QUOTE (beast66606 @ 13 May 2008, 18:33)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Dependant upon the date your model is based on an LED would be far too bright - oil lamps were very dull and when the spectacles got dirty they got even duller - until the lamp man gave them a wipe on his rounds.
The general proposals for powering the lamp look good though.
Some very early signals were gas lit which gives another excuse for a "wire" down the side
***With 12v and between 12 and 15k the LED will be just fine - Several of the best Pro builders in the UK do just that, as do eveyone else I know who makes signals.
The best way to try the reistor value is to buy a 20K linear potentiometer. Put a ik resistor in series with it as a "safety net".
connect it in series and twiddle the knob until you have the light level you want, then take away the power and measure across the potentiometer terminals. Just use the nearest (next highest usually) standard resistor value and you are done!
with a high value resistor it will be limited to a milliamp of so as will barely glow. If its still slightly bright paint the lens with a mixture of clear varnish containing a very little black and orange - it softens the colour even more and gives a smoky tint thats actually rather neat.
for the wire find a dead motor - old shaver, dead model railway motor etc. the motor winding wire is super thin (hair sized sometimes) and is enamel covered. You'll need to strip off the enamel of course to solder to it - use a strong solvent.
Option - I sell a silver loaded paint - Martin71 has an image on forum somewhare showing a lamp in the hand of a 4mm scale guard - he painted the wiring onto the figure with the silver loaded paint then painted his clothes over it when it was dry - totally invisible.
BTW - paint the LED all over white or spray with standard gray car undercoat...(it reflects light inwards and helps reduce leakage better than a black base coat) then paint the final colour on top of that. to make the clear lens, file across the face of the 1.8mm microdot and you'll get a perfect round shape - much easier than painting it neatly
Regards
Richard
DCCconcepts