Heljan Class 35 Hymek Lighting

[mjcbasingstoke]

Having just purchased the EFE Rail Class 35 Hymek I have found the lights to be a little feeble to say the least. I intend to fit a decoder soon but was wondering if anyone has found a way of improving the lights. There appears to be two rear lights that are on together, however one is red and the other yellow. So is there a way of controlling these separately so the yellow light is on in the forward direction? Apart from that the model itself is really good.

Thanks for any advice.

[johnb]

To quite an extent the feeble lighting is prototypical. The lighting on the real thing was pretty dim. Many of the original modernisation diesels had lighting that was reminiscent of oil lamps!

[Nigelcliffe]

Feeble lights, are they possibly prototypically accurate ?   Bright lights are a feature of relatively modern diesels when high intensity lights were fitted (mid 1980's onwards).   Earlier diesel types had dim marker lights, or lanterns on brackets.   

 

Colours you mention, can't help.   

 

(Johnb posted just as I was finishing typing).

[SRman]

I haven't tried this, but it may be possible to alter the marker light guide so that the white side is cut and redirected slightly to the main white light for the headcode, leaving the red one alignd with a lower tail light bulb (I can't remember if there is a second light for the reverse direction). Alternatively, cut the light guide on the red side and cover that marker from the inside as you don't really need a tail light normally when hauling trains.

Edited August 26, 2020 by SRman

[boxbrownie]

I have the Heljan branded one and yes the lamps are dim as is the code marker illumination, but to be honest turn the lights out in the room and they look fine just as they did on the prototype.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by boxbrownie

[paul 27]

Turning the lights out in the room made no difference, i have no marker  lights

and only the  head code lights dimly when the controller is turned fully up 

any one else had this problem,  how are the lights meant to work i can only

see the centre bulb that feeds the head code.

i think there should be the head code lit with one white

marker lamp on front and one red light at rear.

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by paul 27

[boxbrownie]

6 minutes ago, paul 27 said:

Turning the lights out in the room made no difference, i have no tail lights

and only the  head code lights dimly when the controller is turned fully up 

any one else had this problem,  how are the lights meant to work i can only

see the centre bulb that feeds the head code.

 

Can’t really comment further as mine is DCC.

Edited April 30, 2022 by boxbrownie

[Halvarras]

6 hours ago, paul 27 said:

 

i think there should be the head code lit with one white

marker lamp on front and one red light at rear.

 

 

On diesel hydraulics, quite so - 'red left, white right' (is how I've memorized it!)

[paul 27]

On 30/04/2022 at 20:50, Richard Croft said:

is there a light guide missing? that would stop the light getting to the lenses

There is a light guide on the body behind the lenses a thin strip of clear plastic,

also on the chassis block  is a piece of silver tape covering a hole

 should there be a bulb inside, i can only see the bulb in the centre that

lights the headcode,  any one have any pictures to show the layout.

[paul 27]

On 03/05/2022 at 17:58, Richard Croft said:

Theres usually the silver tape partially covering the hole, can you see the bulb lit up when the body isnt on?

Is this a seperate bulb to the main central one,  so there is two bulbs each end, if so is the tape for the bulb fitted in the left corner

what is the purpose for this how should it fit partially any pictures

to show would be helpfull,  why should there be silver tape

covering the bulb.

Edited May 4, 2022 by paul 27

[boxbrownie]

3 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

The central bulb is for the forward lights, the bulb to the left of it lower down is for the tail lights. If both bulbs are fitted and working, as well as the light guides then that’s as good as they lights will be, they aren’t as bright as a Hornby or Bachmann model, but the real lights aren’t as bright as a modern loco either 

Very true, the red lights on mine are so dim it’s really is hard to tell if it’s on.

[paul 27]

Might replace the  bulbs with LEDs  which 12v  ones would

be suitable.

Edited May 11, 2022 by paul 27

[paul 27]

Has any one done the conversion them self  by just fitting leds