RK Dreyfuss Driver Illumination

Cool!

Could you post some info on how you did it?  I have a RK Dreyfuss too and I have thought about doing something like this myself.

Sinc, I think if you go to MTH service section you can get the premier engine parts diagram.  You can see that light bar.  May be a part you can order.  Of course a home made surface mount LED might be a better choice for a back fit.  G

I will take some pictures.  I used some surface mount LEDs and resistors and hot glued them to the underside of the shell.

Very cool. This feature is also found on the MTH Premier Empire State Express Hudson and I like it very much.

Hmmmm, different! The more I look, the better I like! 

 Looks ok on a passenger engine, but on my Pennsy 2-10-4 , I don't think so. Be like having  mag wheels on a garbage truck

Here are some pictures of the installation.  I added a small bridge rectifier to help with the LED flicker.  I also used a solid wire that proved to be difficult to work with because it was brittle.  Overall it turned out great and I really enjoy working with these type of components.  

Very true!  It would be the coolest garbage truck though!  It would look good on the ESE too!

Here is a little video.  My two year old was helping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't believe the real Dreyfuss Hudsons ever had lighting that illuminated the drivers. I believe the Streamlined Mercury Pacifics and the Streamlined Commodore Vanderbilt had illuminated drivers. But being toy trains....whatever!  

I've tried to research whether the real thing had them but could not find anything.  I know the Premier Dreyfuss and Lionel Scale Dreyfuss have illuminated drivers.  I believe that Lionel calls them "work lights" that were used during maintenance of the drivers and associated components.

Work lights are very different from the illuminated drivers, especially  on the Mercury for example. They were a very dramatic gimmick. And they were definitely meant as an esthetic night-time addition. I've seen film....very cool!