Ditch Lights for Atlas MP15DC

[biz816]

Looking for some wiring advice on adding ditch lights to a Atlas MP15DC in HO scale. I have installed the housings and made the openings for the lights and or wiring. I think I will use a larger LED bulb and place it inside the loco and not within the housing. There is just not enough room.

Now I'm not really sure where to start with the wiring? I want to add lights to both ends. I guess one option is to just feed off of the headlights. My preference though would to be able to control them.

This model is the Atlas gold line with the included DCC/Sound decoder. There are some colored wires that are exposed.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Boston&Maine]

Did you happen to look in the "How-To" thread stickied at the top of the forum? This how-to (http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=302) may be of help to you...

[T-Man]

Hi
N TrainLover installed Ditch Lights. Somewhere in the forum he posted a completed picture. It may have been a DCC engine.
Did you purchase this as a kit?
I can answer LED questions but not DCC.
Bob

I read the articles pointed out by B&M. He used a 1.5 volt lamp and a resistor to bring it down to 1.5 volts. Your LED doesn't like reverse current so you need a 1N4001 diode to protect it. The LED pulls 3 volts and draws .02 amps.
So Total Voltage (unknown) - 3 volts(LED)-.7 volts for the diode/.02 amps=resistance in ohms. Needed for each LED.

Find the total voltage, this is only IF you did not buy a kit.