and obviously great patience, skill and knowledge to accomplish this.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is an incredibly cool idea.

enlightened!

Nice job on the candles...did you round/sand the ends alittle to diffuse where the flame was to be on each, or touch alittle white glue on the tip?

I've built a few sci-fi models...I like low temp hot glue guns, tacky glue{borrowed from the wifes crafts} and foam safe CA{no fumes}. CA will make the fiber brittle especially if you use a kicker, but it is faster....hot glue guns are next up for speed.

Guys have said 5min epoxy is good too as well as plain old white glue or rubber cement. 

Burlington Route:

Thanks for the heads up on the Hot Glue on the next project I will try it.

The ends of the fiber that were the candle tips were cut on a 45 to expose more of the end. That also brought the end to a point.

Ken:

The led fits in the section under the car in what looks like a box the inside is hollow allowing room for the led and fiber bundle. There is another drop section in the center of the car also. This is where I put the plug for the led.

This is a very effective modeling technique.  Here's a side-by-side showing a straight cut fiber vs. at an angle.  Both were illuminated by the same green LED. In my case I sanded the end of the fiber to form the head.  Sanding or roughing up the fiber scatters the light as can be seen by some green "leakage" below the tip.  You can use microfine sandpaper to smooth out rough areas.  Or as discussed earlier in the thread you can intentionally sand or roughen a section of fiber to effect side-glow.

Obviously mine wasn't for a candle - actually the brake indicator door lights on an Amtrak Superliner coach.