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Improving Brawa Nr. 5504 ring light lamps Journals/Blogs
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Active Member 40 posts welztalbahn Active Member 40 posts
welztalbahn

I really like the ring light lamps for German stations that have not had their lighting upgraded to modern lamps, so I decided a couple years ago that Emsingen station will get ring lights.

I selected Brawa Nr. 5504 for Emsingen. However, what the  catalog picture doesn't show you is the black wire from the lamp body to the top of the brass mast as shown above on the right. This completely destroys the effect of the ring holding the lamp. I replaced the black wire with thin magnet wire, which in my opinion looks much better than the lamp out-of-the box.

Bernhard

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https://blog.lostentry.org/search/label/trains  --   https://www.youtube.com/user/lastentry5
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welztalbahn Active Member 40 posts
welztalbahn

Before and After Comparison

The original lamp is on the right, my version is on the left. Yes, you can still see the magnet wire, but at normal viewing distances (~3 ft or more), it's barely noticable.

 

 

Bernhard

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https://blog.lostentry.org/search/label/trains  --   https://www.youtube.com/user/lastentry5
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welztalbahn Active Member 40 posts
welztalbahn

The fix is pretty straight-forward

Cut off the black wire, leave a little bit, thread magnet wire through the lamp mast, wrap around the ring, and solder to the rest of the black wire. Carefully pull back into the mast and voila:

Hide the magnet wire with some gray paint, reattach the black wire for easier hook-up, and we're done.

My Welztalbahn blog has more details if desired. Feel free to stop by.

Bernhard

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https://blog.lostentry.org/search/label/trains  --   https://www.youtube.com/user/lastentry5
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welztalbahn Active Member 40 posts
welztalbahn

Close-up on the layout

Bernhard

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https://blog.lostentry.org/search/label/trains  --   https://www.youtube.com/user/lastentry5
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Dawson Regular poster 224 posts
Dawson

Looks good

Bernhard

The before & after photos are like chalk & cheese !

Painted & set on the layout they look very good & all lights have power cables running to them.

Top job.

Smokey Dawson      Australia
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welztalbahn Active Member 40 posts
welztalbahn

Thank you

Especially over the last year or so I've grown less intimidated to change / modify / hack-up / kit-bash kits and details. Modifying the lamps was easier than I expected and so worth it.

Bernhard

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https://blog.lostentry.org/search/label/trains  --   https://www.youtube.com/user/lastentry5
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