Under The Hood: Cheap Lighted Tubular Lockons

Very very cool Mitch, ....I read every one of your “under the hood” series, and sometimes I neglect to applaud your handy work,.....what a cool idea for the lonely, CTC lockon!.....what a cool idea for tinplate guys wanting to add something different to their layouts, .....use a purple colored bulb or LED to mark the beginning and the end of the NYC’s track pans for scooping water on the fly!...neat stuff Mitch!!...always fun reading!!.

Pat

Great Idea!  I totally agree M., illuminated lock-on prices are out of control!   Here's how I will do it... I bought some E10 lamp bases from Amazon.  I picked up 10 for $7.  Then I remembered I had some extra O22 lanterns laying around.  They fit snugly right on the light socket, no gluing or anything.  I suppose I can attach the track power wires right to the screws on the socket.  Presto!  The sockets were just delivered last night, below is a quick pic of a mock-up on the workbench.

Nice work fellas...

It would be fun to insulate 1 rail of an entire loop (ie under the Christmas tree) and have a poor man’s lighted track a la the new lighted fastrack...

@Former Member posted:

Great Idea!  I totally agree M., illuminated lock-on prices are out of control!   Here's how I will do it... I bought some E10 lamp bases from Amazon.  I picked up 10 for $7.  Then I remembered I had some extra O22 lanterns laying around.  They fit snugly right on the light socket, no gluing or anything.  I suppose I can attach the track power wires right to the screws on the socket.  Presto!  The sockets were just delivered last night, below is a quick pic of a mock-up on the workbench.

Super nice!

@JD2035RR posted:

Nice work fellas...

It would be fun to insulate 1 rail of an entire loop (ie under the Christmas tree) and have a poor man’s lighted track a la the new lighted fastrack...

And a lot more reliable too!..

Pat

@JD2035RR posted:

Nice work fellas...

It would be fun to insulate 1 rail of an entire loop (ie under the Christmas tree) and have a poor man’s lighted track a la the new lighted fastrack...

And insulate the pins so that as the train travels around, each individual track section lights up...

Definitely doable. 

Thanks for the compliments, all! 

@Former Member posted:

I bought some E10 lamp bases from Amazon.  I picked up 10 for $7.  Then I remembered I had some extra O22 lanterns laying around.  They fit snugly right on the light socket, no gluing or anything.  I suppose I can attach the track power wires right to the screws on the socket.  Presto!  The sockets were just delivered last night, below is a quick pic of a mock-up on the workbench.

I like it!  I'll have to pick up some 022 lanterns and try that! 

Mitch

Never use lockons To power your trains. Always soldier wire to the bottom of your track. its neater, better and it works.

Dave

Very creative Mitch and RosevilleRR.

I love it

@david1 posted:

Never use lockons To power your trains. Always soldier wire to the bottom of your track. its neater, better and it works.

As I said in the original post:

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

When I do the Razorback Traction rebuild, I plan to solder the feed wires directly to the underside of the rails.

But, the lockons will be handy for checking the state of the track power at the far corner of the layout.

Mitch

(KEwl Anvil VISE) and great idea too Mitch <salute> (referably somewhat beat-up as you are going to be Doing Things to it.) chuckle

@Miggy posted:

(KEwl Anvil VISE)

eBay purchase.  It's proven very handy. 

and great idea too Mitch <salute> (referably somewhat beat-up as you are going to be Doing Things to it.) chuckle

That, of course, is shorthand for "Doing Things The Lord and Lionel Cowan Never Intended"... 

Mitch

@Former Member posted:

Great Idea!  I totally agree M., illuminated lock-on prices are out of control!   Here's how I will do it... I bought some E10 lamp bases from Amazon.  I picked up 10 for $7.  Then I remembered I had some extra O22 lanterns laying around.  They fit snugly right on the light socket, no gluing or anything.  I suppose I can attach the track power wires right to the screws on the socket.  Presto!  The sockets were just delivered last night, below is a quick pic of a mock-up on the workbench.

And a variant I cooked up the other night! 

Mitch