Southwestforests
Registered
Hello again; the Big Hauler train set locomotives are not alone in getting altered to my tastes, the passenger cars from those sets are getting modifications too.
Some were done a few years ago but there is plenty left to do on all the cars.
In 2009 - 2011 Bachmann offered additional passenger cars as kits and some of those were acquired to add to the sets.
Anyway, on today's menu are the coach and observation from the Durango & Silverton set.
In the intervening decade since buying the set on of the 2 factory bulbs inside the observation has burned out.
And I want more than 2 light sources.
And I want LED instead of bulbs.
And ... the observation has the platform railing and lighted drumhead at the end of car which has heating stove and toilet compartment.
How odd.
That changes.
So ...
Last night I removed the previously repainted car floor, unsoldered the drumhead light leads, and swapped railings.
Then with a bit in a pin vise since a power tool would be a bit excessive drilled hole in end beam for light wires to pass under car floor.
They originally re-entered car body through one of the snap tab slots for that car body, that practice is being copied at the new end.
Drumhead light bulb will get replaced by LED when I decide the details of the LED installation.
Yesterday my idea for installing interior lights changed and was dramatically simplified.
Instead of soldering recovered solar yard light LED with Plastruct lamp shades to brass rods then mounting that assembly in the clerestory,
a string of battery powered Christmas lights was dug out of the "lights parts stash" and cut up to suit.
The one string will provide 5 lights each to 4 cars.
The manner of installation is 5 led being contact-cemented to a .040 by .250 styrene strip from Evergreen Styrene then that being secured inside clerestory
with excess wire length coiled and secured out of sight.
A 9 volt battery in molded box under car floor powers the train set cars.
Some level of resistor will be needed since the Christmas string made of what looks to be Surface Mount LED encased in drop of epoxy only uses 1.5 volts.
-> To be added later are train-end marker lanterns on the observation. Whether to buy or build has yet to be determined.
Some were done a few years ago but there is plenty left to do on all the cars.
In 2009 - 2011 Bachmann offered additional passenger cars as kits and some of those were acquired to add to the sets.
Anyway, on today's menu are the coach and observation from the Durango & Silverton set.
In the intervening decade since buying the set on of the 2 factory bulbs inside the observation has burned out.
And I want more than 2 light sources.
And I want LED instead of bulbs.
And ... the observation has the platform railing and lighted drumhead at the end of car which has heating stove and toilet compartment.
How odd.
That changes.
So ...
Last night I removed the previously repainted car floor, unsoldered the drumhead light leads, and swapped railings.
Then with a bit in a pin vise since a power tool would be a bit excessive drilled hole in end beam for light wires to pass under car floor.
They originally re-entered car body through one of the snap tab slots for that car body, that practice is being copied at the new end.
Drumhead light bulb will get replaced by LED when I decide the details of the LED installation.
Yesterday my idea for installing interior lights changed and was dramatically simplified.
Instead of soldering recovered solar yard light LED with Plastruct lamp shades to brass rods then mounting that assembly in the clerestory,
a string of battery powered Christmas lights was dug out of the "lights parts stash" and cut up to suit.
The one string will provide 5 lights each to 4 cars.
The manner of installation is 5 led being contact-cemented to a .040 by .250 styrene strip from Evergreen Styrene then that being secured inside clerestory
with excess wire length coiled and secured out of sight.
A 9 volt battery in molded box under car floor powers the train set cars.
Some level of resistor will be needed since the Christmas string made of what looks to be Surface Mount LED encased in drop of epoxy only uses 1.5 volts.
-> To be added later are train-end marker lanterns on the observation. Whether to buy or build has yet to be determined.
. If I can find them 
.
took advantage of Bachmann's bad window glue and the good weather outside my windows to go outside and get the PRR cars' window inserts painted.
