[Chris France]

OK, long story short, a simple retrucking of my 1st generation RS-3 turned into new circuit boards as well. The new circuit boards came with new headlight boards. I also had some RAMtrack super bright white LEDS laying around so I decided to add them. Now I can't get them to function directionally. I tried using the enclosed diodes and they result in either off all the time or on all the time, I tried figuring it out with the wiring harness that came with the new board and I thought I had it, but once I soldered all the connections I get constant on....Any ideas?

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Did the headlights operate properly with the new boards. You have 2 variables here, the new boards and the new lights.

Get the new boards and the lights working first. Then swap in the leds.

Regards, Greg

 

[Chris France]

Well Greg, in true form to my own silliness I never tested the lights that came with the new board, and I went ahead and clipped the wires as close to the new Aristo LED boards as possible to allow myself more slack in the wires... I wasn't even aware I could have put the RAMtrack LEDs in the Aristo boards.... Ah, hindsight.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Best bet now is to power up the unit, and take a voltmeter out and test the places the LEDs used to be, and see if you get any voltage, and what polarity as compared to loco direction.

If nothing there, then you know why.

You DO have the shorting plug in place, and the boards in the shell connected to the chassis, right?

Regards, Greg

 

[Chris France]

Well, I have it more or less working now. I did have all of the plugs in place. It seems that when in reverse the forward headlight does still come on although noticably dimmer, and that's what was throwing me. Either way it should do for now. Thanks for the help Greg.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Yep, one of the few Aristos that tries to dim in reverse. The type of LED can affect the "dim" amount.

Glad it's working,

Greg

 

[Tom Leaton]

Do you know if anyone has tried to illuminate their Aristocraft RS-3 classification lights?

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Those little "wings" that stick out? Have not seen it, but they are hollow, so it would not be tough to put a lamp in the end. There's room to drill a hole through the shell to snake wires in.

Regards, Greg

 

[aceinspp]

There is a bulb already in the number board so maybe work out a way to light the marker light with a fussion bar of sorts. Later RJD

 

[aceinspp]

Posted By aceinspp on 01/05/2009 6:46 PM
There is a bulb already in the number board so maybe work out a way to light the classification light with a fusion bar of sorts. Later RJD

 

[Paul Norton]

I found the number board lighting on the RS-3 to be very dim. I thought about replacing the long plastic pieces with clear plastic sheet and putting a frosted LED behind each. But as I only run in the daytime, I painted them and added numbers to match the dry transfers on the cab.

The numbering shown here is the rub on type from Staples. I think they are very thin vinyl. If I had to do it again, I would use my Brother P-Touch labeler with a white font on black tape.

Some railways replaced the lobster-eyed lights with the classification lights off steam engines. Later models had flush mounted lights on the front of the hood.

 

[Chris France]

I removed the marker lights from all of my RS-3s. I think I've only seen one prototype with marker lights that looked anything like those things.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

A GOW would fit in the "lobster" part or a led. All you would need is a transparent jewel.

Regards, Greg