I am upgradeing an MTH PS1 GP30 to the ERR Commander board. I still want to use the existing lighting that came with the engine. I don't think these bulbs will work with the ERR Commander board. Is there a way to connect these to the board to make them work?
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The directional lighting in PS/1 locomotives is 1.5 volts, and indeed the ERR board will smoke them in short order, like instantly. If they're not directional lighting, they'll work fine, though they might be a bit dim, the non-directional stuff is run from track power.
Does this locomotive have a constant voltage lighting board? The exact model is useful for queries like this.
Oh, 2-rail. I think those bulbs are all 6V, at least they were in the two I've worked on. There is a little board to drive them. I didn't know that 2-rail ever came with PS/1 in them. Both of the ones I worked on were just DC locomotives. I don't really do much 2-rail stuff. I looked at the 3-rail model of the same locomotive and it doesn't appear to have PS/1 either.
I found one for sale, here's the description of that one.
The MTH 20-2066-2 CSX GP-30 Diesel Engine for 2-Rail Operation. It features a realistic paint scheme, two powerful DC can motors, directional constant voltage lighting, metal handrails, ornamental horn, metal wheels, metal axles, metal gears, heavy duty die-cast trucksides, die-cast pilots, die-cast fuel tank, precision die-cast trucks, and flyhweel coasting.
Sorry John my mistake. I have the 3 rail version and it does have Proto 1. I can't seem to find it on the MTH website either. But I was wondering if there was a circuit I could use to connect up the lamps without blowing them up?
If it has the constant voltage lighting board, you may be able to use the headlight output. The only issue is that the ERR stuff (actually the R2LC) outputs a negative lighting signal with respect to frame common.
The CV board I have from an MTH has a bridge rectifier, so it would have no issue with the negative headlight voltage. If that's what you have, you can connect the ERR headlight output directly to it.
WHy not just get 14 or 18 volt GOW bulbs and swap them for the directional lights and wire to the ERR. That is how TMCC stuff would be wired. Leave the CV alone, I assume that has your interior lights, markers, ditch depending on what the engine has. Now, the marker LEDs may be fed from the bottom PS-1 board. If this is the case, the CV board can power them too. You just may need to add a 75 to 150 ohm resistor to limit current. How many positions does your CV board have? Sometimes they have the LED slot. You just may have to un-jumper the resistors, or add them in. They come both ways depending on which board. Picture would help. G
The constant voltage board I have has a bunch of positions, and a couple for LED markers.
I agree with replacement, but I'd probably use LED's anyway.
Premier Steam does have all the positions, but Diesel typically did not. They come in 1, 2,3 and even 4 position depending on the model. Typically 1 or 2 position for diesel. G
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