“Hi Alastair, herewith an article on an HO scale working lighthouse for model railroad.

I sat at my layout’s harbour and looked at the current lighthouse with just a blinking light that went on and off at intervals and thought to myself that I should be able to scratch build a working rotating one with the technology that is available today.

I asked for an Ai (artificial intelligence) sketch of a lighthouse and I thought this one might be appropriate as seen below.

I asked my friend with the 3D printer if he could print one for me. The final product, off the printer is seen below. It is hollow throughout.

The next question was to see if the motor and gearbox seen below could be housed inside close to the top and how to mount it.

Different ideas were thrown around and a few 3D printed parts used to get the whole rotating system with the attached motor and gearbox to work.

A top base was printed as a test and inserted the LED to see if it would rotate without any obstruction. Unfortunately the inner workings below the LED could be seen and had to be covered somehow.

Windows were also printed and test fitted as well as a door.

Again, a test fit making sure that everything fitted and worked.

Below is a 3rd print of the top “base” with a “wood” simulated deck.

The top section (LED housing) 3rd print (first two did not come out the way I liked) had the surrounding bottom piece above the wood deck done to hide the workings that otherwise would have been seen.

At the bottom just under the lighthouse base is the power module that both, adjusts the incoming transformer 220v and connects it to 12v down to 3v to the LED and the speed control knob which rotates at – Currently (3RPM). This will all be hidden under the layout with just the speed control knob on the front facia.

Below, video of the rotating “beacon” in action…

A very successful and rewarding project. (3 weeks from R&d to final finished product)

Next is to mount it on my new layout to be featured soon.

Once again Alastair, thank you for all the work that you do for all the Modellers around the world.

That’s all for now.

Kind regards

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna RSA”

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his Lighthouse for model railroad – I really can’t wait to see it on his layout, I do enjoy his stuff.

(His last ‘lighthouse’ post is at the bottom of this one: model car light kit.

You can see more of Brian in the Hall of Fame.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if creating your own model railroad is an itch you just have to scratch, the the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the store.

They are great fun to make and great value too.