Theater Chase Lights


Model Rail Road Theater Marquee with Fiber Optics !
Created, written and submitted by T. John Laser


My latest project using fiber optics is the Theater Marquee. This building will go against the back wall of the train layout and the fiber optics will driven from underneath the train board. This theater is an HO scale building that has a scratch built Marquee added and an added cornice. The fiber optics are installed on all three sides but because of the narrow viewing angle of fiber optics the pictures don’t show the sides. I used .5 mm fiber for the lights in the Marquee.



	The light source I used for this model is six Radio Shack yellow LED’s with 180 ohm ballast resistors so the LED’s have about 18 milliamps going through them when 5 VDC is applied. I use 5 volts so I can add a counter circuit (TTL Logic), later to make chase lights if I want. The brass tubes help keep the fibers aligned.


The fiber optics are brought through the opening I cut behind the Marquee and when the upper fibers became too difficult to push through I used the lower center window to reduce the strain on the plastic in the marquee. All fibers have been flared so they don’t pull through the holes and to widen the viewing angle.

Thank you T. John !

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