Anyone have any ideas as to what to use to make an LED bar in 1/87 scale? Has anyone scratchbuilt one? Thanks for any info.!

Are you looking to add LED lighting to the bar or just simulate a LED bar?

If it is the former there are a lot of companies that make LED lighting for HO trains.

If it is the latter, I have been looking at thin sheets of clear lexan. The new Ricko Charger looks to have a LED light bar modeled on it. I have asked the US importer if this will be available as a separate parts pack. Right now the answer is no.

Since most LED bars are clear, I just plan on using some clear sheet cut to the right size. I will round the corners. I have noticed that most of the LED bars on the police cars are wafer thin and have a more tapered edge than the ones on fire apparatus. This may pose a problem. Also to simulate the mechanics inside one could drill from the underside and then fill the holes with colored paint.

I just wish the HO manufacturers would release their light sets with all clear lenses and let me paint my own. I have too many blue lenses left over.

Jeff

I'm just looking to simulate an LED bar. What you're suggesting, Jeff, with the clear lexan, might be the best bet. Presently I don't have a drill small enough to dril into the underside to simulate reds and blues for the LED's inside the bar. Hopefully companies will start producing simulated LED bars in 1/87 scale, now that these are becoming the norm on new apparatus. I look for Busch, Trident, Preiser, etc., to possibly (hopefully) start coming out with these in the near future. Light bars with colored lenses and rotators will someday be a thing of the past.

Jeff, if you have success making an LED bar, could you somehow post a picture of it and details of how you made it? Thanks!

FOR FIRE TRUCKS YOU COULD GET THE BOLEY NEW INTERNATIONAL 4300 WITH THE RED LIGHTBAR TAKE THE BAR OFF AND SOAK IT IN RUBBING ACOLHOL OR LIKE I HAVE DONE AT LEAST 1 FOR MY PW FOR TRAIN SET I BOUGHT 1 OF THE BUSCH LIGHT PACKS AND USED THE LIGHT THAT LOOKS LIKE A MINI BAR THIS PACK COMES IN RED BLUE AND CLEAR


THANKS HARRY

I have found some success with the bar style clear lexan ID tags that you can get at most craft stores.
After you remove the badge type clasp from the rear and double sided adhesive from the front of the tag, you have clear piece of lexan about 3/8 of an inch high by 2 or 3 inches long. Using a sharp hobby knife,
make a horizontal cut just a bit smaller than 1/4 inch right across the plastic. I then scribed a number of times over the bar to simulate the LED chambers. As most of the LED bars seen today present as clear lenses, it looks pretty close.

Thanks for the suggestions. Much appreciated.

What would've been perfect was the solid red strobe bar that Trident used to pack in with some of their emergency rigs a few years ago. This bar molded in clear, instead of red, would've been perfect.

Keep in mind that not all LED lightbars are clear. I have seen some with colored lens as well.