I put some information on my blog on how I brightened the ditchlights on my new FVM Union Pacific Gevos. UPRR Geneva Subdivision Daryl
I started doing that to mine also. Works good! I use Microscale Krystal Kleer to hold the light pipes, So they can still be separated later if needed.:thumbs_up:
Excellent post on your blog! When you brought this up the other day, it sounded like you would be doing something like this pretty soon. Big improvement! I actually think I prefer the whiter of the two colors, although like you, I feel sometimes the real thing looks more white and other times it looks more golden/yellow. My Katos with Digitrax decoders are definitely the whiter shade, and to me they look great when those three bright lights come into view around a curve. Jamie EDIT: After reading my post, I realized I actually took a recent photo that illustrates how the bright ditch lights on the Katos really shine (pun intended ). One day i'll take care of that light leak below the front platform:
Good idea, Daryl! I'll attack this one soon. Sometimes the simplest things can make the biggest differences...
After seeing this, I haven't had a chance to dig into my GEVO's yet, I can see an easy way to have working ditchlights by bonding surface mount LED's to the lightpipes and isolating. I think this can be done by slotting the ditchlight pipe just before the split to drop the SM LED in place. I would see if there was a way to not cut the light pipe completely through. Solder up the wires and maybe fill the gaps. Then it looks like you could split the individual tubes, and then glue them back together with a small section of opaque styrene to isolate the two LEDs. This would still have the rigidity of the unmodified lightpipe, and yet have the ability to act independently and flash appropriately with the proper DCC decoder. I wonder if there is enough room to sneak a TF-4 inside the shell........... Does this seem feasible?
Seams feasible (...except why the TF4? TCS M3 or M4 would be my choice, or DN143 if you want Digitrax. Anyway...) I would point out that AFAIK BNSF and UP locomotives don't have flashing ditchlights, so you could skip the part about splitting the ditchlight pipe and use one LED for the ditchlights. (Separate control is still useful for prototypical situations like meets and DPUs.) Almost seems like Matt deliberately thought about this with the separate ditchlight pipe.
I say that because I think it would be easier to slave the TF4 and use the DZ125IN, than to cut up the light board. I chose the TF4 also so I could possibly add marker lights while I was at it. Could do the same with a TCS decoder and the FL4, but I do not buy TCS decoders because they fail to support trim. I think alternate flashing is because that is what I have seen taking the Amtrak Capitol Corridor for so many years, and also I think I read somewhere that the ATSF did use alternate flashing. But that was stopped post merger. And I am primarily an ATSF runner.
It looks like the light tubes down to the ditch lights are very similar to those on the kato sd70ace. I cut the them on mine and installed a 1.5v 1.2mm bulb to each using heatshrink tubing as a sort of end on coupler for the bulb to tube connection. Most contemporary decoders for these locomotives support ditch lights via solder pads on the decoder. You can contol rate of flash, length of time each bulb is on, and how long the bulb takes to fade out (so they flash 'smoothly'). If you seach in google for Leo Bicknell and kato sd70ace ditch lights, you will find a video of him doing the installation.
Personally, while I generally prefer Digitrax decoders, I would not suggest using Digitrax with LED ditch lights. I've tried to(with an Atlas Dash 8-40CW) and was not happy with the flashing effect. The flashing ditch lights look fine with a Digitrax decoder if you use bulbs, but if you use LEDs, the TCS decoders look better. TCS does make an FL4 function decoder if you want to use Digitrax for motor control and TCS for the ditch lights. Other companies also produce function only decoders, but I have not tried flashing ditchlights with any of them.
I used a TCS M-4 and new LEDs. I tossed the stock Fox LED since I wanted all the LEDs to match and be the same color.
Great tread on making the dich lights brighter, I'll for sure give this a try. Again, the BNSF doesn't use flashing ditch lights.
Why would you cut up the light board? You could solder pins to any decoder's leads and stick them in the sockets for the 6 pin decoder.
I just exsperimented with this the other night. I have been converting locos to DCC. i just cut the bright white LEDs of the kato light boards i have in surplus now. Clipped the LED off the Gevo board and solder the other led in its place. Can repeat the process if you want the rear light done. Seldom run the rear light so i will not change the rear LEDs.
