DCC Red Tail Lamp Upgrade for your Brake Vans - Even Fits N Gauge Models Ep11

Make your own DCC powered red tail lamp for your model railway brake vans.
In this video I fit a DCC powered red tail lamp to my N Gauge Peco Brake Van. But this will work for OO and HO scale also.
If you want to dim the tail lamp this can be achieved by using a higher value dropper resistor, I use a 2 K ohm resistor in the video.
Please see chapters below so you skip to any section required
00:00 Introduction
00:38 Parts needed for the build
01:12 More about about the LED used
01:36 Stripping down the brake van
02:30 Discussion about mounting the pickups
03:51 Drilling the hole for the pickup wires
04:25 Mounting the pickups
05:39 Preparing the wheels with conductive paint
06:39 Mounting the LED
07:41 Fitting the modified wheels
09:02 Testing the pickup continuity
09:17 Electrical connection explainer
10:14 Preparing the rectifier for wiring
10:35 Electrolytic capacitor discussion
11:04 Installing the stay alive capacitor
12:12 Wiring the rectifier
13:32 Using liquid tape to insulate rectifier terminals
14:17 Final checks for any shorts
14:32 Testing on the track
Llanford Park Model Railway is small N gauge railway model railway. It is set the UK and the period is late 1960’s to early 1970’s

[@ianstanley7230]

That is by far the most informative video on this subject that I have seen. I will now hit the subscribe button.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thank you for the comment and also thank you for subscribing. 😀

[@Millsbritish4x4]

Great video, kept me entertained, well done!

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Bruces-Eclectic-World]

Awesome video... LLAP 🖖

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks

[@GRUMP5B]

Something so simple ends up as a scary thing for some people, thank you for the step by step guide as to how you did it. This will definitely get the grey cells working for many of us who think it is too complicated to even think about. Please keep sharing your DIY tips with us. Oh by the way don’t forget to tap the thumbs up and subscribe to the channel.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks for your comments, I am glad that you found the video helpful

[@4623620]

Nice video, this is a simple and good solution for installing tail lights (and other lights) in model wagons. 👌😎👍 I have one note though*: Due to the fact that an electric motor (like the one in a locomotive) can generate a CEMF (Counter-ElectroMotive Force) that can be of considerably higher voltage than the power normally fed to the rail, it may be safer to use a capacitor rated for 25 volts instead of the 16 volt capacitor recommended here, this will minimize risk of capacitor leakage (or even explosion)❗*(see correction in my reply below)

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

@@4623620 Hi thanks for the comment. I worked on the basis that for DCC systems,(as opposed to DC), commercial solutions for stay alive capacitors commonly supply 16v capacitors. Also of course for DCC there is a decoder between the track rail supply and the motor. However these are only assumptions as I am not an expert.

[@4623620]

@@LlanfordParkModelRailway Please forgive me, you are right, I did not realise it was for DCC, should have read your text (but I am a lazy dyslexic). Than I could have known I had to mention that my suggestion is for DC systems. 😳

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

@@4623620 no problem, thanks for watching the video

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

I put a tail light into the same brakevan using a length of fiber-optic cable. The LED is inside the van, the fiber runs horizontally into a tiny square of plasticard representing a tail lamp. Much dimmer than a SMD viewed directly! I'd like to develop it into a system where yeu can tap a magnet on the roof to turn the lamp on or off

[@Kapparie]

Nice build, though very fiddly 😂. I do recommend to solder a resistor and reverse diode between the rectifier + and the capacitor + to limit the capacitor load current.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks😀. I did try and measure the capacitor inrush current, but the charge was so fast I couldn’t read it on my DVM .

[@Orionneb]

works very well .

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks

[@pjeaton58]

I did a OO scale brake van years ago with a 3mm red LED on normal analogue 12volt, with rectifier for reverse, 2 of rechargeable AAA batteries and charge limit and LED resistors for the current in and out of the batteries ! 😊 😊

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

DCC does make things easier 😀

[@pjeaton58]

@@LlanfordParkModelRailway I am 66 yrs, and when I was about 19 yrs I don`t think there was any DCC ?

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

​@@pjeaton581980ish? might've had Hornby's Zero-1 but from what I've heard it was quite unfriendly 😄

[@menders1805]

Excellent video. Encouraged me to give it a go.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video

[@robertschroder9278]

Brillant. Well done.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks

[@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932]

Very good indeed thanks for sharing

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks for the comment appreciated

[@Hal-Zuzzu_Model_Railway]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing :)

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks

[@Castlebridge-00]

Easy to follow instructions. I am encouraged, thanks and have subscribed. Looking for ward to more helpful hints. BarryDevon

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you liked the video. Also thanks for the subscription.

[@stocktonjunction]

Love the idea. For older stock running old style lamps it's great. I run 1980s to 1990s that would be flashing tail lamps. Could u make this system but add flashing ?

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

It is possible but would need some more electronic components for the flashing circuit. For N scale the challenge is always fitting components into the space available

[@stocktonjunction]

@LlanfordParkModelRailway very true. I model oo at the moment so space is not as much of an issue

[@mikeuk1954]

Excellent video. Subscribed.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

Thanks glad you liked it

[@frankiechristians7813]

100µF 24V is better And I would have used the thin wires of the LED and brass strips for pickups You can buy wheels with one side conductive, so no need for conductive paint

[@marshallman7608]

Only problem with this is its way too bright. I started on the footplate in 1980 still in the BR paraffin lamp era and the best you could hope for from a tail lamp, even a signal light is dull flickering glow.

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

I do agree having run mine for a while. I started with a 1 K ohm resistor and that was far too bright, so as in the video changed to 2 k ohm resistor to lower the brightness. I would use an even higher value dropper resistor next time maybe 2.5 k ohm or even 3 k ohm’s

[@marshallman7608]

The paraffin signal lights were really bad. North/north west of Edinburgh was predominantly semaphore signals back then. Being cautioned at night resulted in peering into the darkness to spot the signal. As one old driver used to say you have to find them before you can stop at them!

[@maltnz]

@@LlanfordParkModelRailway Try a variable resistor maybe?

[@LlanfordParkModelRailway]

@maltnz That’s a good idea thanks

[@johnbarthram2761]

True, I am a former secondman east London Stratford depot, and yes your right it was always a dull glow at best !!!!

[@KeithDeley]

It's a back light, stop talking American for god's sake,