Coach Lighting for under 2 euro a coach

[Northwest141]

Having bought a Train Tech lighting board for a Cravens

at a cost of £17.00 plus £3.00 postage

i wondered if there was a cheaper way to go about lighting the cravens

First off the Train Tech lighting is excellent { motion sensored } after 2 to 3 mins it switches itself off

again when it is bumped or coupled the lighting comes back on

so all in all a good product { be it a bit costly } 5 coaches = £85 plus postage

i searched around on e bay and found the following

5 x lightboards for 11 euro shipped { 3 volt operated } same as Train tech

then i came across the 3 volt holders for the batteries { the holders are fitted with an on/off switch } which is ideal

so i opened up a cravens and fitted the light bar to the roof

then soldered the wiring to the switch { holder }

fitted the holder in the back of the cravens { then making the window hole slightly bigger in the back of the carrige

i was able to fit the switch with a few dabs of super glue { as seen in the pics }

simple to operate , i use a pen to turn on and off the switch .

paint the white switch a dab of black , or put the red cover on and nothing is visible .

works a treat , and cheap too

Edited August 10, 2016 by Northwest141

[irishmail]

That's a great tip, also handy that you can turn the lights on/off as needed.

[BosKonay]

Very nice indeed - any pics of the resulting light level?

[Northwest141]

Sorry not set up for video here , but result is the same as Train tech { WARM WHITE }

that one was the first one done . and i see by the pics i need to file down a bit of the window opening to make it flush

but for a few euro , im ok with it so far

when run in a rake with the Train tech fitted coach, there is no change in colour .

here is the link to the train tech lighting

http://train-tech.com/index.php/lighting/interior-coach-lighting

 

with both the train tech , and this set up , the battery is enclosed in the carrige

so the drawback is , when the battery is low , the carrige must be taken apart to replace it

but they give a long life 5-7 hours

Edited August 10, 2016 by Northwest141

[DiveController]

with both the train tech , and this set up , the battery is enclosed in the carrige

so the drawback is , when the battery is low , the carrige must be taken apart to replace it

but they give a long life 5-7 hours

That's a great tip. A ten-fold reduction in cost is definitely worth doing and makes equipping a couple of rakes affordable for the average modeler. DO you thin it is possible to route the wiring between the window, drill a tiny hole in the floor and hide the battery behind the 'battery boxes' under the chassis. Battery replacement would be infinitely easier

[Northwest141]

That's a great tip. A ten-fold reduction in cost is definitely worth doing and makes equipping a couple of rakes affordable for the average modeler. DO you thin it is possible to route the wiring between the window, drill a tiny hole in the floor and hide the battery behind the 'battery boxes' under the chassis. Battery replacement would be infinitely easier

 

Hi

that was my original plan

but sadly the holder is visible if mounted underneath

it fits just perfect in the back compartment in the cravens

next attempt will be a MK11 and see how that works out

[irishthump]

Great tip!

 

Can you post a link to the sellers on Ebay?

[DiveController]

Great tip!

 

Can you post a link to the sellers on Ebay?

One ping only

[Glenderg]

One ping only

 

Captain Ramius?

[DiveController]

Captain Ramius?

A ping is as good as a bump, and it is October

[Glenderg]

A ping is as good as a bump, and it is October

 

You will get the Order of Lenin for this.....