Do you run PW passenger cars on Command and Control Layouts?

You don't have to go back to PW to find passenger cars and cabooses that need bulbs replaced with LEDs.  I have replaced one set from only a few years back so far.

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Dennis

If you need to, just upgrade your light bulbs to 18 volt bulbs and you should have no problems. Most post war passenger cars can take the constant voltage with no harm done to their electrical system. Only if you have an operating car like the horse corral or milk car unloader might there be any problems.

Lee Fritz

Hi Lee, 

That was what I was worried about, i.e. constant voltage.

I recall hearing something about melted K-line passenger cars.

I just changed all my Williams cars to LED Bulbs.

Chip,

The K-Line cars were made of plastic most of the time except for some aluminum passenger cars. 

LED bulbs might be able to take the voltage but I can't say for sure either way on them. The other advantage of LED's is power consumption as they don't use as much power per light bulb compared to incandescent lights(regular light bulbs).

I would just go to 18 or 21 volt light bulbs, however with that arrangement you lose some brightness of the light bulb with higher voltage bulbs but they burn cooler. The only drawback is you need a higher watt transformer to supply the light bulbs.

Lee Fritz

Check the instruction manuals for the K-Line passenger cars, as some have Stream Lighting in them. That might be able to take up to 21 volts but I am not sure.

Lee Fritz

None of my 15" passenger cars have had LED bulb replacements, but it is on the "to do" list.

I can assure you that properly installed LED's will withstand any voltage you throw at the car.  If your locomotive doesn't go up in smoke, neither will the LED lighting.  The difference in power is quite startling between LED lighting and conventional bulbs. 

A standard MTH 18" passenger car with factory stock lighting consumes .35 amps at 18 volts track power.  The same car with a full length lighting strip with 21 LED's will consume between .02 and .03 amps, depending on how bright you like the lighting.  I actually prefer it at more prototypical levels, so my lighting is in the .02 amp range.

Expand that to eight or nine passenger cars and the lighted cars are pulling more power than your locomotive by a substantial margin.

I am using an MTH Z-1000 power brick to provide power to my MTH DCS system.

The Williams cars had their PW style bayonet bulbs replaced with LED bayonet bulbs.