Back to Victoria Street, the fleet is now in the process of undergoing an update, I have purchased some 3mm warm white LEDs for directional headlights, and now I am in the business of retro fitting them, also, while individual trams are on the workbench, interior lights and fibre optic marker lights are being installed where required.
So far X1 460 is now running the new LEDs and now has interior lighting, all controlled by the NCE Z14SR DCC decoder.
X1 460 at twilight.
SW6 870 has also recently undergone a refit, with headlights, saloon lights and the original (1970's) layout of marker lights (white, red, white) either side of the headlight. With the left over function of the decoder, one cab end can be lit up as if the desto box lid has been left open. This open desto lid provides better illumination for the trailing cab at night time, as the red marker lights don't seem bright enough for half cut drivers to realise that there maybe a tram ahead! As per prototype, the drivers cab bulkheads are painted white. This tram still runs the 'trusty and rusty' Bachmann 'pancake' mechanism.
The magic (madness) inside
SW6 870 now in service with lights and the correct doors.
The trailing cabs at night, (870) with and (812) without the rear desto box lit.
Now for the dark side, the vintage laptop that I use for the JMRI decoder pro has decided to extinguish its backlight for the screen, thus throwing a decent sized spanner into the works, until I can get a second hand monitor, I will have to struggle along by attempting to shine a desk lamp off the screen and try to decipher the text like some demented Egyptologist reading hieroglyphs in a tomb. (there will be no chance of using the 'good' laptop in the study after sharing a 'fatal' beer with the last one, by order the minister of war and finance!)
So from under the wires and squinting at the screen,
Glenn
