Proto Heritage 2-8-4 Headlight Issues

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I am at my wits end with this one.

I am trying to replace the bulb in the headlight housing on a Proto Heritage 2-8-4.

It is a 1.5 volt incandescent bulb. The decoder is a Digitrax DH163L0 which has built in current limiting resistors for the front and rear bulbs.

The installation requires that the two lamp wires be inserted into two small female sockets inside the headlight housing.

The problem that I am facing is trying to manipulate the wire ends into these sockets and then trying to get them to stay there.

I have some Miniatronics 1.5 volt bulbs and the wires are simply too thin to fit firmly into the sockets.

Anyone have any experience with this issue?

Contacting Walthers is useless because they do not seem to stock any parts for the Proto line that Walthers acquired some time back.

Rich

2

I discarded the built in circuit board on my Heritage. I replaced the lights with golden white LED’s wich I had to file off the legs a bit to make them fit in the sockets. I then used regular 1 K-ohm resistors on them. Then I won’t have to bother about them anymore as their life span is in the +20 000 hours…

3

Tin the ends of the wires, this will increase the diameter and also keep them stiff.

Best long term solution if Graffen’s though, LEDs should never burn out, not in you grandchildren’s lifetime, so it’s once and done. Forever.

–Randy

4

Randy,

Graffen’s suggestion on the LED was a good one and, in fact, the two legs of the LED fit snugly into the sockets. The one that I tried, since I had it on hand, was a 2.1 volt 5mm LED but it was green. What I need is a 3mm white or yellow LED. Any recommendations on where to buy this type of LED?

Rich

5

Try http://www.moreleds.com or http://www.superbrightleds.com There are many others, too. A few sellers on e-Bay who are located in China sell LEDs in lots of 50 or so for less than $10.

6

I have a concern about buying LED’s from on line retailers.

I have typically purchased my bi-polar LED’s for my control panel from Miniatronics.

On one occasion, I bought them from an on line source, and they were crappy.

The Miniatronics bulbs were bright red and bright green, but the on line purchase resulted in dim bulbs. The green was so-so, but the red was so dim that it looked pink.

Rich

7

What would be the most appropriate color for the head light on an NKP 2-8-4?

Cool white, warm white, yellow glow?

Rich

8

I use the Miniatronics Yelo-Glo for my first generation diesels. They’d be approriate for a steam loco with electric headlight as well. I haven’t tried any of the cheap eBay sources for LEDs as I don’t know what I might get. Miniatronics seems to be consistent - ones I bought 6 years ago look the same as ones I buy today.

–Randy

9

Thanks, Randy, that is the way that I will proceed.

Rich