Brake van rear red light

[shroomy]

Installation John
https://youtu.be/iLimSOw4zI4

[Brian]

Yes that is absolutely correct, as it uses a Latching Reed Switch. These should not be confused with conventional reed switches.

[Steve M]

Interesting video (shame about the parrot in the background ).

Link to the supplier mentioned:

http://layouts4u.net/switches.html

[footplate1947]

[quote="Steve M" post_id=6052 time=1546941445 user_id=52]

Interesting video (shame about the parrot in the background

Thanks for that Steve useful stuff... Polly did make hard work of listening .....John

[Brian]

Just as a side note a Latching reed switch can also be used to very good effect on a DCC powered layout where the lighting is feed by the DCC powered rails/wheel wipers. Saves having to fit a decoder to turn On/Off carriage lights etc.
Equally they can also be used on a DC power layout, but perhaps rail power needs to be On to some degree to allow you to see whether the lights has been turned On or Off by the passing of the magnet!

[Tricky Dicky]

Reed switches were only designed for low current signal level switching. Although in my time I have seen some quite hefty ones what is mainly available now are only suitable for low current. As Brian has said NO, NC & changeover are the most commonly available. The need for latching has somewhat disappeared with electronic devices at bulk costs of only pennies are available for that plus a lot more. The use of Hall Effect sensors which can be a lot more robust and precise will further demise reed switches.

Richard

[shroomy]

Reed switches were only designed for low current signal level switching. Although in my time I have seen some quite hefty ones what is mainly available now are only suitable for low current. As Brian has said NO, NC & changeover are the most commonly available. The need for latching has somewhat disappeared with electronic devices at bulk costs of only pennies are available for that plus a lot more. The use of Hall Effect sensors which can be a lot more robust and precise will further demise reed switches.

Richard

The hall sensors are what Sutton locomotive works use in their class 24s
You can use them to sound a horn and other effects

[Steve M]

I know this is not really applicable to the original question about DC as my layout is DCC and I have no idea if this will work in practice.
I have some 12v LEDs that I have used permanently wired to the rails as buffer lamps. No reason why they can’t be used as a tail lamp on a wagon so I have started by adding some pickups to the guards van using some spare phosphor bronze strip and araldite.

20190113_155219 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

[footplate1947]

I know this is not really applicable to the original question about DC as my layout is DCC and I have no idea if this will work in practice.
I have some 12v LEDs that I have used permanently wired to the rails as buffer lamps. No reason why they can’t be used as a tail lamp on a wagon so I have started by adding some pickups to the guards van using some spare phosphor bronze strip and araldite.

20190113_155219 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

I am going to order one of the kits on the earlier post £15 to do the first one Steve. Just see how it turns out. Looks simple enough and the kit comes with one white to light the cabin and one red for the rear light. I am going to order slow flicker one not the modern image fast flash one. ( Must order that tonight.)
O Have just reaised it was your post so you know all about it. That is what I am doing ,, Thanks for you info Steve..

[Steve M]

That was straightforward. I ran thin wires from the pickups to a small piece of PCB glued inside the van. Drilled a couple of holes through the end of the balcony and fed the LED wires through to the pcb. A dab of paint to block the light before it gets its final paint colour later.

20190113_190326 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr