Lenses for steam locomotive headlights
#1
This question is mostly for DoctorWayne -

What do you use for headlight lenses, considering you don't actually put bulbs in yours?  

I agree with your reasoning - 1) my era did not use headlights during the day 2) I don't have any interest in modeling "night operations" in an era/location when electricity was in its infancy.  

So what to do with my headlights?  The little jewel that comes with the MDC locos looks quite brilliant, but doesn't look quite right to me.  

Thanks,
Kevin
--
Kevin
Check out my Shapeways creations!
3-d printed items in HO/HOn3 and more!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s-model-train-detail-parts">https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s ... tail-parts</a><!-- m -->
Reply
#2
I use MV Products lenses, and have, in the past, had some luck getting them from Sprue Brothers.

They specialise in military models - planes warships, tanks, etc., but often have lenses suitable for model railroading, too. 
Generally, the lenses are identified by a number equal to their diameter in thousandths-of-an-inch, so you'll need calipers to measure the inside diameter of your headlight castings.  If you can't find one that's exactly right, there's often a chance that one slightly smaller will still look convincing.  If you find a lense slightly larger than you need, a few quick turns with a suitably-sized drill bit in a pin vise can often increase the inside diameter of the headlight casting enough to accept the larger lense, and still look acceptable, too.
Some MV lenses seem to yellow over time - not sure of the cause, but most still look useable...better than nothing and usually better than jewel lenses, too.

They also offer lenses in colour, useful for marker lights on cabooses, and red and yellow ones for use as warning lights on locomotives.  Another possible source for the lenses is Walthers.  I've had no luck at all trying to contact MV Products directly, though.
However, I did stumble across this Canadian site a few minutes ago, which, seems to have a decent selection....although on closer inspection, many seem to be back-ordered.

I'd offer some photos, but those from photobucket will not show in this forum...I'll see if I can find some in my own library on discs.

Here are a few locomotives with MV Products lenses...

   

   

   

   

   

   

   


The MV lenses can be very effectively illuminated, too:  if using a small LED, drill a shallow hole in the reflective material on the rear of the lense, using a suitably-sized drill bit in a pin vise, then cement the LED into the hole.  The unlit LED will look like a bulb in a reflector, and with the LED lit, very realistic. 

There are some photos of lenses with an LED installed HERE, although you'll need to scroll a bit to find them.

I hope that something here will be of use.

Wayne
Reply
#3
Thanks Wayne. Are the MV lenses silveredon the back side? Or do you paint the inside of the casting silver?
--
Kevin
Check out my Shapeways creations!
3-d printed items in HO/HOn3 and more!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s-model-train-detail-parts">https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s ... tail-parts</a><!-- m -->
Reply
#4
The silvering is applied to the outside rear face of each lense.  For the ones to which I added LEDs, I used the pointy bit on a draughting compass to make a small indentation on the rear of the lense, then used a suitably-sized bit in a pin vise to drill a shallow hole.  In the photos below, the small lenses are roughly .035" thick, while the headlight-sized ones are about .043" thick. 
Since the small LEDs emit a fairly directional light, the shallow hole simply allows better contact for gluing than trying to cement it to the rear face of the lense.  I don't use LEDs on any of my locos...not a fan of night-time running, when all the effort that's been put into detailing locos and rolling stock or scenery and structures are barely visible.

Here's an illustration showing a range of what might be available...

   

...while this picture shows two identical lenses...

   

...the one on the left shows that side which would be visible when installed in a suitable headlight casting, while the one to the right reveals the back-side of the lense, which is only slightly less reflective.

For class lights (non-working) on steam locomotives, I usually paint the areas where the lenses would be using grey paint, as I don't usually use them as class lights.  However, if you wished to have unlit class lights, a better choice would be to paint each set of lense receptacles a suitable colour - most likely one white, one red, and one green....as long as they're unlit, it doesn't matter which similar colour-pairs face forward, rearward, or sideways. 
To make them look more prototypical, I then mix some clear epoxy, and use the tip of a #11 X-Acto blade to apply an appropriate amount to each location - this is a multi-step process, as each side-facing lense has to be done separately, with the loco laying on its side - if necessary, use something under the boiler to prop it up so that the marker lense area is horizontal while the epoxy sets.
For the front- and rear-facing lenses, the loco can be stood on-end, using whatever support necessary while the epoxy is applied and then allowed to set...in other words, the two forward-facing lenses filled with the loco standing on its cab-end, and the two rearward-facing ones done with the loco standing on its front-end.

If your locos have class lights, and you choose to use the white, green, and red colours, white indicates that the train is an "extra" - not a normally scheduled train.

Green was usually used on passenger trains, and indicated the fact that another section of the same train was following (usually with cars that were an excess part of the train displaying the green markers)  On important trains such as the 20th Century Limited or PRR's Broadway, the train might be comprised of several sections, each displaying green class lights, except for the final one.

Red classification lights would be displayed to indicate the rear of a train...f'rinstance, if the train was a block of locomotives only, or if the rear end of the train was a locomotive.

I believe that there are painted class lights on the pilot and tender shown in the thread cited earlier, on the construction of the Pennsy A-5 (those pictures are near the end of the construction portion of the thread).  I do think that the painted ones look better than the grey ones...I may have to redo mine, even though I have no intention of illuminating any of them.   35


Here's a photo showing an MV lense in the headlight, and the grey class lights done with clear epoxy.  On this loco, three lenses show on each class-light casting:  one pair facing outward to the sides, one pair facing inward (towards each other) and one pair facing forward -  when illuminated, the forward-facing ones indicate the train's class

   


In the event that you can't find suitable MV lenses, especially for headlights, you might be able to create an acceptable alternative by placing a piece of aluminum foil, shiny-side facing out, into the headlight casting, then, with the loco standing on its cab-end, fill it with clear epoxy.  I'm not sure if the wrinkles in the foil would be noticeable or not, but if this didn't look acceptable, it shouldn't be too difficult to dig it out before it's fully hardened.

How many headlights do you require, and what are the sizes needed?


Wayne
Reply
#5
Im just working on one right now. I was curious what you use before I order something because most folks put an LED in there these days. I also have some clear styrene rod and was thinking of cutting a small disk, polishing and then painting the back silver. The MV lenses look great.
--
Kevin
Check out my Shapeways creations!
3-d printed items in HO/HOn3 and more!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s-model-train-detail-parts">https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s ... tail-parts</a><!-- m -->
Reply
#6
One thing I have been doing is this. I use a soda can for material. I cut it apart and then polish the inside part of a square that I have made. I polish to a very high shine. Then I punch out a circle of the material . I cut the circle a little larger than the hole in the H/L casting. Now I make small concave dimple in a wood block. I then place my cut circle in the dimple on the board and using the end of a rounded dowel ( a small paint brush handle will work sometimes).I push down with the dowel on the circle and rotate round & round until I get a concave shape reflector. Now comes the hard part, make a very small hole in your reflector with a needle, drill or what ever you have that will make a small hole.
If you use a pin or a needle you will have to remove the burr that the needle has raised on the back side of the reflector.
I use a fine grit finger nail file to remove the burr.
Now glue a 603 LED to the reflector over the small hole in the reflector. I use Bondic light activated glue has you can move the LED to the place you want it-hit it with the light and your LED will bond to your reflector. I put on a second glue bond on to make sure the LED wires are covered to make the light assembly insulated. Then I paint the back side black and let dry. For the lens,I cut a circle from any clear plastic I have . Or you can install your reflector assembly and fill the H/L hole with clear epoxy, I do two or three fills and try to get a domed shape fill.
By using a warm or a bright LED you can get a light the color you want.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)