Passenger Car Lighting Experiment

Thanks, Stan.  Ordered another reel.

I agree that yellow lighting sometimes looks "right." I think it has something to do with our model railroad lighting. Many people use warm white (or maybe incandescent) for their layout lighting. Our eyes think it is white so the same color in a model does not have that old incandescent look we are expecting, even with the lights out.

Try taking your cars outside at night and light them up. I suspect yellow will not be so "right" in a different environment.

You could be right, but I don't often take my cars outside and light them up.

John that looks great!

Thanks, drop by at York and see it in person, maybe you won't like it as much as in a picture.

well here the best thing going. I do not think you will find anything better for trains 2r 0r 3 r.

these items are quick and simple.

http://www.ngineering.com/

Bill Basden   Delta Models

Bill, how is that the best thing going?  It doesn't offer any intensity adjustment or filtering for flicker control?  I'm also somewhat at a loss as to how it's limiting current, but it looks more like a hand-made kludge than a polished solution.  If that's the "best thing going" for lighting passenger cars, it must be in an alternate reality.

OTOH, Ngineering has some really neat stuff, I especially like their MARS simulators and have used them a number of times.

GRJohn:

I only posted this as a very good alternate way to go.

Also there must be something to the product to make Sunset 3rd rail dump what they have been using in the diesels, and go exclusively with ngineering lighting products.

Well if you have used the mars light sims and you say you like them. What makes the other stuff so deplorable.

I used the stuff for years and have had no issues with it. FWIW the brightness is controlled by the resistor value. It tells you this in all his wiring diagrams and information he provides.

The thing for me is the size issue, which I like. I can not stand a strip with some component hanging down from the roof a 1/2" or not being able to hide things.

The Owners Name is Tim Anderson. Call him and talk with him if you have issues

or questions..

(360) 687-6224

Bill Basden   Delta Models

I wish Sunset luck.  If they plan to use their constant-voltage lighting board ("ideal" for O in their product description), then put Houston on your speed-dial because we have a problem - unless you only operate your O layout at less than 14.5VAC.  

I'm trying to understand what you are proposing as the best thing going?

From what I can make of your photo, you show 5 components - wire, bridge rectifier, capacitors, resistor, LED.  I tried to match your photo to items on their site.  I see they indeed sell "loose" resistors and LEDs but you do not specify.  WRT this thread topic, are you suggesting they have the best yellow LEDs?  Some side-by-side photos as GRJ provided would be helpful.  I think the matter at hand is how LED color (and any electronic component considerations therein) can improve the look of our passenger car interior lighting.

The capacitors I found on their site top out at 25V.  As per previous post, these are not suitable for many O-gauge AC layouts.  Or are you proposing to stack 2 of them to "make" a 50V cap - hard to make out in your photo if that's what you're doing.

Actually, what you said was... (emphasis mine)

well here the best thing going. I do not think you will find anything better for trains 2r 0r 3 r.

I simply disagree with the contention that's the best thing going. Since this topic is about passenger car lighting, I think that's not even in the running for the "best thing going" if the picture is to be believed.

Well if you have used the mars light sims and you say you like them. What makes the other stuff so deplorable.

Where did I say any of the stuff was deplorable?  You're attributing statements to me that I didn't make. I actually said just the opposite.   Please don't attempt to put words in my mouth.  I have a high regard for their products, but what you presented doesn't look like any finished product. 

I have no idea what you were presenting there, you just posted a snap of something too small to really make out and declared it the end all, be all for lighting.  However, it looks to me like a hand wired kludge with a bridge rectifier, a couple of really small tantalum caps, and some SMT LED's.  Representing that as the "best thing going" is pretty pretentious IMO.  How about explaining why it's so good?  Would you care to tell us exactly what it is and why it's superior to any other solution?

John you might want to try out some kapton polyimide tape to diffuse the light. The tape has a yellowish color to it as shown in the picture on amazon. If it doesn't work, the electrical guy in you will find a use for its amazing electrical insulating properties.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...escriptionAndDetails

I have several rolls of Kapton tape in several widths.  My primary use is to insulate the tender shell from the frame for TMCC upgrades, it's really thin and strong and works better than electrical tape for the job.

You can do various things to color the LED's, but it's easiest if you're installing from scratch to just use the right color as you go.