Lighting Options

[HO HO HO]

First Post
I recently purchased a set of HO passenger cars and a locomotive that have from-the-rail lighting to make a bit of a diorama for the Christmas Tree (starting early!) I wanted to add a caboose with lights. I took the best approach I could think of - using a separate, battery powered LED addition to a caboose I found on eBay. Has anyone done this? Is this the best way to add interior and exterior lighting features? I wanted a red "taillight" and some opaque interior lighting. The biggest problem was finding a location for the button battery and switch (which had to go beneath the car). The photos show what my model looks like. I like the actual lights but I'm not crazy about the battery and switch. Any thoughts on how this could be done better?

 

[Rico]

Hi H, I like that diffused effect!
I had two cabeese with lights some years ago, one had a magnetic reed switch under the roof and the other had contacts on the smoke jack that operated by pushing it down. No pictures unfortunately but I’m sure Mr. Google might have some.

 

[Smudge617]

First Post
I recently purchased a set of HO passenger cars and a locomotive that have from-the-rail lighting to make a bit of a diorama for the Christmas Tree (starting early!) I wanted to add a caboose with lights. I took the best approach I could think of - using a separate, battery powered LED addition to a caboose I found on eBay. Has anyone done this? Is this the best way to add interior and exterior lighting features? I wanted a red "taillight" and some opaque interior lighting. The biggest problem was finding a location for the button battery and switch (which had to go beneath the car). The photos show what my model looks like. I like the actual lights but I'm not crazy about the battery and switch. Any thoughts on how this could be done better?

Yes, I did a caboose recently and 3 or 4 OO scale brake vans some time ago.

I used spring pickups from the axles into the caboose for power added a rectfier and cap so it wouldn't flicker and a reed switch under the roof so I could switch it on and off.

A battery operated light obviously works, but using a reed switch under the roof lining would save having to mount everthing under the floor where it could fall off and pull all the wiring out.

You could also have drilled a small hole into the side or floor of the caboose and mounted the switch behind it inside, this would have allowed you to operate the on/off switch by using something like a toothpick to push the button.

 

[HO HO HO]

Thanks for replying. I definitely want to try a second caboose with a spring pickup. Another question I have: How many spring pickups (I guess, how many lighted cars?) can you use before you rob too much from the locomotive? I have the loco and four passenger cars already.

 

[Smudge617]

View attachment 187511Thanks for replying. I definitely want to try a second caboose with a spring pickup. Another question I have: How many spring pickups (I guess, how many lighted cars?) can you use before you rob too much from the locomotive? I have the loco and four passenger cars already.

You use next to nothing, as each car only needs two pickups for all the interior lights, assuming you're powering them independently, you can easily run another 10 cars, probably quite a few more than that. You could also connect the cars together electrically and run them all from one set of pickups if they're not going to be split the rake up.