Ian-1301567 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 On 18/07/2024 at 17:51, Rallymatt said: Everything is better with sparkly lights and brake vans are no exception! After illuminating coaches with magic lights I found a really inexpensive way to create a system for the Brake Vans and have an illuminating tail lamp. A few tweaks if I can to reduce light bleed on the lamp, it’s a WHWW 3D print and quite brittle to drill. Light is fed by a Fibre Optic Filament, the light unit is a natty item from TramFabrique, combined battery, holder, battery, subface mount latching switch and single led. Really compact and neat and of course works with my super dooper uncoupling, load lifter, lighting wand 😁 Have you not the brass pick-up springs to cut down on battery power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dBerriff Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Practical pickups at this small scale add drag. I can observe that on my Pullman coaches compared to the Mk 1s. It could make a difference with long trains. Possibly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 Black Tac is a tackier version of BlueTac, it’s popular in Film&TV and electronics for holding items but not glue or screwing. It’s really useful in modelling too. Tacky Wax will hold small detail in place but doesn’t have the strength to hold say a battery. The idea of using battery powered lights appeals because it’s very easy to install and doesn’t have the drag that adding wheel pick ups do. It’s another choice to how people want to do illumination, to get flicker free lighting with wheel pick ups does require some extra components, like capacitors, bridge rectifiers etc which some people might not feel able to do. The retail kits are not available for TT:120 so everything is a bit home made. 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-1301567 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 46 minutes ago, Rallymatt said: Black Tac is a tackier version of BlueTac, it’s popular in Film&TV and electronics for holding items but not glue or screwing. It’s really useful in modelling too. Tacky Wax will hold small detail in place but doesn’t have the strength to hold say a battery. The idea of using battery powered lights appeals because it’s very easy to install and doesn’t have the drag that adding wheel pick ups do. It’s another choice to how people want to do illumination, to get flicker free lighting with wheel pick ups does require some extra components, like capacitors, bridge rectifiers etc which some people might not feel able to do. The retail kits are not available for TT:120 so everything is a bit home made. 😁 There is currently a Flicker Free Lighting System on sale on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 5 hours ago, dBerriff said: The MagnoLEDs are an interesting solution but there is a warning on the website that the batteries do drain over time and will need replacing after a few weeks. I do not know what "few" means here - can anyone enlighten us? There are some interesting lighting products so thank you for the link. Yes, I have some installed in the coaches of my N gauge funicular railway. I use one battery to power a pair of the LED modules, having removed the battery holders from the backs of the modules and created a separate holder. There's definitely a drain, I've had one cheap battery die quite rapidly (1 week?), but to be fair I am running two modules from one battery. The only solution really is either to take the battery out when not in use or I could fit an off switch in the wiring of my modified version. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_watts1 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Where can you but Black Tac in the UK, I can't say as I've noticed it for sale any where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 EBay. R- 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dBerriff Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 I have always been a bit wary of eBay merchants but the chap who runs strathpefferjunction is super helpful. He used to post Youtube videos but I have not seen any in a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les-345151 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 7 hours ago, Stephen-1260829 said: Is black tack similar or equivalent to tacky wax?? It is a softer and much stickier variant of blue or white tack and not at all like tacky wax- which in itself might well do the same job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted July 27 Author Share Posted July 27 (edited) MK2 version! I have given the brake van interior a black out with matt enamel to stop the light bleed. I relocated the light unit to the van roof so the magnetic wand only needs to pass over roof. I realigned the fibre optic filament so it still has a straight run and made a better cowling from some heat shrink over the led, it stops the interior from being too bright, it’s just glued rather than heating. The tip of the fibre optic filament gets a dab of red from a paint pen. The game changer for rear appearance is the new rear lamp, this a precision printed one from Richard @ThisWayWorks It’s a much better quality finish and critically is printed with a hole in for an LED or in this case a fibre optic filament. These don’t bleed light sideways even without painting. There are kits available including LEDs and resistors etc https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335501022199?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ehjthh4zsbs&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Q02lvap8QMe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Edited July 27 by Rallymatt 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted July 27 Author Share Posted July 27 (edited) These tail lamps are infectious! MK1 coach has caught the red dot! The camera has made it appear a lot brighter than it really is, this is done with the LED and 24k resistor Richard includes in his kits although mine is off the internal coach lights and batteries. I really like adding these details, for me it really brings models to life! Edited July 27 by Rallymatt 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted September 9 Author Share Posted September 9 Back in Mid July I fitted the self contained battery, LED and magnetic switch unit from Tram Fabriek. A few people mentioned the fact the battery will run down even when off because of the solid state magnetic switch. It does warn of this on the website. But as you can see approx 2 months in and still going strong 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 Considering that an unplugged PC clock battery can happily keep the date & CMOS settings alive for over a year (if not several) - I’d hope that battery lasted more than a couple of months! 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted September 9 Author Share Posted September 9 Well @LTSR_NSE I reasoned the same principle, it’s a quality battery and that would keep a watch ticking over for several years 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now