Soldering small parts isn't so bad, once you get the hang of their heating characteristics (from someone who solders electronic parts the size of poppy seeds or smaller...) It's all about heat and how long it's applied. The worst is soldering a wire onto a thin metal strip that's mounted on plastic... Not enough heat and the wire won't stick. Too much and... you find out plastic and soldering irons don't play nice together...
Used 30 gauge solid wire and stressed over removing some worm gears but, on hindsight, don't think it matters if reinstalled "flipped" or not. Using a magnifying glass but with no "helping hands" amazed myself with success on the first shot! Testing-wise those new white press-to-connects are great and repeatedly verified no cross-polarity (via LEDs) and both 6-wheel "posi-traction" trucks were powering independently. A Learning Experience for Sure!
Acquired 10 new dwarf signals recently wanted green/yellow but had to settle for g & red instead so how best to hook up? Decided to use them as block power indicators, as opposed to turnout status, and the simplest way to connect them is directly to the track rails although this arrangement is not ideal. Two problems exist. 1) changing direction reverses track polarity giving incorrect signal(s) between blocks and 2) my otherwise 2 identical Walthers diesels go in opposite directions from each other given the same track polarity. I have 8 diff blocks, not counting "reverse loops", with as many turnout sidings as well and while first tried "series connecting' sigs together, using only 1 reversing DPDT control switch per block, the 1st green/red inhibits all other downstream LED pairs so NO JOY at all. Do LEDs with resisters significantly draw down track -> diesel power AND would passing resisters thru a snug 1/2" thick ply hole cause overheating & fail? As far as two problems mentioned above I decided as long as both adjoining LED block indicators are powered & AGREE (red/red or green green) then ALL WILL BE WELL. The wiring solution couldn't be simpler. Drill a resister-sized hole either alongside a rail (or in middle of ties) then, using thin 28g solid wire, slide both inside track connectors (@ rails) making them virtually invisible to view. Catch both underboard using pinch-type quick-connectors then drill a second small hole for actual dwarf signal too. Connect red '+' to green '-' (red- to green+) and . . Spoiler: Click for Pic of 'test setup' VOILA! With no excessive wiring and/or soldering at all! (it's the blue wire & resistor - the "white" is regular soldered track power from "selector") (ps: those white "pinch" connectors, handy for many varied quick tasks, is The Greatest Thing since sliced bread!)
LEDs usually draw very little current, on the order of 5-10 milliamps. The voltage drop across the LED is around 2 volts. If the LED circuit is powered with a 12 volt DC power supply, the resistor will dissipate from 50 to 100 milliwatts (Watts = Volts * amps). Run-of-the-mill 1/4 watt resistors will take that just fine without unduly heating up, regardless of the environment.
I'm laying out plans to build this tomorrow, (12/11/12): Almost to scale. 30" Span 4" Hight Made from 1" blue foam.
Not so much on my workbench as hanging in my closet: I had a few Blue Box locomotives growing up, but the idea of actually making the frame and trucks look nice and painting them the correct color never occurred to me until I was older and wiser (well, older at least )! This one is hanging out in the (relatively) dust-free safety of the closet in between coats of etching primer.
Let the pics explain yes it's on my bench I think the shipper was over protective for what I got Don't laugh to hard
Much, much better than the other way round! There's nothing like having a delicate part arrive bent into knots because the seller couldn't be bothered with more than a tissue paper envelope.
Thou Shalt Recycle? Sometimes methinks the packaging must cost more than the item . . "People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now" (Denzel Washington: Book of Eli) It's early here in Georgia, been saving A LOT of glass jars with tops, ever tried making one yourselves? Can I NOT series connect LEDs using AC current? I've tested 'em individually but when tied together they don't seem to wanna work? Track-powered dwarf signals are progressing nicely the less under-table spaghetti wire mess the better! (answered own 'q' after dbl-checking pinch-connections)
Spoiler: Click to View woo woo woo? My Yugoslav-built Northern Pacific has a "screw-in" lightbulb and wouldn't respond anyhow until I fiddled by twisting it? Wasn't this early type diesel built before LEDs were even invented? Obviously a dead short somewhere but HOUSTON,, NOW IT RUNS, with a "bulb' that works no less! See that 'lil screw next to it? Upon taking the rear truck apart it FELL OUT and, having no idea where from,, perhaps it was randomly picked up by the motor magnet? (ps: am impressed/sorry do like the "acronym" substitution is it possible all motive power goes thru that lightbulb?) Am looking at the forward truck pickups, which appear awfully loose, should the spring wire rub against the top of the axles (which they're NOT), under or, looking most unlikely, atop the wheels themselves no no no they are FLAT copper, not round, rub against the INSIDE of the wheel hub only! Applied some Labelle 102 gear lube while at it (and now figure WHY bulb isn't LIT)
I scrubbed the original janky black paint off the underframe and trucks, and sprayed them SP dark gray. Also filled in the holes in the shell where the mechanism mounting tabs are. The True Color paint I use isn't an exact match for the old Athearn shell, but it's still an upgrade from black!
Thanks! Turning an old Blue Box into a super-detailed model is a cake walk compared to finding SP commute cars! I've got Train Masters in two different scales now, and I'll be darned if I can find SP bi-level cars to go with either one!
