# K-Line Bubbling Water Tower MOD



## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

Norm,

Here is what I did to my K-131 Bubbling Water Tower

For starters:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=10989

Yes mine bubbles nicely, but not in my video.

I ran two fine wires up one of the legs. Wire wrap wire works nicely. Funny thing, I never saw the wires until I took a picture for this post! I suppose I could run them inside, but don't see the need.











A LED fit into the light on the top of the tank nicely. It turns out, the light is glued in too well to be taken out, but EUREKA!, the light is translucent! The light from the LED lights up nicely.










I have the light running on one side of a flip flop circuit.

The other part of the flip flop is elsewhere on the table.











Inside the tank you can see the diode, resistor and hot melt glue.










This was one of my easier projects. 

By the way, Radio Shack sells a blinking LED. I put one in for kicks. It did work, but since it was red, it wasn't as bright as the white one I used.

I put interior lights in 4 vehicles this weekend. I have some parts on order. Some day, the interior lights will go off via a timer as other headlights go on. 

My train working time is coming to an end as the weather gets warmer and I spend more time outside.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Dave, nice water tower and nice job. I can't tell where you ran the wires from the pic. I think that because you know where they are they stick out for you. I dont notice them at all. Could you gI've me a little info about the led, diode, resistor, etc. I never had the chance to work with such thi ngs. What is the wattage of the lcd. How the resistor works. What voltage is powering it , etc. Kind of like a guide for dummies (me!). Thanks. I also like the old school tower look.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

Looks good ,I like it ,good job!!...........Mike :thumbsup:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Hot glue works, but a Silicone RTV will peel off when needed. Thanks for the idea! :thumbsup:


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

In some cases, hot melt will pop right off if you pry hard enough.

I use an old low watt soldering iron to remove some hot melt glue. 

I like the instant gratification of hot melt.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

T-Man, I find hot glue to peel off easier than RTV personally.


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

sjm9911 said:


> Dave, nice water tower and nice job. I can't tell where you ran the wires from the pic. I think that because you know where they are they stick out for you. I dont notice them at all. Could you gI've me a little info about the led, diode, resistor, etc. I never had the chance to work with such thi ngs. What is the wattage of the lcd. How the resistor works. What voltage is powering it , etc. Kind of like a guide for dummies (me!). Thanks. I also like the old school tower look.


The wires are on the left side of the tower. In the link, they show up nicely with the flash. 

The LED is a standard white LED. They usually run off of 3v DC. You can buy them at Radio Shack for a few dollars, or from China via E Bay at a few dollars per hundred. The resistor is 470 ohm, 1/4 watt ($1.00 per 100 shipped, or 4 for about $1.99 at the Shack.) and the diode is a small one, not sure of the numerics. You don't need much since the single LED draws very little current. It is needed since the power supply is AC. The resistor is sized for my 12v power supply, which is a transformer for outdoor low voltage lights.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks dave, i am trying to pick up a little bit here and there about led lighting, just in case! You were right in the link the wires showe more, but by looking at it I still wouldn't give it a second thought. Or you could always add an antenna and call them radio feeds!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Looks nice Dave, but how come you didn't run the wires up on the inside of the frame? You could have tucked it in a corner beam on the inside?

Edit, never mind I went back and reread it and answered my own question.

The center tube, you could have run them up through that too? Right?

Edit again, why do they call it a bubbling tower? What bubbles? 
Or is that what you call it? I don't have one like that.


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

big ed said:


> Looks nice Dave, but how come you didn't run the wires up on the inside of the frame? You could have tucked it in a corner beam on the inside?
> 
> Edit, never mind I went back and reread it and answered my own question.
> 
> ...


The center tube is filled with liquid. It bubbles much like the tube in the Lionel Oil Well. 

To run the wires inside the structure takes more dexterity and patience than I possess.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Dave Sams said:


> The center tube is filled with liquid. It bubbles much like the tube in the Lionel Oil Well.
> 
> To run the wires inside the structure takes more dexterity and patience than I possess.


Cool bubbles up the stem...I got to get me one. :thumbsup:

You could just run the wires up a piece of styrene tubing paint it black and tack it to the outside.
If you want. 

In your picture....is it bubbling. 
It bubbles just like the oil well? It heats up through a bulb? Or some how different?


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

It's not bubbling. It take a few minutes for the light bulb to heat the liquid.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Dave Sams said:


> It's not bubbling. It take a few minutes for the light bulb to heat the liquid.


I am guessing just the bottom of the stem heats up and bubbles?
Or does the whole center tube light up all the way to the top?


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## Dave Sams (Nov 24, 2010)

OK OK here we go boys and girls





and at night





I have a switch to turn the oil well and billboard off!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's a standard Christmas bubble light tube that is used, the same as the older oil drilling platform.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Real cool dave, I cant wait to get my oil derick installed on my l ayout. The bubbles are kind of hypnotic. Any problems with the heat of the bulb being close to foam that anyone knows about? I was going to hollow out under the bulb and fill in with fire rated caulk or something similar.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I don't know about the foam but to be safe do what you said, sounds good.

Dave I like that. 

I hear the clank clank, what is there a pump I can't see, like on the oil well somewhere?

The blinking light looks good too. :thumbsup:


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