Project using only Christmas Clearance Items

Great idea. They really look good. 

Nice job, Bryan.

Any chance that was inspired by Geauga Lake?  

Berkshire President posted:

Nice job, Bryan.

Any chance that was inspired by Geauga Lake?  

I think he saw it at Corner Field Model Railroad & Hobby, cause they have the same thing. I guess we inspired him.

Berkshire President posted:

Nice job, Bryan.

Any chance that was inspired by Geauga Lake?  

Tony, you're right spent many days at Geauga Lake during my youth and that is what I was looking to recreate a bit.  I remember they had something similar between the games and the wave; also between big dipper area and food vendors.

The creativity amazes me!!! Great job Bryan 

Bryan, That is an excellent idea, and they really look great!!

That is cool!

Very nice. It shows that you don't have to spend lots of money to do cool stuff.

Nice ... what voltage did you use to power the three lights ?

Great little project Bryan. Your gonna put Woodland and Scenic Express out of business.

Bob

yamawho posted:

Nice ... what voltage did you use to power the three lights ?

The light string was connected to a battery pack that required 3 AA batteries or 4.5v.  So when I cut it I just wired it (each 3 light strand) to my 4.5vdc power strip under the layout.  

I love this idea - whether you got inspired from a source or not, your creation is something to be proud of.

A warning of sorts on those lights: I bought a 10-lite set at the dollar store and powered them with a wal-wort.  One by one they quit working.   I used a 4.5V DC one from Radio Shack and it is regulated.

I'd like to hear more from you after you've had them turned off and on a dozen or so times because I have a use for them but don't want to waste my time again if they burn out so easily.

- walt

Walt,

Hopefully that doesn't happen but I have plenty of left over material to make others.  I am not using a wall wort, I wired it directly to a power strip that I have regulated at 4.2vdc (4.5 is what it uses with the batteries)

These are perfect!

I love this little project !! Makes me want to do something similar on my disney world layout!! Seems like it would fit perfectly for the theme of things!! 

WickedWanda44 posted:

I love this little project !! Makes me want to do something similar on my disney world layout!! Seems like it would fit perfectly for the theme of things!! 

The best part of the project is eating all the candy inside the plastic containers.  

walt rapp posted:

A warning of sorts on those lights: I bought a 10-lite set at the dollar store and powered them with a wal-wort.  One by one they quit working.   I used a 4.5V DC one from Radio Shack and it is regulated.

I'd like to hear more from you after you've had them turned off and on a dozen or so times because I have a use for them but don't want to waste my time again if they burn out so easily.

- walt

Walt, 

I was hoping I wouldn't have had to report this but unfortunately the same thing is happening to me after 1 week. Out of the 9 lights 3 are out and 1 is blinking.  Lucky I can quickly empty the stone and replace these cheap led Christmas lights with some better ones that I purchased as stand alone led and were never part of a Christmas set.  Oh well it was worth a try and I am only out 50 cents. 

Bryan, fantastic idea and project.   Would love to see a shot of the amusement park and how they look.

Bryan: sorry to hear but now we ALL know, based on my and your experiences with them, that these cheap dollar store lights are just that.

I am glad to hear that you're planning on keeping the idea though - it's a beautiful display.

- walt

Lucky in hindsight that I left the stones loose so I can easily pour them out, swap out the lights, and put them back into their place.  Also I purposely left the wire runs a little longer underneath the layout just in case the dc step down module ever broke and fried the the lights.   

Bryan, We at Paradise and Pacific have great luck using 5mm LED lights we buy from China 100 a pack for about 5 bucks. Solder in a 220 resistor and shrink wrap the assembly, we make them for about .25 a piece and had several running daily for 2 years. When you drop them through the bottom of the candy ring, gang solder into one feed with crimp on or solder spades for your power strip.

I should have correctly said, "We still have several running daily, they are burning steady and bright"

Was able to use LED bulbs that a gentleman sells at all of the local train shows.  I bought a bunch awhile back thinking I would eventually use them for something.  They look the same and I had them on for over an hour and turned them off and on numerous times.  I think these are going to work.

That’s really cool.  Thanks for taking the time to post all the pics and provide the explanations.

Bryan, nice vision and execution.  The trees look great.  I'm glad that you have a solution for the lights.  It may just be a difference in the photos, but I think the new LEDs look a little better (cooler?).

Thanks for sharing your project, and great savings, too!

Tomlinson Run Railroad