This is the fifth of several different how-to articles with detailed photos and instructions for installing marker lights in a variety of N Scale cabooses.   

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These projects all started with the discovery of Layouts4U, a great model railroad supplier in England, offering complete caboose lighting kits at very reasonable prices. I highly recommend their products and service.

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I opted for their magnetic latching reed switches with onboard battery (top left), which allow for simple installation and easy on-off activation with a magnetic wand.

 

Disassemble the Micro-Trains bay window caboose by removing the roof from the body (top right). After consulting prototype photos, I saw that many Conrail bay-window cabooses had a marker light mounted to the right rear underside of the roof. I replicated this by gluing the LED into a hole in a small piece of styrene, and then sanding the styrene into a semi-circular plate (center left). 

 

Next, I cut a notch in the end wall and drilled a hole through the roof mounting rib. I made mounting brackets for the reed switch by drilling holes in small styrene tabs. Thread the ends of the reed switch through the brackets before soldering the lead wires. Then use CA to attach the reed switch to the underside of the roof. Add an interior dividing wall and mount the battery holder inside the car body and reassemble the caboose (center right).

 

With the reed switch cemented to the roof, passing a magnet over the caboose will operate the marker light at your discretion.