Adding an LED Headlight to Lionel Locomotive - Recommendations?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I’m thinking about adding an LED headlight to an MPC-era (early 1970s) Lionel locomotive which was made with only one operating headlight. (There’s a lens for the other headlight, but no lamp.) Can anyone recommend a good LED to install? Do any LEDs come with mounting hardware?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Happy Holidays!

2

I haven’t done this yet myself so I couldn’t say how but there are several threads here on the subject. Search the forum for LED and they should come up. I am also considering doing what you are thinking.

3

What model loco are you looking at doing this to? I have done this with PW F-3’s with good success, used a 5mm bulb and hot glued it in the hole with the lens removed gives a real good bright headlight. With my WBB SD’s and FP’s I used a 3mm bulb and did the same as above.

4

stubbsO,

It’s an EMD NW-2. There’s a lens on the cab, but no light. I’ve been thinking about wiring an LED for a headlight in the cab. Any suggestions (LED size, mounting hardware, etc.) would be appreciated.

I don’t have much hot glue experience. Are there any “tricks of the trade” I should know?

Thanks again.

5

See http://www.richmondcontrols.com/ for LEDs that look like incandescents.

See the September, 2008, CCT for my article on how to wire up LEDs.

You can cut a 5-millimeter LED to fit in place of the traditional light-pipe headlight and polish it with toothpaste.

6

I bought one from “Dans Drum heads”. You might want to give him a look.

http://dansdrumheads.angelfire.com/index.html

It looks like that site is not working right now. You can find him on Ebay under “dansdrumheads”

Roger

7

Oddly enough I’ve been working on a circuit for a headlight and tail light for a SOO NW-2 for my son. I’ve got a circuit I downloaded and have tried to recreate in simulation software. Unfortunately, I seem to get a pulsing voltage rather than constant DC to run the LED. I’ll try to post it later tonight since I don’t have it with me at work.

I also plan to rig it through the e-unit so only the LED will light for the direction it is traveling in. However, the SOO NW-2 didn’t come with an e-unit, so I have to locate one and install it first.

I’m also hoping to get a seperate circuit working so the two red markers on the sides flash alternately. Doubt it’s prototype, but I’m not worried about that for my boy right now.

8

These are what I use http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/ledlights1.html.

Bill

9

Thanks all for the great suggestions.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

10

Bill:

Have you ever seen a replacement chart for Lionel steam engine motors?

I’ve got an 8602 with a bent axle and I’d like to upgrade to a more powerful motor maybe with traction tires…

Any suggestions?

John

11

I think if you take power off the motor wires it will lite in one direction or the other.

12

Here’s a link on LED headlight how to for an American Flyer Loco lots of pictures.

http://www.tuveson.com/hints_andtip.htm

13

I’ve converted a couple of locomotives to LED’s using Bob’s article as reference.

To make servicing the locomotives easier, I used a radio control servo extension cable cut in half to porvide a male and female plug and socket set so th eheadlights mounted in the shell can be unplugged when the shell needs to be removed for servicing.