# LGB 4175 "Queen Mary " Series LED's



## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Hi,all! I just bought a nice LGB #4175 "Queen Mary " series drovers' caboose on Ebay. I intend to fully light it ,using the lighting kit that I put into my Piko drovers' caboose.
I've already removed the lighting kit from the Piko,as that kit was manufactured for the LGB "Queen Mary " series drovers' caboose,and then replaced it with a lighting kit of my own design. Not as fancy, but it works! 

Here is a short video of the Piko caboose after the conversion: 



My question is this: 

I want to light everything on the LGB caboose, as the lighting kit I bought is complete with wiring for the lanterns. I am unfamiliar with the LGB Queen Mary series Drovers cabooses, but I've noticed that many of them don't seem to be illuminated. Only the interior, if at all. And the few that I've seen that do have the lanterns lit have the type of lantern with the wires for the LED clearly visible entering the lanterns from the bottom, just like the ones in the photos.
The last photo shows the light kit installed in the roof of the drovers' caboose. All photos are from Ebay, with the exception of the 2 that show the actual lanterns that I intend to install on the caboose.Those are mine.

I prepared these extra lanterns with 5mm Warm White LED's. 

Will I have to drill holes in the side of this caboose for the lantern wiring,or does it come already set up for the wires And ,finally, is there a better way to get those lanterns lit that's not so obvious?
It's not supposed to be here until November 2nd, and I would like to have everything ready for the install when it does arrive.

Thanks guys!
Andrew


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Can you download the manual, perhaps it will give some clues?


Greg


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Hi,Greg! I found the exploded parts diagram on onlytrains.com, but it didn't reveal anything about lighting options.
I'm beginning to think that perhaps LGB never offered them with factory lighting. Or,if they did,then they're very rare.
I guess that it was more profitable for LGB to offer these without lighting, and then sell "optional" lighting parts for those who desired to light their passenger cars, and cabooses.
I may be off base on this, but it does seem that way to me!
Andrew.


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

I just found this picture. It clearly shows the wires going under the lantern hangers. So,it should be an easy install. Although I may have to change the wires going to the LED's out for a smaller diameter wire. 
We'll see!


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I use the enamel coated wires from small coils/transformers for my LED lights. Enamel melts a little with a hot soldering iron and tins at the same time. Plastic insulation is much thicker.


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Hi,Dan. I didn't even think of using that.I forgot that I have a spool of that very type of wire in my tool box. I use it for running power to LED's in the small spaces of some of my models. 

That's OK. I have lots of regular,coated wire around here, and I found something to do the job . I'll explain that in my next post.
Thanks for the idea,Dan!


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

I got a very pleasant surprise in yesterday's mail! The caboose arrived! Only took 4 days(over the weekend,no less).Fastest shipping from the East Coast(North Carolina) that I've ever seen!So nice!
Then the real work began:`
It arrived around 5:30,or so. Upon opening the package, I found that the original box was heavily water damaged,and unusable. I threw it away.
The caboose was filthy,covered in dirt, and some yellowish substance. All the brass colored fittings were corroded (topically),3 windows had come loose,one clerestory panel had fallen into the interior,and I knew that this was love at first sight! It was A Project!
After dinner, I dove right in. I stripped off all of the metal fittings, and broke the caboose totally down to its' basic components. It was also filthy inside as well. I spent the next couple of hours washing and scrubbing every single surface and area down using a medium toothbrush with some shampoo as a mild cleanser. 

The soap and water did their job ,and the once ugly duckling appearing caboose soon emerged from the water as a now beautiful version of it's former self.
I allowed it to dry completely ,and then reassembled it. First the windows. I have a really great glue for clear plastic,B-7000. It is used for cell phone screens, and is non marring when used on clear plastic model parts.It cures quickly,and is also useful for assembling other model parts. 

The interior and metal fittings(wet sanded with 1,000 grit emery cloth) soon followed. I replaced the LGB trucks with ready to go Bachmann passenger trucks, that I had equipped with metal wheels and brushes in the installed brass pickup tubes,and it was ready for the lights!
I installed the lighting kit. It's a very simple installation that requires 6 screws(included with the kit),tape(I used black Duck tape),heat shrink(optional),and a little hot glue(used for the back-up battery). I was able to route some of the wiring,and large back-up battery, to the point where the casual viewer will not notice it,although,I cut the rear power wires a little too short ,and will probably go back in and replace them with longer wires.
I found that there are thin slots cut out of the body directly underneath the slots for the lantern hangers. The wires on the LED's that I had intended to use were too thick,so I replaced the thick wires to the LED's with some very thin, fine gauge wires that had originally came with the lighting kit,and were not used on the Piko Drover's Caboose, which this lighting kit was originally installed in.


And,finally, at 2:15 this morning, it was done.


The only thing that's missing are the 2 tension springs for the end doors. The springs were rusted and bent out of shape. Pretty much useless. Any ideas where I can find replacements? The websites that I found for LGB parts do not seem offer them .


I think that it looks great.But that's just in my humble opinion. I shot a few pics to share with you guys that I hope you'll enjoy. 
Thanks for your help and suggestions,gentlemen!
Take care!
Andrew


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Just to confirm -The LGB 4175 (or 41750) car did not come with any factory equipped lighting of any type.
The LGB 40755 car, which is basically the same, sold in 2006 did have metal wheels and factory equipped lighting.
So getting details on that car would show how LGB actually wired that.
There was also the LGB 42755 and 48755, different livery but with factory equipped lighting as well.


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## RkyGriz (Feb 14, 2019)

Thanks,KRS. That's pretty much what I thought. At least they provided provisions for lighting on this early model. I think that this one was made in the early 1990's,so that fits what I have recently learned about the LGB 4175/41750 series of cabooses.
I did find(via trainsonly.com),and Ebay, that there are other,similar models of this caboose. The picture that I posted above ,is for the lighting of an LGB 40750(according to the listing on Ebay). 

I would think that the parts would be easily interchangeable, since the molding process doesn't seem to change very much between "new "models of older products(the current new model long caboose made by Bachmann is a prime example.As is their Big Hauler 4-6-0.I doubt that there will be much difference between the previous model and their new model when it finally hits the market sometime in 2020),and older models of the same item.
Anyway, thanks for your helpful reply!



Andrew


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