End-lit glass rod

Hi all,

I need to make a replacement for a decorative neon tube. It's about
3 feet long and has a series of simple bends in it.

This is what the tube's supposed to look like :

http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=2396&picno=19551

(the colour should really be a bit more pink than that photo shows).

It would be possible to get a neon shop to make me a new one, but I'll
also have to replace the transformer : it's going to turn out quite
expensive. I'm wondering if I can simulate the effect by using a
glass or even acrylic rod, and illuminating it from the end with
a high power LED or a halogen bulb.

What do you think ? Could I get such a rod to glow like a neon tube ?
Would I have to roughen the surface to get it to leak enough light ?


-adrian