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Three Color Position Light Signals

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  • #1

    Three Color Position Light Signals

    Well, it's been a long while since I was last in the forum.

    So, I thought I would come in and show how I have been building some three color position light signals.

    These are being built in "O" scale.

    Here are some pics of the finished signals lit up. Well, not completely finished. Still needs a base, if so desired, and the ladder and braces.

    This first pic is the circuitry I use to control the signals. What you see are the led's just plugged in to the breadboard before I built the signals. No need to build the signals if you don't have something driving them. This thread is not on how to build the electronics. Just as a note here, I built these as common anode. You can build them according to what ever signal driver electronics you choose to use.



    Now the LED's are in the signals.







    The ladder in this pic, is one that I etched myself. It's a little on the rough side, but I hope to improve on that.

    It is very hard to find ladder stock in 'O' scale. If anyone knows of a source, please let me know.



    Now, I have to get all the files together to post the build. I did want to share these for the teaser though.

    Dave

    Seattle
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Nice
    ..........
    Karl Scribner-Curmudgeon

    Cedar Swamp
    SW of Manistique, MI

    AVATAR Image stolen from Model Train Stuff advertisement in my e-mail

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    • #3
      To begin with, I will cut out a piece of brass .005 shim stock. 1"x11/16"

      Then I locate dead center top to bottom side to side.

      This will locate the center hole for the yellow led.



      Once this is done, then exactly 1/4" from center to top and bottom, mark the upper and lower hole locations.



      Now it is time to cut out the signal head face.

      First, I cut a template from card stock. This is 1"x11/16".



      Lay this template over the brass shim stock and scribe the arch. It should be the same width as the shim stock, so the arch on either end is all you have to cut.

      Then I drill pilot holes for the final sizing of the holes.



      File and sand everything smooth now. Get rid of any burrs.



      The final hole size for the light shields are

      5/32"

      This was my first one, and I did get it a bit off center. But try, try again.



      Now, here is where I go an extra step. If you do not desire to do this, that's fine.

      I make PC boards for the led's to be mounted onto.

      If you cannot do this or do not want to do this, the led's can be mounted on a piece of strip wood. I will show how to do it both ways.

      These are the PC board mounts. I made these en'masse. About 40 of them at once. These are 3/4"x1/4".

      The LED's are mounted on 1/4" centers. This will align them perfectly with the holes in the shields you just made. You will notice that one side of the copper trace is common, the other side individual led pins.



      As I stated earlier, these are common anode. If common cathode, the led's would be mounted the same, only reversed.



      Here the LED's are mounted. I forgot to mention above, that these are 3mm led's. This comes to 6" in 'O' scale.



      I am out of time for now, my next posting, I will show how to make the boards out of a piece of strip wood.

      Dave

      Seattle

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      • #4
        Awesome!!
        ..........

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        • #5
          Dave,

          Neat project. Way back when I built an O scalee scale signal, single lens, 3 colors. Also did some in HO scale. I'll be following along.

          Bernd
          New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy. - Route of the Black Diamonds

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