More Z Scale stuff

ICE

Wanting to get my skills into something small, I built a modified version of the famous NOCH 85880 Cortina layout in Z-Scale.

Since I primarily model in HO and did not want to invest getting into Z-Scale, I acquired a lot of Marklin stuff in a barter deal from my friend, who was getting out of Marklin, for whom I design a lot of model railroad electronics and automation.

So after the layout was built on a 4'x3' board (see video
) it was time to add life to the layout.

Every layout needs lights, so when I built my platform extension of scrap balsa sheet and added a scrap I-section as a bench, for the couple to get some precious moments, with the dark alley in the background, I did not want them to feel unsafe, so I added the light, like many other on my layout.

The construction is fairly simple, I used a 1/8" dia brass tubing, bent to a 135 degree angle (or you can bend to right angle to resemble modern era lamp posts) passed a previously soldered SMT 1206 LED (I normally pre-wire several of these in one soldering session) and passed the twisted pigtail through the tubing and secured it with a drop of cyno on the pigtail, not the LED.

Make sure the LED remains outside of the tubing. Dab some black pain on the solder side of the LED (top) to prevent light bleeding.

Cut a 1/2" piece of straw and slice it slightly more than half the diameter, so it get a nice little curvature. Paint the inside black. When dry cyno over the brass tubing, so that 1/8" protrudes over the LED to act as a canopy.

Paint the canopy black and the brass tube silver or grey.

Drill a hole in the platform to allow the tube to fit snugly. Pass the wires and the tubing and secure with a dab of cyno.

Ensure you have soldered the resistor to the LED before connecting to the power source (12-14VDC)

See the other lamp posts on the scratch built platforms for my Wintersdorf station. The retaining walls seen in the background are color prints, glued to art board.

The Z-Scale 2-aspect signals are built exactly like the lamp posts and the hood is made from pieces of the drinking straw cut at an angle.

The signals actually operate automatically when the train pulls into the station, triggered by infra red sensors and a timer circuit times the stopping time to 10 sec. before the train pulls out. See it in operation on my YouTube video.

Except for the plastic items and structures and trains from Marklin and track from MTL, everything is scratch built from alternate materials or scrap items. No commercial electronics was used on this layout and the dual PWM train controller and automatic signalling system was designed at home.

Materials:

* 1/8" brass tubing

* Drinking straw for canopy

* LED SMT 1206, bright or warm white to suit application

* Resistor 1K/0.25W

* Magnet wire 30 AWG

* Silver or Grey and Black acrylic paint

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