https://www.deviantart.com/willm3luvtrains/art/Bachmann-Crossing-Signals-and-Gates-with-Lighted-838268576

That's just a picture of Bachmann crossing signals I modified to make them look like they were actually flashing. I modified the "lights" in the signals and added lights to the arms. They're supposed to be lit with L.E.D.s.

I know several or many people have actually lit up the crossing signals themselves and kudos to those who have (I never did though and I use signals that already come with lights.) I however was just wondering if anyone has added lights to the gates. Actually working lights.

My request to you is if any of you have added lights to your crossing gates, and I hope some of you, well, more of you do or have, if you could post photos of them, whether on here or Flickr or Deviant Art. And if you have any videos, I'd like to see them on Flickr, Pond5, or Shutterstock (I prefer watching videos on those sites.)

I would just like to see more lit up toy crossing gates, especially HO crossing gates, be them Bachmann, Life-Like, Tyco, NJ International, Tomar Industries, MTH, etc. I have a strong passion and obsession with stuff like this. And seeing how rare lighted crossing gates are for me, this would mean a lot to me!

To show almost what I mean, here's a photo of a crossing gate I made using Lego pieces

https://www.deviantart.com/willm3luvtrains/art/Lego-Crossing-Gate-Tiles-4-840933561

The gate doesn't light up, I was just showing my passion for crossing gates, especially with lights or light-like objects on them (they look more realistic this way and this is rarely shown on toys and in things like cartoons.) The gate arm is made of 1x4 flat tiles with red and white danger stripes, flat 1x2 pieces behind the tiles to hold them together, and the "lights" are 1x1 transparent red round pieces. I used modeling clay to hold the lights in place on the gate arm. Also included is a Life-Like non-operating HO scale signal.

I hope someone responds to this but respectfully please!

I first talked about my desire to see red and white versions of the absolutely movable crossing gates, as talked about in this post http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,30692.msg226445.html#msg226445 I will talk more about those and also talk about other Bachmann crossing related matters.

First, anyone remember the old Bachmann 42421 2-Lite crossing signals? They were like the NJ International 1090 crossing signals, except they were plastic and the font on the crossbucks and STOP ON RED SIGNAL signs were different, and both of those signs are less pointy. The lights were incandescent, however they come out as an orange kind of color instead of a pure red (you'd have to use these Model Power (now Model Rectifier Corporation) bulbs http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/mdp/mdp382.htm That's Hobby Linc, go to MRC http://www.modelrectifier.com/index.asp

I have three pairs of these signals (and plan to buy one more pair) but two of them came with orange lights.

Back in 2007, I wanted more of these so much I emailed Bachmann to see if they'd go back to making those signals. I was replied to by someone and was told the president of Bachmann had no plans to bring them back, so my only hope was to get them off of eBay. I'm talking about these http://www.euromodeltrains.com/trains/products/Walthers1/160/42421.gif

These were the best crossing signals I've ever seen, owned, and used, it's just too bad they are out of production but it would be nice if they were brought back and exactly as they were before, same plastic, same material, same crossbuck, same STOP ON RED SIGNAL sign, and though this is the 21st century, incandescent lights, although I know they're not as energy efficient as L.E.D.s. I wonder why these signals went out of production in the first place. Was it because "better" crossing signals came out (like NJ International's signals, Tomar Inudstries Signals, etc.) But I'd buy one more pair of these if only they were in production again. They can be found on eBay but you have to be really fortunate to come across these and you have to be really, really fortunate to win the bid on these (or purchase them as "Buy it Now."

These are one of the only HO scale crossing signals I like to use (the others Busch 5934, NJ International 1190 Boulevard/ Over-The-Road cantilever signal, and the Sakai crossing signals.) I operate my trains on the floor, not on a table or work bench or anything like that. I like to use the Bachmann signals with my Windham Heights Cobblestone Corner Railroad, using T and S Trains and T and S track, which is HO scaled but non-electric, the train is powered by a single AA battery. And to flash the signals, I use the NJ International flasher module, which they don't make anymore, and the Circuitron FL-2 flasher unit, which really works great, and I plan to order more for my two remaining Bachmann signals (one set already has one.)

If these did come back, they'd likely be lit with L.E.D.s instead of incandescent bulbs because L.E.D.s are more efficient and save on energy and don't burn out as quickly (well can if not handled with care, I know from experience and had several L.E.D. lit signals burn out on me, that's why I generally prefer bulb-lit signals over L.E.D. signals.) They'd also be lit with L.E.D.s for technical purposes and because we live in the L.E.D. age, or are getting deeper into it. But I'd rather use incandescent lights, they're more classic that way and they fade in and fade out, usually.

Switching to another topic, I'd like to talk more about these crossing gates


In addition to seeing red and white versions of these, what I'd also like to see is someone attempting to put lights, namely L.E.D.s on these crossing gates to make them more realistic, whether black and white striped or red and white striped (I like crossing gates having working red lights on them as practiced for real in the USA, Canada, Netherlands, and Australia to name a few places. It can be done, now I'd like to see if anyone has tried it and would like to see pictures of a Bachmann crossing gate retro-fitted with gate-arm lights. I don't expect Bachmann to make gates with working lights on them.

People have made Bachmann crossing signals, the small, non-operating ones as pictured above, to flash using actual L.E.D.s, like this for example:
which can be found on this page http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lighted-Flashing-LED-HO-Bachmann-Crossing-Signals-Circuit-Board-Free-Gates-/331332524943.

Now what would be even cooler is if someone made the gates light up with the signals, having two of the gate lights flash alternately with the signals and the third light at the tip of the gate solid. I'd like to see that even on Bachmann's black and white movable gates, and, if they come out or if someone makes or modifies them, red and white versions of those gates.

I've seen pictures of crossing gates with L.E.D. lights added to them, including NJ International's gates, which have fake lights but the fake lights were removed to by the model railroader to make way for the real lights. Click this link to see an NJ International crossing gate with L.E.D.s added to it https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yHkUpmoC-9s/maxresdefault.jpg I'd have embedded the image but it's too big to put on this thread so I put in a URL instead.

And I believe this can be done on any crossing gate regardless of the manufacturer.

It would also be great to see these crossing signals and gates lit up




However, the one with the house, there was a time when they came with flashing signal lights and a bell, which would be hidden in the house. However, the bell made more than just a bell sound, it also made a louder accompanying sound like a drill or motor running and the bell had a very high-pitch sound that wasn't realistic. Plus the lights did not flash alternately, in fact each crossbuck signal had one light bulb you stick into the back hole of the signals and when activated by the triggers you put under the track, the lights would light up and flash, but making the lights look as if they're flashing simultaneously instead of alternately and the lights would flash super fast, or more like "flicker."

A better way to make those crossing signals work, if a model railroader wanted to, he could take out the fake lenses on the signals and replace them with L.E.D.s, and I've seen someone do that, or at least read of a person doing so. This is a great way to make the Bachmann crossing signals flash alternately, of course the modeler would need a flasher unit and perhaps a detection unit. For more realism, a modeler could also remove the fake lights from the gate arms and put smaller L.E.D.s on the gates, whether all of them closer to the tip of the gate or  futher apart and more all-over the gate.

To flash the gates, you would probably want to use surface-mount L.E.D.s or whatever L.E.D.s you'd like to use.

I don't know how you would implement a bell sound though, that you'd have to figure out yourself.

I don't expect Bachmann to make lighted crossing signals or lighted crossing gates, the model railroader would have to retrofit the signals and gates with lights him or herself, which would have to be purchased separately.

And should also be done with this crossing:

Do these sound like great ideas?

If any of you do this, or will do this some time in the future, would you please provide photos of these. Or if you see a photo or video of these before I do, please show me, whether by embedding or by URL.

Plus, do not forget, Bachmann's movable non-operating gates can also be used with signals from other manufacturers like Busch and Model Power, or Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC) or any signal you like to use.

(Note, please do not show me pictures posted on Photo Bucket, RR Pictures, Rail Pictures.net, Facebook, or any videos from Google, Youtube, or Vimeo, for psychological reasons, I would strongly prefer not to see or have even the littlest to do with those websites. Shutter stock and FlickR are two okay websites, but anything but the ones on my off limits list please,) thank you.

Thank you in advance and thank you for reading this and my other post. Just some ideas I thought I'd toss out that maybe you'd like to try for your Bachmann crossing gates and crossing signals.

Hi, name's William, or Will (not giving my last name), I'm new but you won't see me too often, I just came to ask questions and share ideas. Little more background info, I have Asperger's Syndrome, some of you are too, I'm highly into trains but more into crossings, especially gated crossings and crossings with flashing red lights, preferably American style flashing light signals. Been into railroad crossings ever since I was a baby.

Enough small-talk. In this topic, I want to talk about Bachmann crossing gates, and an idea I have for certain crossing gates that I've been thinking that Bachmann could start manufacturing.

See these crossing gates down below:


and



Pretty much the same kinds of crossing gates as each other, except one set comes with almost completely albino signals and the other with more accurately colored signals and actual grade crossing pieces.

These gates are black and white striped. I however, was thinking of seeing these same types of crossing gates, only in red and white striping. Basically red and white versions of these crossing gates.

And why not? Red and white gates are more modern in this country (and my most favorite stripe color). And if it happened with these crossing gates:





So why not the non-operating crossing gates in red and white too? I can only imagine what they look like but @ Bachmann, do you think you'll produce such products?

I mean I know some model railroaders have probably purchased the black and white gates and repainted them to match the more modern red and white gates, but I keep thinking of Bachmann creating and manufacturing these same types of crossing gates but red in lieu of black (the stripes, not the gate post or gate base, that can stay black, or maybe be silver, I mean it can be red too but that might be too much red, even for me.

It's just something I'd like to see and if I really want to, maybe I'll purchase a set, but I'd like just the gates, I'm not a huge fan of the signals, even the accurately colored signals. I prefer signals closer to the US style like the Busch 5934 crossing signals, which I have five pairs of (one doesn't work anymore and I'm planning to purchase one more set.) I'm talking about this: http://www.hobbylinc.com/busch-crossing-signal-2-signals-relay-box-ho-scale-model-railroad-trackside-accessory-5934 These look a little more realistic and I prefer these most. They're about the same size of the Bachmann signals.

But I'd like the gates without the signals, if possible and if I ever decide to purchase them over the counter or order online.

And it's not just for me, perhaps other model railroaders and whomever would like to see the non-operating gates in red and white. I think that would be quite interesting.

One thing I don't understand about these crossing gates is why there's space or gaps in between the black stripes. You can stick a needle through those. Oh well, I guess that's they way their made.

But these gates do not just have to go with the Bachmann signals, these crossing gates, as well as NJ International's gates, go great with:

-Model Power HO Crossing Signals (I saw this at a Train Show once.)
-The said Busch 5934 crossing signals
-NJ International's 1090 crossbuck signals (discontinued unfortunately)
-NJ International's 1190 Boulevard-Over The Road signals (also discontinued unfortunately)

Would you (anyone reading this) also use these crossing gates with Tomar H-862 crossing signals, NJ International 1095 crossing signals, Detail West crossing signals, or Oregon Rail Supply signals too? Well, I guess I probably would too if I had those such four signals, but again, I'm more for the Busch signals, although I do use Bachmann lighted signals, the 42421 black 2-lite signals (more on those on another topic) Sakai Seisakusho Crossing Signals, an Atlas crossing signal, and NJ International 1190 signals.

So if you never thought of using crossing gates with such signals, I encourage you to, whether black and white or red and white and whatever signal(s) you use.

This is just one subject I had in mind. I have more to talk about but as far as Bachmann supplies go but this is for crossing gates only, or for the most part. For the record, I made the word red in it's color just for a thrill.

I would have emailed this to Bachmann themselves like I did before and did get a reply but I was told to post it on the forum, or read that I should do that that's why I joined this forum and put my idea on this instead of emailing it. They won't reply to my email if I send it to them.

Please be sure to check out my other/second post http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,30693.msg226447.html#msg226447