Very nice and informative video! In addition to Details West, there are other vendors who provide ditch light housings including Wallace Locomotive Works, CMR Products, and Scale Sound Systems.
Fantastic tutorial, and something I was clueless about. And your video was so immersive, a couple of times I involuntarily tried to blow away the bits of plastic as you were chamfering the holes. 😂 And I hope you do more ditch light videos, especially an install on a loco like EMD SW1500 Southern Pacific #2568, that had ditch lights installed - around 2001 - on the front of the pilot.
Thanks for sharing. Very helpful. While watching, a few notions came to mind: A little primer on the housings might help the acrylic from chipping as easily when attaching the LED to them. Lay the corner of a small piece of *whatever tape over the lens before cutting them to avoid popping off into the netherworld; and cuts. Maybe change the steps by first painting the housings before drilling to save yourself from having to un-paint the insides? Also drill and test-fit the light housings before painting and wiring them so you only have to pull the wires once. Anywho. Thanks again for sharing!
A fresh installation using a Decoder Buddy or a upgrade of a current locomotive for addition of LED lighting without the cost of added resistors is a lot more straightforward and eliminates soldering directly to a $100+ decoder. You can also separate the shell and frame so the lights can be added and then the two can be connected by plugging the small light connection board into the motherboard like the 21-pin decoder. There are also ditch light housings made from plastic that are a lot less apt to short out the decoder. Just something to consider. Hope this helps. Good video. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Nick, I've seen your products before and they certainly look great, but they are just not for me. 🙂 I'm also aware of the plastic housing too, I use them for most pilot mounts housings but for deck mounts I stick with metal housings. I've never had any issues with shorting LEDs with this method. Light bleed is a massive pet peeve of mine and the metal housings make for a much easier time in that department.
This might be a stupid question, but all I've received so far are stupid answers (e.g. "Go buy some!"), so here goes: What specifications do I need to look for when buying the LEDs? I know just about zero about LEDs, i.e. I know that they are light emitting diodes... TIA!
Not a stupid question, a very good one indeed! I think you might hear me call those "0402" LEDs in the video. That's referring to the size. There are a few different sizes, but the 0402 is the smallest and works great.
Nicely done but too long for me to watch all the way since all I have to worry about are oil headlights. I bought yellow LEDs for my locos and need to determine how to cut "glass" and finish the reflector so they look realistic . Keep up the good work!!!
I did, but only because I didn't use the exact speaker scale sound systems makes for this locomotive. I believe they make one that drops right in for a c425 you just need to make sure that you use the right decoder set up according to the reference photos on their site.
You need to be aware there are variations in the C425 frame depending on when it was made. Scale Sounds offers drop ins for both the pre sound and the factory sound era frames.
@@mstng100mph Those are definitely pre sound, Scale Sound has a drop in speaker design that allows for the rear weight to be retain, but requires the use of a Decoder Buddy which is the route I am going with mine.
Very nice and informative video! In addition to Details West, there are other vendors who provide ditch light housings including Wallace Locomotive Works, CMR Products, and Scale Sound Systems.
Fantastic tutorial, and something I was clueless about. And your video was so immersive, a couple of times I involuntarily tried to blow away the bits of plastic as you were chamfering the holes. 😂
And I hope you do more ditch light videos, especially an install on a loco like EMD SW1500 Southern Pacific #2568, that had ditch lights installed - around 2001 - on the front of the pilot.
Thanks so much!
I do plan to do another video eventually showing the install process for pilot mounts. So definitely be on the look out for that!
@@FGLKPaul You're welcome.
@@FGLKPaul Definitely looking forward to it.
Great demo! If I watched this video 100 times, I might muster the courage to try and take the shell off a loco.
Thanks Bill!
Thanks for sharing. Very helpful. While watching, a few notions came to mind: A little primer on the housings might help the acrylic from chipping as easily when attaching the LED to them. Lay the corner of a small piece of *whatever tape over the lens before cutting them to avoid popping off into the netherworld; and cuts. Maybe change the steps by first painting the housings before drilling to save yourself from having to un-paint the insides? Also drill and test-fit the light housings before painting and wiring them so you only have to pull the wires once. Anywho. Thanks again for sharing!
Awesome Article , Thanks ! Will use as my guide !
A fresh installation using a Decoder Buddy or a upgrade of a current locomotive for addition of LED lighting without the cost of added resistors is a lot more straightforward and eliminates soldering directly to a $100+ decoder. You can also separate the shell and frame so the lights can be added and then the two can be connected by plugging the small light connection board into the motherboard like the 21-pin decoder. There are also ditch light housings made from plastic that are a lot less apt to short out the decoder. Just something to consider. Hope this helps. Good video. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Nick,
I've seen your products before and they certainly look great, but they are just not for me. 🙂
I'm also aware of the plastic housing too, I use them for most pilot mounts housings but for deck mounts I stick with metal housings. I've never had any issues with shorting LEDs with this method. Light bleed is a massive pet peeve of mine and the metal housings make for a much easier time in that department.
This might be a stupid question, but all I've received so far are stupid answers (e.g. "Go buy some!"), so here goes: What specifications do I need to look for when buying the LEDs? I know just about zero about LEDs, i.e. I know that they are light emitting diodes... TIA!
Not a stupid question, a very good one indeed! I think you might hear me call those "0402" LEDs in the video. That's referring to the size. There are a few different sizes, but the 0402 is the smallest and works great.
Look up Motown Models. He sells sets of perfect LED's for this in many colors.
@@FGLKPaul Thank you!
@@jaxithfox Thank you!
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Paul!
Nice work and great video.
Nicely done but too long for me to watch all the way since all I have to worry about are oil headlights. I bought yellow LEDs for my locos and need to determine how to cut "glass" and finish the reflector so they look realistic . Keep up the good work!!!
So this board only supplies 3v for LEDs? (eliminating the need for resistor?)
Correct, the standard ESU direct style board does as well.
@@FGLKPaul Thanks. I have been upgrading Blue boxes with older used Decoders and have had to use resistors.
@@majortomtogcthe Decoder Buddy also has LED friendly resistors.
I have a few C425’s to do sound installs on. Did you mill the rear weight to get the speaker in?
I did, but only because I didn't use the exact speaker scale sound systems makes for this locomotive. I believe they make one that drops right in for a c425 you just need to make sure that you use the right decoder set up according to the reference photos on their site.
@@FGLKPaul Got it.. thanks for the reply . I plan on using the same decoder as you did so ill be going the same route.
You need to be aware there are variations in the C425 frame depending on when it was made. Scale Sounds offers drop ins for both the pre sound and the factory sound era frames.
@@CentralJerseyRailfan they are both Atlas Classic DCC ready models. Same weight set up as the one in the video.
@@mstng100mph Those are definitely pre sound, Scale Sound has a drop in speaker design that allows for the rear weight to be retain, but requires the use of a Decoder Buddy which is the route I am going with mine.
I'm turning a 90's Athearn P40 into a P42 that would be from the likes of Kato today.
THUMBS UP EMOJI.