# LGB Caboose Side Lamps



## punkin (Jun 13, 2015)

Hello all,

I've been reading a lot of the information here on your forum for awhile now. Some really great stuff by the way  . This is my first post here and hope someone could help me with a little situation.

I have an LGB caboose. I have added interior LED lighting by adding a rectifier and 5 volt regulator. All is going very very well. I would like to expand on this by adding lighting to my side marker lamps but cannot seem to figure out how they come off the car.

I have the roof of the caboose removed but there still appears to be a black strip of plastic that is capturing the lamps and also seems to serve as an over hang on the ends of the caboose.

I've surfed the web and cannot seem to locate any instructions on how to remove the side lamps. Anyone willing to give some advice would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome

Is this the drovers caboose, or the bobber caboose?

If it is the Drovers Caboose. Here is a exploded diagram of it. It looks as if when the roof is off the lamps slide right up out of the corner.

http://www.lgbworld.com/service_manuals/4075-1.PDF

They maybe glued in the slot. 

Chuck


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## punkin (Jun 13, 2015)

It's a big caboose. It has passenger section, luggage section and an upper level. It's a Denver & Rio Grande Western #4175.

I took the top off and I can get into the passenger compartment but the lamps are still captured by a piece of plastic which I cannot figure out how to remove. I'm concerned that I may break it. I'm attempting to post a photo which I hope will explain my situation.

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my questions.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures, that helps. The black plastic piece is the subroof over the platform. It you look at page 2 of the exploded parts diagram ,you will see that the part number is 24. That covers the end of the car side to side. My guess is that the entire piece should pop off. See the two yellow pegs that come through. Unless it is glued, it is held by those pegs. Look to see if there is a small lip on the peg that can be bent back a little to,free the part. LGB doesn't usually glue pieces together. In my experience the only parts glued are windows to the car side. All other fits are snap or screws.

Chuck


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I drilled a small hole right below the marker light. Put a grain of wheat bulb in the light then ran the wires threw the hole. Hooked them to a on off switch and battery.

Don


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## punkin (Jun 13, 2015)

Thanks very much for the info and suggestions.

I continue to struggle with the removal of the lamps but I think I found managed a compromise. I was able to remove the outermost lamp lense and then with a very very fine drill bit, drill through the lamp mount (that "L" shaped piece) and into the compartment. I have some ultra thin coil winding wire that I'm going to use when hooking up a surface mount LED to my 5 volt regulator. The LED is so small and the wire very very fine that I don't think it will be detectable at all.

I'll report back my results when complete.

Again thanks very much and have a great evening!


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The roof just 'pops' off under pressure.
There is enough space under the light in the slot for the wires and the LGB light socket is force fitted in the bottom of the light.
Drilling a hole through the light is much nicer as now the light wires will not be seen.


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

on the 4175 the roof doesn't pop off, it has retaining screws at each end. it is advisable to remove these first.


I don't recall having to remove the black platform roof and door frame to lift the lamp out of the body . However, DO mind the door springs if you do this.

while a fan of leds almost all of the time, in the case of lamps and the 270 degree beam, incandescents may be a better choice.

I too, like Trains, drill a hole under the lamp and feed a replaceable bulb.
I have also, simply crammed wires into the lamp slot and let them run down the outside wall and then u turn into the bottom of the lamp to avoid drilling.

I have used both theatre lighting gels, blue green cut into a tiny size, bent to cover the 2 clear lens only, and shoved into the lamp to get a very authentic green/blue tint to the clear lens. With almost the same color accuracy, I have used tamaya clear green paint. I don't know why but I have also used yellow tamaya later covered with blue tamaya (clear) and the green seems a bit more intense, and less pale looking, than the straight green-possibly two color layers.

let us know how youre new leds fare.


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## punkin (Jun 13, 2015)

I took off the lens from the lamp. I used a very very small drill bit and by hand drilled a hole from the inside of the lamp through the bracket piece that connects into the body of the car. I did not use a power tool.

In the end there is no hole in the yellow plastic part of the car at all. 

I used very very fine radio coil wire...nearly as thin as a human hair. I also used very small surface mount LEDs for the lighting. Very fiddly at my age and visual ability. Add a small load resistor and a regulated 5 volt supply and I think it looks wonderful.

I recently purchased an LGB passenger car with incandecant light but I feel that the flicker and dull glow don't look very good. Soft LEDs use less power and if you don't use too many look very nice as well.

My son helped me to send this video to You Tube. I like seeing it from this angle. I usually see it from overhead.


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## jimhoot (Mar 21, 2015)

Nice work.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

To reduce flicker with led lighting, add a capacitor to the dc side of the rectifier. For leds it can be 470uf at 35wvdc.
Keep the working voltage at 35 or more for large scale trains as some power packs output spikes over 25 volts. One never knows when you could run your train on a different setup so protect yourself for anything that could happen.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

One word of caution. I love the side marker lights whether it is a bobber caboose or a drovers caboose BUT if your sidings get too close to each other or to the main line the side marker lights on one caboose can snag on the side marker lights of another caboose passing or being passed on the left or right. Usually one caboose with side marker lights is OK. It is when it passes another caboose that also has side marker lights that you have to be a bit careful.

Jerry


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## punkin (Jun 13, 2015)

Thanks very much Jerry,

I don't have any turnouts yet but I hope to one day. I will keep that in mind.


Thanks to you aw well Dan,

I do have a nice big 35 volt capacitor with my LED setup on my caboose. The lights will stay lit for nearly 30 seconds after power is removed . My passenger car came equipped with incandescent lighting which frankly I'm not as pleased with. The lighting has kind of a dull orange glow. I do like a soft light but as equipped it's far too dull for my liking. I also don't care for how they grow brighter as speed increases. I will be changing to LEDs and adding a 5 VDC regulator and rectifier for this car as well.


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

I might suggest too, that you go to a hobby shop that carries Tamaya paints, and use the clear green to paint the side lens' , should you like them green. two coats gives a nice true green. Some railroads used amber/yellow, and Tamaya makes those clear colors as well. I use them all the time to warm cold LEDs as well as tone down too bright an incandescent lamp, such as on wood burning LGB mogul headlights, and cab lights too (actually red looks like firebox glow for cab lights).

I have pulled the lens and painted the inside surface, but....
painting the outside is better, as the former method has some refraction and bits of white are visible at certain angles, not so the latter method.

Yes, if the lens is scraped, the color will come off, as its only paint, but no big deal, just another swipe with a brush and its done.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Use finger nail polish. Some of our children have all kinds of colors!!


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