Tiny lights for bridge

[seabilliau]

I am planning on building a section of my layout using this type of via duct and would like to have the lights around the arch.

http://staticmass.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/polar_3.jpg

Mine will be in a curve around one end of my board. Of course probably not as detailed. I plan on scratch building the structure using foam board and being about 4 or 5 inches high.

Does anyone know of a source for "Christmas lights" in o scale? I was thinking that if individual lights was impractical, maybe using EL wire blacked out in a pattern to appear like individual lights might work better. I'm in the planning stage and have sketched out some ideas I'll post once I'm able. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

CB

[gunrunnerjohn]

I'd be looking at really small chip LEDs. It will be some work, but that's the only way I see of getting something of this size.

[big ed]

What a cool looking picture.:D:thumbsup:

I have seen viaducts on e bay that someone builds.
Just what you are looking for though they don't have the lights.

Not cheap either, I don't see them listed right now.
I looked.:ohwell:

[Massey]

Fiber optic lines would be the best I would imagine. The size of the bulb would not matter any more and if you bundle the fibers up you can get many different size lights, rotating colors and the such. The lights could be in the legs of the arches and one bulb or LED could feed about a hundred or so "Lights"

Massey

[seabilliau]

Massey,
I like that idea of fiber optics. Yeah! I really like that idea especially with only then having a single light source (or two if needed). Do you know of any vendors that would have the equipment to do that? I could easily poke fibers through the foam. Hmmm?

Big Ed,
If you haven't seen Polar Express I highly encourage you to rent it. It is a kids movie (a pretty good one too), but they do an excellent job of conveying the awesome power of a Berkshire loco through film. I love to watch it with the kids just to see the outdoor train scenes. It's worth seeing just for that. I believe they actually modeled the train exactly after the 1225 Berkshire in Michigan, the Nickel Plate something?

Also, here is a sketch of my idea. It will cover the 4x4 section of my layout. Due to a stanchion I had to make two separate tables; an 8x4 and a 4x4. The arch trestle will hold one track and another will run at ground level around the small town scene. The stanchion is shown in the sketch below as a clock tower. My goal is to make the town in the center appear similar to the North ole in the Polar Express, along with the clock tower. That way, come Xmas time all I need to do is put a Christmas tree in the "park" center and the whole scene will resemble the movie. With the tree taken out, it will just look like a nice New England town.

Also, the clock tower will have working clock faces. This is going to be soooo fun... hard, but fun.

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/gallery/files/6/8/1/6/layout_sketch_polar_espress_diarama.jpg

[seabilliau]

Found one!

http://www.thefiberopticstore.com/FOS-mainpage.htm

Anyone have any experience running 3mm fiber through foam board?:laugh:

Update!!!

LED Light strips!

http://images-en.busytrade.com/168001900/3528-Smd-Led-Flexible-Strip-Warm-White-Color.jpg

http://www.ledworldlighting.com/ledstrip.html

[gunrunnerjohn]

I use LED light strips, but you'll have to work on something to cover the strips themselves. They're also pretty cheap. See several threads in the O-scale forum on lighting passenger cars, I used those strips for that project. :)

[seabilliau]

That strip is pretty obvious isn't it? I think I'll have it easy on the arches as I will probably run it on the underside of the arches since it has a 120 degree angle. Going along the sides I will probably put the brick facade on after I place the lights to see if I can cut out, or place in a way to mask that strip. I'll look at other threads to see if I can get any ideas. Thanks.

Found a deal on LED strips at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_hi?_encoding=UTF8&node=228013&field-brandtextbin=LEDwholesalers%20LED%20Strip%20Lights

[plandis]

That strip is pretty obvious isn't it? I think I'll have it easy on the arches as I will probably run it on the underside of the arches since it has a 120 degree angle. Going along the sides I will probably put the brick facade on after I place the lights to see if I can cut out, or place in a way to mask that strip. I'll look at other threads to see if I can get any ideas. Thanks.

Found a deal on LED strips at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_hi?_encoding=UTF8&node=228013&field-brandtextbin=LEDwholesalers%20LED%20Strip%20Lights

very cool. please post some pics when you get this worked out.

[plandis]

Massey,
I like that idea of fiber optics. Yeah! I really like that idea especially with only then having a single light source (or two if needed). Do you know of any vendors that would have the equipment to do that? I could easily poke fibers through the foam. Hmmm?

Big Ed,
If you haven't seen Polar Express I highly encourage you to rent it. It is a kids movie (a pretty good one too), but they do an excellent job of conveying the awesome power of a Berkshire loco through film. I love to watch it with the kids just to see the outdoor train scenes. It's worth seeing just for that. I believe they actually modeled the train exactly after the 1225 Berkshire in Michigan, the Nickel Plate something?

Also, here is a sketch of my idea. It will cover the 4x4 section of my layout. Due to a stanchion I had to make two separate tables; an 8x4 and a 4x4. The arch trestle will hold one track and another will run at ground level around the small town scene. The stanchion is shown in the sketch below as a clock tower. My goal is to make the town in the center appear similar to the North ole in the Polar Express, along with the clock tower. That way, come Xmas time all I need to do is put a Christmas tree in the "park" center and the whole scene will resemble the movie. With the tree taken out, it will just look like a nice New England town.

Also, the clock tower will have working clock faces. This is going to be soooo fun... hard, but fun.

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/gallery/files/6/8/1/6/layout_sketch_polar_espress_diarama.jpg

great movie to watch. yes, Hollywood actually hunted down the 1225 and did some passes with their sound people. the sound you hear in the movie is recording of actual Berk. - it is awesome. listen to it in high power surround. yes, the windows rattle- gave me goosebumps! never get enough of it.

[plandis]

here are a few videos of the actual PM 1225 BERK
http://youtu.be/_UpWjyWWBEI
http://youtu.be/gYtpgx5-X8c
http://youtu.be/YksBHPR62j0