Jim’s been in touch with a good ‘how to’ on LED street lights N scale – though it works in any scale to be fair.
“Al,
Attached are photos of yard lights I have built for my n scale layout.
They started as a 100 light xmas set regular price 12.99 on sale for 75% off on looking at it they are 3.5 volt led lights.
After taking the lights apart I get 3mm 3.5 volt leds, as my power is 11.79 volts dc I calculated that if I put 4 lights in series that would be a max of 14 volt draw and they worked good on my 11.79 volt system.
I then put a power wire on to the positive leg and attached the negative to the positive of the 2nd bulb using a cocktail stick and 1/8 heat tube I pulled the wires and cocktail stick through the heat tube and painted the bulbs sides black.
I then made a 2nd one and by attaching the positive on it to the negative of the first set and then attaching the wires to my power supply they worked fine.
Being retired and on a fixed income these N scale white LEDs became a good alternative at a much lower price than store bought lights.
jim”
A big thanks to Jim for his LED street lights N scale step-by-step.
Now on to Hall of Fame member, Bill:
“Hi Al!
I had a little fun with my railroad. I made a short video that both side of the big puddle can have fun with lol
Thanks
Bill”
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
Great little scenario Bill and trust Thomas to lens a hand, he sure is a really useful engine, thanks again for making me smile whilst working from home in Sunderland, England.
Stay safe everyone and please follow your country’s guidance.
Pete
Hi
You can’t draw 14V from a 11.79V supply. If the LEDS work then they are less than 3.5V each. The forward drop on an LED is the minimum voltage required to produce forward current. Without a current limiting resistor you may get variable results in terms of brightness using this ‘series’ stringing technique. Everything from dimly lit or not at all to so bright the LEDs will fail shortly after.
I would advise against this technique if you value long term reliability
Mal
North Wales
Loved the tank engine workover. Had to show my granddaughter.
Nicely done!
This may be a warning more than a tip about adding LEDs to the inside of structures. I found out late in the game that light can emanate through walls and roofs making the whole lighting effect terrible. I wound up painting the insides of my buildings with black paint. Painting joints are especially important if they are not glued properly; light will escape. So now, any new model building I get is pre-painted on the inside before assembly. Take this for what its worth. Cheers! NJ Mark
I am enjoying your trains from Orlando, on our 24th day of isolation. All good so far. Catching up on TV shows and movies. Loved the engine repair story. Of course, I am easily amused by now, but I felt the dramatic tension in this daring tale of railroading. Thank you, Al, for bringing us these happy moments every day. Thank you to those of you who make these wonderful videos. Stay safe.
Try focusing your closeups!
a word for Mal, you can not “draw” voltage from any thing, voltage is electrical pressure. Perhaps you have been reading a back issue of Model Railroader, they did an article awhile back to CLEAR UP CONFUSION ABOUT VOLTAGE AND AMPERAGE. Then they explained the two exactly backwards. The next issue they corrected them selves in small print in the corrections section which most folks never read anyway. That was a chicken poop way to do things. Talk about a complete lack of journalistic integrity!
Hey Bill, I really enjoyed your video about the little tanker wreck. Very neat idea.
Thanks
Mike from Alabama
For Bill…… what is that Pennsylvania electric engine that you used to push the little engine back to the repair shot. Who is the manufacturer of that engine? Are they still available.?
Please let me know?
Gary M from Long Island
Fun stuff as usual. Please everyone stay safe. Stay home and PLAY WITH YOUR TRAINS!!!
Gary – that little engine was made by Roundhouse and is a Boxcab diesel. You can still find them on EBay and I’ve seen a few at hobby shops that have older stock. It’s a noisy little engine but runs great 😀