This LED Lighting Board is designed for all O Gauge Cabooses (with/without interiors), combines, other short cars, and post-war passenger cars. In essence any application with at least 5" interior space. May not fit in some bobber cabooses. This LED board will also fit in American Flyer passenger cars when operating on AC. Features include:
- Three warm white LEDs, high brightness, wide angle
- User adjustable brightness from dim through max with a small screwdriver
- Minimal current draw, much lower than incandescent bulbs (7 ma - 20 ma)
- Board is mounted with double sided tape to floor or ceiling (supplied)
- Flicker Free Lighting
- Multiple Configurations for Cabooses:
- Interior lighting only
- Above plus driver for marker LEDs (MTH style) - specify MTH when ordering
- Above plus driver for other marker LEDs and bulbs - specify voltage needed and manufacturer when ordering (e.g., 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6 VDC); For example, Weaver uses 6 V
- Same board used for each configuration
- Caboose Interior Lighting plus Rear Only Red LED lighting (see below)
- Caboose Interior Lighting plus Pair of 3-lens Side Markers (see below)
- Caboose Interior Lighting plus EOT Simulation module with red LED (see below)
- Combine Configurations:
- Interior lighting only
- Above plus driver for vestibule LEDs and/or baggage area LED
- RPO is same as combine with baggage LED (may add Vestibule LED)
- Passenger Car lighting options:
- Illuminate passenger portion of combine cars or other shortened passenger area
- Short passenger cars (AF, REA, Post-War items, RailKing, Lionel Standard)
- Lighting for Windowed area of REA cars
- Baggage Car Interiorwith warm white or prototypical yellow LEDs (specify during ordering)
Caboose Lighting
Typically the illumination of a prototypical caboose would have relatively low lighting. Task lighting may be for the conductor's paperwork. Otherwise the caboose was a place of rest, eating, and checking on the status of the train. Hence the lighting levels were usually much lower than the passenger cars. While bright LED lighting is possible with this board, the board can be with the potentiometer set to provide a lower level of illumination. The following shows a PRR porthole caboose after adding the short LED board to the ceiling.
The interior colors are the product of the plastic used by MTH in this model. While the crew member in the cupola is visible, most of the light is directed downward. It is an idea opportunity to paint and add details inside while installing the board (20 ma current draw).
The next shot shows the above caboose before conversion on the left. On the right is an N5 with marker lights. When using the marker light driver option, these LEDs are the last to dim (don't want that engine to hit you in the conductor!).
Following is an example of adding red LEDs to the rear of the caboose along
with the interior LED illumination.
Requires drilling two 5/64" holes at the desired location.
Following picture shows the available marker lights installed
along with the interior LED lighting.
Note this requires drilling on the sides to mount the marker lights.
The rear light on both sides is RED and the side is Green.
End of Train (EOT) Application
The following shows the Caboose Interior lighting and the Ngineering EOT board driving the Red LED in an MTH car. The original end red LEDs are used.
Before and After Examples - Combines
Conversion of a 3rd Rail Golden Gate Depot 0 Scale 80' length combine Car
Before shot showing dark area of combine passenger compartment:
Same GGD combine car with LED lighting. This board used an extra driver to power the amber LED in the vestibule (at right) and baggage compartment (light reflects off floor)! And more examples of neat options available on the Specialty Car Lighting page.
