I purchased some of these from Town County Hobbies. I would like to use screw-type LEDs in them. For those of you who are familiar with these sockets, are there suppliers of LED's to fit? Also can I apply current directly from the transformer without converting such bulbs to DC first? I'd like to put them in buildings and I am afraid that the heat from regular bulbs could cause the plastic windows to warp. Thanks.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
It looks like Town & Country Hobby also carries 18v LED bulbs, they should be able to point you to one that fits their sockets. I would think the 18v bulbs would be just fine with track power, but T&C Hobby should be able to advise you on the compatibility of their bulbs with your power sources as well.
I have never ordered from T&C Hobby, but I have gotten bulbs that work with 18v track power from TrainAidsA, used them in some Lionel track bumpers with track power from a Lionel Powerhouse 180 brick as the supply voltage. I haven't really checked how hot they get after being on for a while, but they are inside a plastic dome that has not melted so far. It looks like T&C Hobby's bulbs are similar.
The E10 sockets will take E10-based LEDs...its pretty standard. There are quite a few AC-capable LEDs so you won't have to worry about converting to DC. The biggest issue is the voltage. A lot of AC-LEDs are 12V so shouldn't be used on track power that is often 18V+. That'll kill the life of the LED for sure.
Neil
They are available. Cree domes. The LED driver is built into the bulb base. Here's one supplier E10 LEDS. They are 14 volt rated, so suitable for accessory use.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
