Thanks all I am debating whether to actually light the last two lights over by the turntable. My son and I where discussing the matter. There is a gazillion miles (seems like) of wire under the layout in that area. There are 2 wires going to/from each track off the turntable to the switch panel. I can turn power on/off to each of those tracks no matter where the table is stopped. It looks awesome at night when the locomotive headlights on those parked at the turntable are lit. The problem being...all that wiring is making it dang near impossible to get in that rats nest under there to wire up those last 2 yard lights. The consensus is to put one pole up...unlit. The last one will be on cradles on the ground...with workers all around it...like its being worked on before planting it. You can see the last 2 poles on the layout in the first picture...right above that switch panel. Envisioning the scene is making me lean in that direction. We will see what THE Wife thinks...
Went out and took a couple of pics to show the wires we would have to deal with. Under the layout at the switch panel.... Under the layout at the turntable....
Shoot, George, I'd do it...but everyone knows I'm nuts... You could use long wires from the lights so they'd be easy to find...
Upon further investigation: The one light goes down into the cabinet the switch panel is in. That is the one he would have to crawl inside that cabinet to hook up the light...which comes in right about where the red wirenut is. The wires then go into a white 3/4 inch PVC pipe that runs thru 2 cabinet walls and into the next cabinet and then goes under a drawer in that next cabinet. The PVC pipe goes thru the wall of that cabinet and into the area the turntable is in. That PVC pipe prevent the drawer from snagging any of those 30 wires. That open area where the turntable is is where my mechanics stool is stored. Soooooooooooooooo...he would have to crawl into 2 narrow cabinets to hook the lights up. The one we could take out the drawer and wire that light up above the drawer. BUT...we would have to somehow fasten those wires to the underside of the layout so the top of the drawer doesnt snag that thin magnet wire, Makes my head spin....LOL
Hi George, I am like Jim and I would do it too, but then everybody that knows me thinks I am nuts also. What I would try is: 1. Pull the last 2, in question, poles out of the layout and add extended wire that is way longer than needed to connect to your 3v bus. 2. I would shove a soda straw all the way through your layout table through light pole hole. 3. Then cram the longer wires through the straw until they peak out underneath, then gently pull them through until your lamp pole is ready to set into the table top. This will keep them from blending in with all your RH tracks. 4. Do this with both of them and then group the reds/blacks together and connect to bus somewhere that you can easily reach. Just my 2 cents worth, always have fun, Carl
Anyway to run those two sets of wire on top of the layout (or dig a shallow trench if you are using a foam top)? You can then scenick over them or run them along side tracks and add ballast over them?
Tomorrow is supposed to be mid 50's here. Last warm day for awhile. I am going to go out to THERR RV and plot out a plan of action. I will draw out my plan and text it to my son and get his take on wiring the last 2 up. My son and I may be making a mountain out of a molehill here...LOL
George, I have to say I'm with Jim and Carl here. What Carl described about using lead extensions the straws is exactly what I am having to do now on my layout since I can no longer get under it to do wiring. Making a hornets nest of excess wire but works.
George, Top of the mornin to you! You didn't mention where or how long your 3v bus wires are situated. That would determine how long the new extensions, on lights, would have to be. As far as fixing the small wires to the underside of table goes, use double sided foam tape cut into small pieces and applied to wire and under surface of layout. Is it foam or plywood? Carl
Carl....the 3v hookup wire was feed down the middle...same as the DCC buss wire. You can see both running together top to bottom in the center of this pic... They run centered the full length of that end of the layout...about 20 feet. The yard lights are just off center running down the middle of Lucky Penny yard. .
Never realized how easy it is to lose 2 tiny nano LEDs !! I had em...I cant find em. Will probably have to order 2 more...grrrrrrrrrr Yea....I made an executive decision....gonna put in the last 2 lights.
I Had 2 Pico LEDs. I temporarily wired them into THE Engine Shop... Will take more pics after sunset tonight
I always order more than I absolutely need - not worth the frustration or time when I mess one up. Did you look under your fingernails? And IIRC you have shag carpet in THE RV. Oooohhhh....
