Simplified LED Lighting

[Hutch]

This may have been posted before, but here goes. To light the passenger cars without voltage regulators, math, or even thinking, I used peel and stick dimmable 12v LED strip lighting and a 9.6 volt NiMh battery. Then linked the cars together electrically using RC servo motor extension cables. 5 cars will run 3 to 4 hours on a 600mah battery without noticeable dimming.

A video link of operation is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CdMUjYCTLA

 

[Madman]

Simple. The way I like things.

 

[Zerogee]

I've done some trials on something similar on an individual per-coach basis (really must write it up properly and do some photos) - using either 6 (two strips of 3) or 12 (two strips of 6) LEDs depending on coach size, either warm whites for modern stock or yellow ones for the old-time glow. I wire the strips together with some natty little clip-on connector leads from ebay (saves trying to solder to the little pads and bodging it horribly), and then wire them via a small toggle switch to a PP3 battery that is stuck with double-sided tape inside the coach roof. The toggle is mounted somewhere suitable under the roof so that it can be reached with a finger poked in through an open coach window, so you can switch the lights on and off without removing the roof, and while the stock is on the track.
Total cost per coach is in the region of £5 or so (even including the battery if you buy them by the box from Rapid), and my trials so far have shown that one of the 6-LED setups in a short coach will run continuously for at least a week on one PP3 - which equates to quite a lot of running sessions!

If anyone is interested, I'll do some pics and some more details.

Jon.

 

[Madman]

My first attempts at lighting rolling stock was on the LGB open field type passenger cars. I simply placed two LEDs on the underside of the roof along with two AA batteries. A mini toggle switch sits under the car. No resistors. Works perfectly. LEDs still running on the same two year old batteries.

I then decided that LEDs were the illumination source of choice. So I bought some with the resistor already wired to them. These I installed in my 300 mm LGB coaches by simply glueing them to the underside of the roof. A nive volt battery and toggle switch are mounted to the underside of the car.

 

[Hutch]

I wire the strips together with some natty little clip-on connector leads from ebay (saves trying to solder to the little pads and bodging it horribly),

If anyone is interested, I'll do some pics and some more details.

Jon.

You weren't supposed to notice the solder joints <GRIN>, yes, pics would be appreciated.
I don't know how old the battery is, therefore how healthy.