# Ditch Lights, Your Thoughts and Experiences Please



## TheFishGuy (Feb 1, 2011)

I've got a GP-7, Sd40-2 and a GP 38-2 from USA trains and the light thrown from them... well, sucks... 
On the other hand I've got a Dash-9 from Aristocraft and the thing throws incredible light and seems to be the only engine I run these days...
Has anyone installed ditch lights (non blinking) on any of the diesels listed?
I found a website that sells all kinds of LED lights for models and trains called Ram radio controlled products (www.ramrcandramtrack.com/index.html) Hope it's ok to list the site on here??
Seems they've got pairs with a little mother board for like $15... 
Could you guys offer your experiences for me?
How did you spend?
Where did you get your lights?
How hard were they to install?
What's your favorite color? LOL

Thanks guys, Jonathan


----------



## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Jonathan, 
Depending on if you want to model a specific locomotive, or just have trains that look good going around your railroad you have a couple of different options. Since I model the prototype my locomotives are pre ditch light era (1990's is when they started) I've replaced the stock headlight bulbs with a warm white LED. I kept all the stock USA lighting boards (soon to change that, but that's a completely different issue), and simply wired in a bright white LED and a resister. Replacing the head lights with the LED brightened things up quite a bit and throws out a respectable light. 

If you set on installing ditch lights I believe Ozark Miniatures has ditch light castings that will accept a LED or bulb. If you have soldering skills you could simply wire the ditch lights into the headlights and then you would have constant ditchlights. 

Craig


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Jonathan... I've used the RAM Track flashing ditch lights very effectively... They are quite easy to install.. Kit number Ram Kit 128

Video sample.... I've clipped the whole video to this starting point. May take a minute to load... 

Ditch Lights


If you want non-flashing lights, you can use 3 mm white LED's with a 1K resistor in on each and a 4001 diode to make them directional. The 3mm LED's fit in a 1/8 inch drilled hole....


----------



## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Jonathan, 
What kind of control system are you using? Sounds like track power. There are several options available but knowing how you control your trains would help.


----------



## s-4 (Jan 2, 2008)

I used grain of wheat and grain of rice lights on all my diesels. You'll never get the same feel from an LED in my opinion...although soft white leads are pretty close.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Feb 1, 2011)

I run with track power, more than likely always will... 

I don't mind the LEDs... 

I'm not picky as to prototypical at all. I like to play with trains and run them around the track. So do my boys.  

All I'm looking for is better and more light because 90% of the time I only get to run the trains at night, or at least when it's dark. 

The Dash-9 throws great light and really lights the track up in front of it. It's my favorite diesel to run at night because of that. But it's not my favorite diesel... 

Thank you for all your feedback and ideas and experiences. 

Off to watch the video!


----------



## TheFishGuy (Feb 1, 2011)

LOL I like your review. That was funny... Did you get the sound recordings from them too? $39 bucks for sound is the kind of price I like! LOL


----------



## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

We do a lot of running trains at night and we have a few videos of them.. 
Due to our track voltage dosen't get over 19 volts we use the 5 M. white round nose LED. It can throw a light out to 10 to 12 feet in some areas. 
Here is what we use. 
+19V R = 820 ohms 

If using 21V. or more track power then use this. 
+21V R = 1000 ohms 

We tried the warm white LED's and ya.. they look nice, but don't show up down the tracks like the White dose. You can look at the White LED head on due to it's so bright and will blind you. It's kind of what type of operation you want to run. Scale would use the flat nose LED Warm whites with a reflector. 
For the Mar's lights and Ditch lights, we use two 3 M.


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By TheFishGuy on 15 Nov 2012 04:48 AM 
LOL I like your review. That was funny... Did you get the sound recordings from them too? $39 bucks for sound is the kind of price I like! LOL Jonathan... If you are wondering about the sound on my video... That's the new Aristo REVOLUTION receiver with generic diesel sound. It's only $15-20 higher than the old receivers without sound. 

Yes, it's the kind of price that works...


----------



## TheFishGuy (Feb 1, 2011)

Posted By noelw on 15 Nov 2012 02:46 PM 
We do a lot of running trains at night and we have a few videos of them.. 
Due to our track voltage dosen't get over 19 volts we use the 5 M. white round nose LED. It can throw a light out to 10 to 12 feet in some areas. 
Here is what we use. 
+19V R = 820 ohms 

If using 21V. or more track power then use this. 
+21V R = 1000 ohms 

We tried the warm white LED's and ya.. they look nice, but don't show up down the tracks like the White dose. You can look at the White LED head on due to it's so bright and will blind you. It's kind of what type of operation you want to run. Scale would use the flat nose LED Warm whites with a reflector. 
For the Mar's lights and Ditch lights, we use two 3 M. 

This all just went WAY over my head! LOL I have no idea what volt I'm running! LOL Where or how would I find out?

I'm more confused now then before! LOL Terrible... I know...

Can I just go to radio shack and get two LEDs and wire them in so they come on when the head lights come on? Just tell them I need 820 ohms?


----------



## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By TheFishGuy on 15 Nov 2012 03:59 PM 
Posted By noelw on 15 Nov 2012 02:46 PM 
We do a lot of running trains at night and we have a few videos of them.. 
Due to our track voltage dosen't get over 19 volts we use the 5 M. white round nose LED. It can throw a light out to 10 to 12 feet in some areas. 
Here is what we use. 
+19V R = 820 ohms 

If using 21V. or more track power then use this. 
+21V R = 1000 ohms 

We tried the warm white LED's and ya.. they look nice, but don't show up down the tracks like the White dose. You can look at the White LED head on due to it's so bright and will blind you. It's kind of what type of operation you want to run. Scale would use the flat nose LED Warm whites with a reflector. 
For the Mar's lights and Ditch lights, we use two 3 M. 

This all just went WAY over my head! LOL I have no idea what volt I'm running! LOL Where or how would I find out?

I'm more confused now then before! LOL Terrible... I know...

Can I just go to radio shack and get two LEDs and wire them in so they come on when the head lights come on? Just tell them I need 820 ohms? 

........................................................................................................

I don't think Radio shack has any 820 ohm resistors.. but they do have 1/2 watt 1,000 ohm carbon resistors. Sorry for the confusion. 
Just buy two round nose White LED's at 3 mil, (That the size of them.) then get two 1,ooo ohm carbon resistors.

Wire one wire off the LED in series with one wire of the resistor for each light you need. 
Note: "When wiring just one wire off the resistor and just one wire of the LED two together for the series cir. make sure the wire from the LED to the Resistor is covered so can't get shorted out by any thing."

When hooking up to your motor power connections on the Eng. or track power you find on your Eng. Attach one end of the LED to one connection and the other wire off the resistor to the other connection.. If they don't light up when Eng. starts to move forward at med. speed, then rev. the track power to see if it will light up in rev.at a med. speed. 
Then just reverse the connection around to have them in forward running lights.

Then maybe go to the idea that Stan Cederleaf suggested to make them blink if want them work that way once you know how to hook up the LED's. 

Some ditch board has the resistor already in stall and just have to hook the LED's up once the Ditch light board is install by there instuctions. 

I tried to make it as simple as I can and hope this help for a basic hook up. We all at one time started out basic and ya... can get confusing. 
If still not sure on this, give us an e-mail and we can set a time to do a live broadcast to take you thru so you can ask queston live if needed.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Feb 1, 2011)

I might see how I'm feeling this morning after my procedure... Maybe I can convince my wife to stop at radio shack on the way home...


----------

