DCC LED Coach Lighting Installation Guide
This guide shows how I fitted the LED lighting to one of my coaches for use on my DCC layout. Whilst
the fitting of the LED’s was the same for each of the coaches I modified, I had four different types of
bogie to contend with, and the fitting of the pickups was slightly different for each.
One had metal rivets I could solder the pickups to, (nice and easy), the rest were plastic so required
gluing the pickups to. On most I had holes for the wires, but on one set of coaches I had to drill the
hole. As with most things in modelling, a little bit of ingenuity may be required to get the job done!!!
On all of my coaches the wheels needed to be changed, as they were of the non-conducting type.
The replacement wheels I used were Hornby R8218, which have one wheel electrically connected to
the axle, whilst the other is insulated from the axle. This allows one bogie to pick up power from one
rail, and the other bogie power from the second rail. On each bogie just ensure that both sets of
wheels are connected to the same rail, otherwise you will get a short. I sourced these wheels from
ebay.
Another option that I could have used, to get the power from the wheel to the axle, would have
been to use conductive paint on the original wheels. I may try this when I have more coaches to
modify, to see how well it works compared to replacing the wheels.
The pickups I used were from a company called DCC Supplies. Here is the link to their pickups page:
http://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=2409
They too can supply the LED strip if you wish...
http://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=22_370_150&products_id=765
...but at over £7.00 for a 6LED section!!!
Below you will find the method I used for adding the LED strip to one of my coaches, utilising the
adhesive backed copper tape that I can also supply.
Thank you for your interest.
I first start with the two strips of LED’s joined
This is then cut into two
The power connections are then soldered...
...and wire ‘tails’ added to each one
The bogies were removed from the coach...
...and the original wheels removed
The pickups as supplied by DCC Supplies
I bent up the centre tabs
Pickup attached to bogie with the tabs bent over
The pickups were then glued in place. A small
piece of plastic was used to help keep it in place
Both bogies are now completed
And the two bogies replaced on the coach
I clean the coach roof with methylated
spirits, before fixing the copper tape
The LED strips are then soldered to the tape.
Dont leave the soldering iron on for too long
LED connection detail. The top tape was then cut
and the resistor fitted across the gap
The bogie connections are soldered
onto the copper tape
All back together, and the installation
is tested before the wheels are fitted
The new wheels were then fitted,
completing the installation
A closer shot of the pickup detail
Detail showing the small piece of
plastic glued across the pickup
A final test before being let loose on the layout
Let there be light!!!!
Here is a more detailed look at the LED and copper tape installation.
The above picture shows the most efficient use of the copper tape. I found that utilising the fact that
the LED strips can be connected at both ends, and careful measuring before cutting of the copper
tape, allowed me to use less tape.
The 1K resistor may be changed for a higher value if the lights are deemed to be too bright. It is a
case of experimenting with different values to gain the required light level, although I would not
recommend using any values less than 1K.
I can supply, for a small extra cost, a set of 10 different resistor values, for these experimental
purposes. The values I can supply are:
Value
Colour Code
Value
ColourCode
█ █ █ Brown|Black|Red
2.2K
█ █ █ Red|Red|Red
3.9K
█ █ █ Orange|White|Red
8.2K
█ █ █ Grey|Red|Red
10K
█ █ █ Brown|Black|Orange
22K
█ █ █ Red|Red|Orange
39K
█ █ █ Orange|White|Orange
82K
█ █ █ Grey|Red|Orange
100K
█ █ █ Brown|Black|Yellow
220K
█ █ █ Red|Red|Yellow
1K
Values in-between those supplied may be achieved by series linking the resistors. So for example
linking the 22K and the 39K will give 61K. Utilising the series method, values between 1K and 488.3K
may be achieved!!! To be fair though, I did try a 470K and it was VERY dim.
I hope this document has been of help, but if you have any more questions then I will be happy to
answer them.