Others' Photos :: Improved N Scale Amtrak P42
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Pre-disassembly Kato N scale P42 with Digitrax SDN144K0a decoder
Decoder installed, with OEM light board on the side.
Modified front light hood, with ditch light light pipes cut and glued in place.
Another view of the front light hood, including holes drilled for new tail light light pipes
Another view of front light hood, back light hood with possible light pipe for tail lights, and four red SMD LEDs
My in-progress P42 with a real P42, Amtrak #3
Soldering SMD LEDs to a 6-pin male header
Testing off-white SMD LED for left ditch light (albeit at too-high current)
Two white and one RED SMD LEDs with tiny current-limiting resistors in place against ditch light light pipes. Tail light pipes still missing.
Back view of SMD LED module including current-limiting resistors.
A new approach: 30 awg wires directly threaded through the plastic for 0.1" headers. Here, superglue attaching the bar to the locomotive base drying
Another view of the three new LEDs in place, complete with wires.
Testing the lights for the rain running in reverse: white at the back, red at the front.
Turning on the LEDs for both ditch lights and the front tail lights at once.
Testing both ditch lights plus front tail lights. Note light leakage due to missing light pipes.
Same view, but with the front tail light turned off.
The state of the two light pipe brackets after the front headlight light pipe snapped.
Building a replacement front headlight light pipe out of 0.75mm fiber optic cable.
New front headlight light pipe in place.
Complete back tail light light pipes, leading to one side of the train. Note red-tinted tips and electrical tape blocking light leakage where light pipe crosses rear headlight area.
Another view of the rear tail light light pipes.
Testing the rear tail lights. Note the light leakage into the rear headlights and right-side door.
The rear tail light LED in place.
The rear tail light LED off, showing head-shrink-enclosed current-limiting resistor.
Top view of rear tail light SMD LED.
Completed interior and wiring of P42. Capacitor has been removed due to space constraints, will be replaced with smaller capacitor.
Rear view of completed interior.
Front view of complete interior.
Oblique view of front and left side.
Completed back view, with tail lights on. Note lack of light leakage from the side door and minimal leakage from the rear headlights.
Completed light pipes. Front light pipes for both headlights and front tail lights have been installed
Close-up of front tail light light pipe, next to front ditch light and tail light LEDs
Testing front tail lights. The light leakage appears even more minimal in person.
Completed view of interior wiring and light pipes.
Completed view of interior wiring and light pipes.
Carving out a space above the front worm gear for the capacitor
Routing front headlight LED leads around new capacitor space
Capacitor snugly fitted into new space
Top-rear view of all electronics including encoder, speaker, and LED leads
Front view of LEDs, capacitor (with electrical tape insulation), and decoder.
Top view of worm gear under new capacitor compartment.
N scale P42 #99, fully upgraded and back in its box.
Final view: front, headlights and ditch lights on.
Final view: oblique front, headlights and ditch lights on
Final view: oblique front, front tail lights on
Final view: rear, rear headlights on
Final view: rear, rear tail lights on
Pre-disassembly Kato N scale P42 with Digitrax SDN144K0a decoder
Decoder installed, with OEM light board on the side.
Modified front light hood, with ditch light light pipes cut and glued in place.
Another view of the front light hood, including holes drilled for new tail light light pipes
Another view of front light hood, back light hood with possible light pipe for tail lights, and four red SMD LEDs
My in-progress P42 with a real P42, Amtrak #3
Soldering SMD LEDs to a 6-pin male header
Testing off-white SMD LED for left ditch light (albeit at too-high current)
Two white and one RED SMD LEDs with tiny current-limiting resistors in place against ditch light light pipes. Tail light pipes still missing.
Back view of SMD LED module including current-limiting resistors.
A new approach: 30 awg wires directly threaded through the plastic for 0.1" headers. Here, superglue attaching the bar to the locomotive base drying
Another view of the three new LEDs in place, complete with wires.
Testing the lights for the rain running in reverse: white at the back, red at the front.
Turning on the LEDs for both ditch lights and the front tail lights at once.
Testing both ditch lights plus front tail lights. Note light leakage due to missing light pipes.
Same view, but with the front tail light turned off.
The state of the two light pipe brackets after the front headlight light pipe snapped.
Building a replacement front headlight light pipe out of 0.75mm fiber optic cable.
New front headlight light pipe in place.
Complete back tail light light pipes, leading to one side of the train. Note red-tinted tips and electrical tape blocking light leakage where light pipe crosses rear headlight area.
Another view of the rear tail light light pipes.
Testing the rear tail lights. Note the light leakage into the rear headlights and right-side door.
The rear tail light LED in place.
The rear tail light LED off, showing head-shrink-enclosed current-limiting resistor.
Top view of rear tail light SMD LED.
Completed interior and wiring of P42. Capacitor has been removed due to space constraints, will be replaced with smaller capacitor.
Rear view of completed interior.
Front view of complete interior.
Oblique view of front and left side.
Completed back view, with tail lights on. Note lack of light leakage from the side door and minimal leakage from the rear headlights.
Completed light pipes. Front light pipes for both headlights and front tail lights have been installed
Close-up of front tail light light pipe, next to front ditch light and tail light LEDs
Testing front tail lights. The light leakage appears even more minimal in person.
Completed view of interior wiring and light pipes.
Completed view of interior wiring and light pipes.
Carving out a space above the front worm gear for the capacitor
Routing front headlight LED leads around new capacitor space
Capacitor snugly fitted into new space
Top-rear view of all electronics including encoder, speaker, and LED leads
Front view of LEDs, capacitor (with electrical tape insulation), and decoder.
Top view of worm gear under new capacitor compartment.
N scale P42 #99, fully upgraded and back in its box.
Final view: front, headlights and ditch lights on.
Final view: oblique front, headlights and ditch lights on
Final view: oblique front, front tail lights on
Final view: rear, rear headlights on
Final view: rear, rear tail lights on
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