It's like you captured the sun in that caboose! I would dim it down by using a few less LEDs and a more warm color vs. cool white. You could also use translucent paint or highlights to mute the LED. If you really want to get sophisticated, you could use a current limiting circuit to precisely control the current and thus the brightness no matter what the voltage over the minimum level of the led driver. I did a similar modification (simplie RC circuit with a bridge rectifier) that was LED driven, and flicker free on my channel but I intentionally wanted an incandescent style color and look. I did enjoy your video just the same. Keep making these!
I saw a car rail caboose behind an auto rack train on wide world of trains and it looked the same as a Lionel 027 Caboose next to a piece of scale equipment it was so tiny in comparison to the freight car. You could put NYC on the car and run it behind a modern train as a caboose being delivered to its new owner.
I commented on your earlier video. I found out that Lionel trains will run on DC so now I run all my Lionel on DC. Makes it easier to use LED's on your rolling stock. I changed all steam engine headlights from incandescent to LED's including a dropping (ballast) resistor usu. 220 ohms. If you use some of the blue stick -em you don't need a circuit board. As I previously stated, i use very small varnished magnet wire. It will handle 12 volts (13.8vdc). Just be sure to scrape off the varnish before soldering. You need to paint each LED bulb on the strip with some yellow acrylic paint like I did. Those bright white really need toning (warming up) down. W Rusty Lane K9POW in eastern Tennessee
As an ex New Yorker used to riding the elevated train and the subway lights flicker all the damn time so that's prototypical. It's part of the character of the trains. Lights flickering and an airplane that's something different. Anyway if a caboose lights up it lights up and if it don't it don't I just put it on the back of the train and let them ride.
Rather than all the electrical circuit how about a 2nd roller on the other truck. Mechanical and simpler and no LED’s & components required. 2nd roller to insure constant contact across track interruptions.
That's another way to do it. I needed to replace the bulbs anyway, and I wanted brighter lights. Plus, buying additional pickup components would cost more than the electronics. Another option, if the bulbs were still good, would be jumper wires between cars so all the pickups are wired together. Thanks for watching!
The rectifier will make DC from AC, so there are nemas problemas! :-) (I think basically all 3 railers where AC, ( at least the Lionel and Marx (as well as Hornby, JEP, Märklin, etc), but not the American flyer which was a 2 rail DC as i remember (same with Fleischmann, they where all DC, i think Bachmann is DC as well).)) A dedicated DC train does not need the rectifier since it's integrated in the transformer unit, but all AC trains does (i think Bachmann solved this by simply adding a battery... But i like this solution much better).
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks Thank You! I only got one American flyer and it was broken when i got it (but i managed to fix it, i knew it was broken when i bought it), but it seem to belong to the DC system, that's why i taught so since all my old Lionel sets are AC. I use an old Fleischmann unit to drive it at the moment since i did not had the original transformer for it. I want the original Lionel double knob transformer, but at the moment i couldn't afford the import custom charges in my country so it had to wait and i had to use my old Märklin transformer for them at the moment, it's more primitive constructed but it seem to work for a single train if one does not draw the bar to the switch mode (however, some of my older Lionel sets seem to use a similar pulse engaged mechanical anchor system).
@@sheep1ewe Also remember that all AC open frame motors are universal and will also operate on DC current. You have to disconnect whistles, bells, etc but the locomotives will run fine.
I never model Conrail because it is the remnants of the great railroad Transportation Network that was destroyed on purpose. My bicentennial locomotives have the CR for Conrail painted out because in my Railroad no railroad ever goes bankrupt. Just because railroads are deprived of traffic starved to death economically and regulated to death while their competitors are subsidized out the Wazoo, just like we would not show steam locomotives being prepared on a deadline to be hauled away as scrap. We might use older locomotives for scenery purposes or for stationary trains. We might have them in a scene where they are being serviced or repaired but we certainly wouldn't have a scene where they're being cut up for scrap metal. Isn't it interesting that we Finance 96% of the airlines cost and they still go bankrupt? Just like in my 1970s Railroad there is no phony energy crisis and the gas price is 39 cents a gallon at the so gas station.
I am creating my own Halloween box cars and caboose and wanted to add lighting. This was extremely helpful. Thanks!
Sounds like a great project!
It's like you captured the sun in that caboose! I would dim it down by using a few less LEDs and a more warm color vs. cool white. You could also use translucent paint or highlights to mute the LED. If you really want to get sophisticated, you could use a current limiting circuit to precisely control the current and thus the brightness no matter what the voltage over the minimum level of the led driver. I did a similar modification (simplie RC circuit with a bridge rectifier) that was LED driven, and flicker free on my channel but I intentionally wanted an incandescent style color and look. I did enjoy your video just the same. Keep making these!
Thanks for the comments. I like my lighted cars REALLY BRIGHT!! :-)
I live just outside of New Haven Connecticut and have been on Metro North commuter trains for years. News flash: the lights flicker on occasion!
Great video, very helpful. Would enjoy seeing how you would add the LED marker lights as well.
I can see that project in my future!
This is awesome. I just picked up one of these cabooses for 5 bucks at the train show with no light. Perfect project.
@@tomfelde1009 Wonderful!
I saw a car rail caboose behind an auto rack train on wide world of trains and it looked the same as a Lionel 027 Caboose next to a piece of scale equipment it was so tiny in comparison to the freight car. You could put NYC on the car and run it behind a modern train as a caboose being delivered to its new owner.
I commented on your earlier video. I found out that Lionel trains will run on DC so now I run all my Lionel on DC. Makes it easier to use LED's on your rolling stock. I changed all steam engine headlights from incandescent to LED's including a dropping (ballast) resistor usu. 220 ohms. If you use some of the blue stick -em you don't need a circuit board. As I previously stated, i use very small varnished magnet wire. It will handle 12 volts (13.8vdc). Just be sure to scrape off the varnish before soldering. You need to paint each LED bulb on the strip with some yellow acrylic paint like I did. Those bright white really need toning (warming up) down. W Rusty Lane K9POW in eastern Tennessee
Thanks for the info!
As an ex New Yorker used to riding the elevated train and the subway lights flicker all the damn time so that's prototypical. It's part of the character of the trains. Lights flickering and an airplane that's something different. Anyway if a caboose lights up it lights up and if it don't it don't I just put it on the back of the train and let them ride.
Rather than all the electrical circuit how about a 2nd roller on the other truck. Mechanical and simpler and no LED’s & components required. 2nd roller to insure constant contact across track interruptions.
That's another way to do it. I needed to replace the bulbs anyway, and I wanted brighter lights. Plus, buying additional pickup components would cost more than the electronics. Another option, if the bulbs were still good, would be jumper wires between cars so all the pickups are wired together. Thanks for watching!
Yes, but it wouldn't be guaranteed. It would still flicker under the right conditions, like with track as dirty and oxidized as mine.
Is your transformer ac? I want to setup led for my lionel f3 which is on ac
Yes. AC power.
The rectifier will make DC from AC, so there are nemas problemas! :-) (I think basically all 3 railers where AC, ( at least the Lionel and Marx (as well as Hornby, JEP, Märklin, etc), but not the American flyer which was a 2 rail DC as i remember (same with Fleischmann, they where all DC, i think Bachmann is DC as well).)) A dedicated DC train does not need the rectifier since it's integrated in the transformer unit, but all AC trains does (i think Bachmann solved this by simply adding a battery... But i like this solution much better).
@@sheep1ewe American Flyer had both DC and AC depending on the era. Lionel also made some DC powered starter sets in the MPC era.
@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks Thank You! I only got one American flyer and it was broken when i got it (but i managed to fix it, i knew it was broken when i bought it), but it seem to belong to the DC system, that's why i taught so since all my old Lionel sets are AC. I use an old Fleischmann unit to drive it at the moment since i did not had the original transformer for it. I want the original Lionel double knob transformer, but at the moment i couldn't afford the import custom charges in my country so it had to wait and i had to use my old Märklin transformer for them at the moment, it's more primitive constructed but it seem to work for a single train if one does not draw the bar to the switch mode (however, some of my older Lionel sets seem to use a similar pulse engaged mechanical anchor system).
@@sheep1ewe Also remember that all AC open frame motors are universal and will also operate on DC current. You have to disconnect whistles, bells, etc but the locomotives will run fine.
I never model Conrail because it is the remnants of the great railroad Transportation Network that was destroyed on purpose. My bicentennial locomotives have the CR for Conrail painted out because in my Railroad no railroad ever goes bankrupt. Just because railroads are deprived of traffic starved to death economically and regulated to death while their competitors are subsidized out the Wazoo, just like we would not show steam locomotives being prepared on a deadline to be hauled away as scrap. We might use older locomotives for scenery purposes or for stationary trains. We might have them in a scene where they are being serviced or repaired but we certainly wouldn't have a scene where they're being cut up for scrap metal. Isn't it interesting that we Finance 96% of the airlines cost and they still go bankrupt? Just like in my 1970s Railroad there is no phony energy crisis and the gas price is 39 cents a gallon at the so gas station.
Chaos and Politics go hand in hand.