Dimmer bulbs for passenger cars

There are LED bulbs that can replace them, give them a try. 

Dave

You can also find 24 volt bulbs, which will be dimmer, but LEDs are probably the best choice.

The new LED style bulbs are nice but are still as bright as the regular bulb. The only solution is to use an LED set up such as offered by GRJ. 

I have used 24 volt bulbs obtained at an auto supply store with good results.

Years ago I added some diodes to dim them. The electrical gurus on here will help if you want to go that route.

Can you figure out how to wire the bulbs in series?  Should be easy if there are only two or three bulbs per car.

Charlie

Simple solution; purchase some amber bulb dye, and paint the bulbs. If they are still too bright then apply a second coat.

I just upgrade them to LED's, with my LED module, you can vary the intensity to your liking with the adjustment control.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I am probably being cheap, but I am really looking for a different bulb solution to reduce time and expense on the fix.

I have another set very similar in from MTH in C&O which I did wire  in series.  Because of the way the socket is built into the frame, I wasn’t a fan of this solution, although it has not caused me any problems over the last 10 years.

Mike:

I upgraded my ten car MTH passenger train with GRJs LED modules. IMO not very pricey including a strip of LEDs that were used on all of the cars with extras to spare. The result was adjustable light intensity with no flicker. Some work for the conversion, but that was a large amount of the fun of completing the project. While I was in there, I added passengers to my cars as well.

I would compare the cost of new bulbs with the conversion noted above.

Good luck with your lighting upgrade!

Stan

About $11 a car to buy the regulator from Henning's Trains and buy a five meter roll of LED's from a host of places.  Wiring is dirt simple, and you'll have far better and more even lighting than you'll ever get with three or four bulbs.

GRJ, does your regulator control voltage, current, or duty cycle?

Mike

One other low cost option to try is to put a single diode in series with the lights. This will give 1/2 wave rectified DC and will be dimmer but not show flicker with the incandescent bulbs. Brightness may not be what you want of course. GRJ's board does give you control over the brightness.

GRJ's module works great! This is a K-Line baggage car and I used the factory plugs to make it a quick disconnect. Much more even lighting, and you can control the brightness   

RoyBoy posted:

GRJ, does your regulator control voltage, current, or duty cycle?

I control current.  With LED's being current mode devices, it's easier to have a wide variability of intensity by changing the current.  Since the voltage knee is so sharp with an LED, it's pretty sensitive to small voltage changes.  Also, it makes the module work for even single LED's.

Upgraded my Williams Aluminum Passenger Cars with Gun Runner John's LED replacment modules. Easy to put in, and fantastic results! Nice even lighting, no flicker running through switches, and easily adjustable intesity.

Am planning to do the same thing with my Baby Madison Cars. Thanks John!!!

Bruce

Since you have silhouette cars, why not tape a piece of translucent paper to the inside of the window inserts to dim brightness?  Tracing-paper, wax-paper, whatever.  Some MTH silhouette cars use the brightness of the interior bulbs to illuminate "passive" marker light lenses (don't have bulbs of their own); thus, altering the bulbs themselves by shading or changing voltage might dim these lights below what you desire for the passenger figure portion.

Dennis LaGrua posted:

Simple solution; purchase some amber bulb dye, and paint the bulbs. If they are still too bright then apply a second coat.

I have been putting the amber bulb dye on cool white LEDs and really like the color they end up emitting .  On round top LEDs I use two coats but on COB LEDs you can puddle it up a bit and one coats does nicely.    J