I have a Lionel 2129 non-operating freight station. The directions call for a lamp (363-300). Would you know what the voltage is on this bulb. Lionel is “out-of-stock” and I’m headed to my local Radio Shack but I’d like to know what I am looking for. (The last time I went there for a bulb, they directed me to a cabinet with drawers of bulbs and I really “got lost”.) As always, many thanks.
Hey!
Unfortunately, Radio Shack isn’t anything like it used to be. Now, they are
basically a “reseller”…not too much in the way of their own merchandise.
Mostly just relabeled for them.
The 363-300 is a 14volt bulb. Try brasseurelectrictrains.com they probably
have your bulb in stock…and very inexpensive.
Have an awesome day
underworld
That’s probably a number 363, which is a 14-volt G-3 1/2 200-milliampere miniature bayonet lamp. I would replace it with a number 53, which is a 14.4-volt 120-milliampere lamp of the same size. It puts out half the light of the 363, but lasts 4 times as long. Radio Shack should have it:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103782
Thanks, guys. You always come through!
The other thing to consider too Traindad, is that over the years some Lionel parts have changed numbers. And that over the years, Lionel items have used different styles of light bulbs, primarily with different types of bases, from screw base type to bayonet type to the all-glass snap-in to the mini-plastic snap-in base (similar to a mini-Christmas light).
Often the part number assigned to a Lionel bulb might be a different number from a commercially available bulb of the same exact type.
One more thing to consider in your particular case. Since this is an illuminated non-operating accessory with no attached electronics or motors (such as an illuminated operating accessory which would have the light operating off the same feed wires that also power the motor or solenoid), you could really use any low voltage bulb provided your power source is acceptable. The reason many of these accessories use 12-18 volt bulbs is that this is the voltage range of the typical accessory posts on a large Lionel transformer.
If you were using a separate transformer with an adjustable current flow, you could potentially use a 6 volt bulb in this accessory. Most of my illuminated buildings, etc, use small mini 3-7 volt bulbs. For the lower voltage bulbs, I have some of those things wired in series. But I use a separate transformer, using the main voltage posts, so I can adjust the voltage going to the bulbs. Another advantage here is by using small bulbs with a lower amperage, I can have more lights run off one single transformer.
Just food for thought. Like you, I grew tired of having to look for specific bulbs, so I decided to use the mini-Christmas lights in as many applications as I could. They’re readily availble around December, and by Janurary are usually half off in price. A string of lights will provide you with light bulbs for a long time to come. Though typically you find the mini-bulbs in 2-3 volt range, they’
Notice that voltagecurrent = power; and powerefficacy = luminous flux (light output). Efficacy is in fact a little greater for lower-voltage lamps of the same power rating, but not much. So a lamp rated at a lower voltage and current than another will be dimmer. If you’re okay with that, as Brianel is, that’s not a problem.
Brianel: Whenever you answer one of my posts, I learn something (whether I retain the knowledge is something else) and I appreciate the time you take to reply. Thanks.
Bob: After I read your reply, I went through my “parts” cabinet and found a #53 bulb lamp. It works great. Thanks for your help and for saving me a trip to the store.
I’m glad it worked for you. Number 53’s are good lamps to have on hand. Lionel used them a lot; and, in most of the cases where they used another lamp, the number 53 is a decent substutute.