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Model Railroading > C30-7 UP Close


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Date: 02/01/25 14:02
C30-7 UP Close
Author: funnelfan

Got my Rapido C30-7 back together again after replacing the headlight light tubes with SMD LED's behind the lenses, and installing the blanked out side windows, as well as adding a engineer to the engineer's seat. Also had to replace the SMD LED in the rotary beacon after it unexpectedly died for no apparent reason. Externally I've only replaced the couplers and the front brake hose with a DW brake hose with an extension. I really want some of those new Kadee #126 SBE couplers on a long shank. I already installed a SBE coupler on the rear. Note; that the Kadee whisker couplers are a tight fit in the coupler boxes and do not swing freely, unless you file down the coupler or the box.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR




Date: 02/01/25 15:03
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: texchief1

Nice looking unit.

texchief1



Date: 02/01/25 15:12
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: TomG

Ya thats a very pretty unit. I really like the blanked out glass.



Date: 02/01/25 18:17
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: dmaffei

Nice looking unit Ted. Hoping they do a U33C in SP some time. I know the light tubes are not as bright as a LED. Can you explain the SMD set up? Not familiar with the acronym. Thanks 



Date: 02/01/25 19:08
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: funnelfan

SMD = Surface Mount Device, which is just the tiny electronic parts you find on circuit boards solder to the top of the board instead of the older through-hole parts that had leads that passed through the boards. Normally these are just used on the circuit boards, but there are several vendors offering pre-wired SMD LED's you can buy for under a dollar each. You can buy the parts for far cheaper, but trying to solder wires to those tiny LED's is very hard. It's better to just buy the pre-wired lights. The 402 LED's are the smallest and the ones I like to use, but 603 size is common as well. Otherwise they work just like normal LED's working on a voltage of around 3~5VDC. Best to use a 1000ohm resistor to drop the voltage from most decoders, but some decoders are equipped for 3VDC outputs for LED's too. Make sure to get the polarity right as reverse polarity can damage the tiny lights. These lights are extremely tiny. You could probably use a 402 to simulate a Smart Phone in the hand of a HO scale person, just need to put window tint plastic on it to dim the very bright light. These tiny lights are as bright as the old 3mm LED's. I use these Warm White LED's for headlights. They come in a number of colors including red and amber.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/151901572329

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/25 19:12 by funnelfan.




Date: 02/01/25 19:11
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: atsf121

dmaffei Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice looking unit Ted. Hoping they do a U33C in SP
> some time. I know the light tubes are not as
> bright as a LED. Can you explain the SMD set up?
> Not familiar with the acronym. Thanks 

SMD is known as surface-mounted device, it’s the type of LED used in the under cabinet light strips. They are smaller than the traditional LEDs and don’t have legs so you can squeeze them in some tight spaces.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMD_LED

Great work Ted!

Nathan

Posted from iPhone



Date: 02/01/25 22:15
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: MrMRL

Is there a novel solution for the brake chain? Or is the shell permanently attached to the lead truck side frame? It looks great, but always a bit of a gripe with models opting for this in the past. 

~ Mr. MRL



Date: 02/01/25 22:30
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: steeplecab

> Is there a novel solution for the brake chain?
Those on my Santa Fes hang down waay too far as well. Although replacing the factory clone couplers with real Kadees that couple and uncouple reliably is on the top of the list. Then I have to sort out eliminating the 'momentum/delay in moving' setting on the decoders. I can simulate the momentum just as well from the throttle when I want to. I don't want momentum on a power mover or hostling. They're beautiful units, but they have a few minor annoyances built into them.
Dano
 



Date: 02/02/25 12:12
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: Highhood

I am curious. 

how do these units run and look as compared to the atlas c30-7 shells and drives that were put out about 20 plus's years ago. 

tia for your responses 

Jon Fink
Schenectady, NY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/25 12:15 by Highhood.



Date: 02/02/25 12:23
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: TomG

Highhood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am curious. 
>
> how do these units run and look as compared to the
> atlas c30-7 shells and drives that were put out
> about 20 plus's years ago. 
>
> tia for your responses 

I'll tell you for one, Rapido got the nose shape a lot closer to the prototype than Atlas did. The Atlas model doesn't have the softer rounded corners that the Rapido does. The Atlas corners have sharper edges closer to EMD than GE. The Rapido nose has nailed the proper look.



Date: 02/02/25 15:05
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: funnelfan

MrMRL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there a novel solution for the brake chain? Or
> is the shell permanently attached to the lead
> truck side frame? It looks great, but always a bit
> of a gripe with models opting for this in the
> past. 
>
> ~ Mr. MRL
Actually the chain tube guide is attached to the frame and not the shell. As the unit comes, the shell will lift clean off once the coupler boxes are removed and the four screws holding the shell to the frame are removed. But since I wired lights to the deocder and mother board, that is no longer the case with my unit.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Date: 02/02/25 15:27
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: funnelfan

Highhood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> how do these units run and look as compared to the
> atlas c30-7 shells and drives that were put out
> about 20 plus's years ago. 

The Atlas model is about 30 years old at this point. It was a good model for it's time, but it's pretty dated now. The BLI C30-7 didn't really improve on the Atlas model other than having the details and handrails installed. Back in 2012 I detailed out this Atlas model (although it could stand to have a few more details installed). It's a decent runner, but I don't use it much. One issue is the cab is not as wide as the battery box (Cab Sub Base), and that is rather apparent in the image,

The Rapido model is far better on the looks and details side, hardly comparable. The Rapido is also a better runner and has a lot of lights like the step well lights, class lights, number board lights, even control stand lights (that have to be turned down a whole lot). The DCC Sound units come with the Loksound decoder and the Mo-Power capacitors that keep the unit running smoothly over dirty track and power gaps. I liked the UP unit so much I turned around and bought a BN C30-7. On a related note I'm going to sell off the other Atlas C30-7's and a BLI C30-7 I have that I have not invested any time into.

 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/25 04:36 by funnelfan.




Date: 02/03/25 19:02
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: dmaffei

Thanks for the info Ted, is the SMD placed against lens and glue with CA I suppose? I've bought these bulbs on eBay and used them this way. 



Date: 02/04/25 05:50
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: funnelfan

dmaffei Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the info Ted, is the SMD placed against
> lens and glue with CA I suppose? I've bought these
> bulbs on eBay and used them this way. 

I like Canopy glue for this application since it dries clear and flexible, but if the LED dies, it's still removable without too much trouble.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Date: 02/04/25 06:12
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: calsubd

Surprised it had light tubes for the money, cancels me out of purchasing.

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL



Date: 02/05/25 04:25
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: RGDave

Ed,

I am always on the search for releases that fit my 1990s era and roster for my Onondaga Cutoff.  The C30-7 fits right in.  I have found that light tubes are standard practice in recent offerings by each of the manufacturers, whether it is ScaleTrains, Rapido or Athearn.  Each has some recent products using light tubes to handle some of the lights on a locomotive. 

For me I prefer any solution that lets the shell be removed free and clear of the chassis and light tubes help with that.  I personally love the amount of factory-installed lighting these days - markers, step lights, ground lights, even control stand lights in addtion to the headlights, ditch lights, and number boards.  

~Dave
https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/



Date: 02/05/25 12:33
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: nssd70

Was it pretty straight forward to install the blanked out side windows?

Doug

Posted from Android



Date: 02/05/25 12:43
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: calsubd

RGDave Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ed,
>
> I am always on the search for releases that fit my
> 1990s era and roster for my Onondaga Cutoff.  The
> C30-7 fits right in.  I have found that light
> tubes are standard practice in recent offerings by
> each of the manufacturers, whether it is
> ScaleTrains, Rapido or Athearn.  Each has some
> recent products using light tubes to handle some
> of the lights on a locomotive. 
>
> For me I prefer any solution that lets the shell
> be removed free and clear of the chassis and light
> tubes help with that.  I personally love the
> amount of factory-installed lighting these days -
> markers, step lights, ground lights, even control
> stand lights in addtion to the headlights, ditch
> lights, and number boards.  
>
> ~Dave
> https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/

Dave, I appreciate your responce but have a few loco's with light tubes that you have to squint to see if lit, (mainly ditch lights)
Ed

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL



Date: 02/05/25 14:36
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: funnelfan

nssd70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was it pretty straight forward to install the
> blanked out side windows?
Kinda. To remove the shell, remove the coupler boxes and 4 screws between the main reservoir tanks and trucks. Shell will lift free and clear with no wires. But to remove the cab, you have to remove the brakewheel as for whatever reason, the top and front end of the battery box just ahead of the engineer's side is part of the cab. Pop loose the handrails from the cab and push in the 4 tabs that hold the cab to the shell. After removing the cab you then remove the cab floor which is easy and that gives you access to the side windows. I use a chisle blade xacto to pop loose the side windows.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Date: 02/05/25 16:06
Re: C30-7 UP Close
Author: nssd70

Thanks for the help.

Doug

Posted from Android



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