philp Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Ah, a couple of Japanese exchange members from the T-34 Mentor tow tractor. Can't tell where the other engineer originated. Been a nice build. Looking forward to seeing how you handle the track units and tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamS Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Oh, I'm so loving this build. Absolutely fab stuff! :thumbsup: Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roma847 Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Thanks Gordon! MANFRED, apparently the work crew was out to lunch when I took the photos. I cought them hanging around playing on the computer when they should have been at their station! Hi Rich, the poor guys look pretty stressed out, so let them rest a bit and treat them to a cold beer, otherwise they still lose the desire to work ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonD Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Well, now that the World Cup has finished they have to find employment somewhere. (Anyone who saw the BBC trailers will know what I'm on about!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 PHILIP, you busted me! I also do not know where the last engineers came from. I just grabed three dudes from my stash, and made them sit together so I could take the photo. BTW... the treads are going to be resin cast and linked as individuals to make the tracks. But that is quite a ways off still. Thanks GRAHM for your continued support!! MANFRED, After seeing photos of you and the Mrs. with ice cold beers, this sounds like a great idea! GORDON, Thats right, they have a new job here holding down chairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 HEY ALL, A quick posting for today. In this first photo you can see how the lighting for the Crawler interior space is accomplished with florecent lights. The problem with this, as far as modeling goes, is that no one makes miniture florecent lighting for models. So I have to use lighting from the model railroad community. The lights I will be using are called "PICO" lights, and as you can see, these things are so frikin' small I can put three of them in Lincoln's ear. I will also be reshaping the light housings themselves. Instead of the florecent tube lights, I will be building spot lights to replace these. I will be running four "zones" to light the entire project. The zones will be... zone #1, the Engineers Controll Room along with the Operator Cabs. Zone #2, will be the main body interior. Zone #3, will be the carwler exterior. And zone #4, will be the spinning caution lights. The equipment for this chapter is realy straight forward, with no messing around with a bunch of componants. Just a power plug designed just for this sort of lighting. A four x switch for each of the four zones, and the lamps. All I need to do is attach the lamps to the power leeds and, presto, let there be light! The lamp shades will be bilt out of Evergreen tubes, and cut to resemble fixed spot lights. I will build singles for the smaller spaces and use a double construction for the larger spaces. ( the lamp shade is on the penny with the light.) The interior has about 40 lights or so. The exterior has about that many also, and the caution lights number about 36 or so. So alltogether, I will be constructing about 100 lights for this build. This chapter is realy small and a bit slow because of the wire routing and the mass production of the lamp shades. So everybody hang in there, this will take a while, but I will take plenty of photos to entertain all and post from time to time during this phase of the build. Thanks All for watching and leaving likes and comments. Bye for now. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roma847 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Hey Rich, it seems like the lighting will be a spectacular new chapter! I stay tuned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knaupel Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 It´s getting better and better. Can´t wait to see more from your super fantastic build! Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 MANFRED and PETER, Thanks guys, glad you're liking the build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 (edited) OK ALL, A quick post for today, just to let you know I'm working on the lights. The lamp shades are constructed like this. For the larger outer shield I used Evergreen tube 1/8, 3.2mm OD. This was cut to shape to resemble a spotlight shield. I then drilled out the center, to accept a 3/32 , 2.4mm OD tube. I then slid the 3/32, 2.4mm tube into the 1/8 tube to make the housing for the "light bulb". Then I drilled out the center of the 3/32 tube to accept the light bulb, and slid everythig together and welded. The parts to build the lamp shields. These are the first 45 lamp shades completed. This is a completed lamp shade painted and ready for the final light test befor install. And this the last light test befor the mass install. The paint hides the light from comming through the styrene tube, the light points out the front of the shield, and the lamp clears the inside DIA that I drilled to accept the lamp. The bit of light that is leaking out of the back will be gone when I permenatly seal up the back for final install. Thats it for today. The next step is to draft out the wireways and plan the zones. Thanks all for watching!! Edited August 10, 2014 by RichO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roma847 Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Rich said: Let there be light, and there was light. Are these the lamps for the indoor lighting? Looking great so far, let the lighting show go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 MANFRED, Yes these are the lights for the inside. I have modeled these after a double spot box. I have eight of these to build and then mount them onto the beams for the first part of the install. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Madness or genius? Not sure but I'll sign up for it! Keep them coming, Rich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) Thanks Pete! HEY ALL, More with the lighting. A couple o' pictures of parts. Here are the eight double spot lights. These are the eight spots wired up and ready to install. A close up. In this photo you can see how I have mounted the fourway switch.This has been all secured and is ready to plug and play. Here you can see the basic wire layout. I will try to keep as much of the wiring inside the beams, so I don't clutter up the bottom side. This is the mounting of the first double spot light. Here it is with the lights turned on. Now I just have to install seven more of these and then the rest of the singles. I'll be back! Edited August 14, 2014 by RichO 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Hi Rich, the spotlights are looking good, probably better than trying to make up something that looks and performs like a strip light. Tell us please, where did you get the PICO lights from? Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roma847 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Oh Rich, now you are blemishing the beautiful underside of the crawler with this LED stuff, shame on you!!! Joking aside, well done Rich, let the LEDs shine! BTW, how big are your plugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 15, 2014 Author Share Posted August 15, 2014 HEY ALL, Just one photo today. This is the light test for the first ten lights. I have devided the area to be lit into four corners. This is corner #1 light test. All ten lights are working. Now on to the other corners. Bye for now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roma847 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Hey Rich, no time for answering only one question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 COLIN, You can see the lights here: ModelTrainSoftware.com. These people have lights for just about anything. Look at the customers gallery. MANFRED, The size of the plug is small, as you can see. This is the only plug that I have in the system. I just have to decide which zone goes to which switch. Everything else is simply connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 HEY ALL, Another quick post for today. I am still building lights for the interior of the carwler. I have built all the double lights that go to the interior, and now I'm just about finished with the single lights. These are the parts for whats left of the single lights. Here are the rest of the light build for the interior. All lamps get a light test before I install these into the light shields. This photo shows the remaining single lights painted and drying. Now, I just have to wait for these to dry fully and then comes the install. I will mount all of these at the same time and do a light test after install. once I have accomplished the installed light test, I will undo the wiring and then redo the wiring in its final location. More photos later. Thanks All!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 HEY GUYS, Another short posting for today. This first photo shows the overall interior light placement. The lights have been installed but not wired into place. This shot is a closer look at the light works. It's kinda scary looking with all the wiring just hanging around with no home yet. This photo shows what I need to do for each light. First is the construction. Then the painting. Then mounted into place. Next I have to cut little tiny retainer loops the hold the wiring into place. The retainer loops are cut from 3/32 Evergreen tube. I then cut very thin slivers off the end of the tube to make the retainer loops. The loops are placed randomly according to what looks good. This last photo shows the finished install of a light. All painted, placed and ready for the final wiring. Just a quick post for today to let every one know the construction continues. This chapter is large, slow, and tedious. But like all thing modeling, the foundations must be layed first. So, in the real world outside of the postings, I am about halfway done with the interior lighting. I am managing to work a little everyday on this chapter. So hang in there everyone, more photos later. Thanks Everyone!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonD Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 It's well worth the wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roma847 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Hi Rich, cool job with all the lamps, that will surely look great when it all lights up in the rooms. I marvel at your patience in the clutter of the many wires, keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 Thanks Gordon! MANFRED, The Electrical/Lighting Dept. has managed to keep all the wiring straight so far, and all looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichO Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 HEY ALL, A brief posting for today. The Lighting Dept. has managed to get all the lights working for the first half of interior for this chapter. I have the first 18 lights glowing brightly and all installed into the final position. The wiring has been painted and, it really looks great! A view from the end. A couple of shot from above with the external lights turned off. Thanks all for watching and liking!! The lighting continues!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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