Hiawatha 18" K Line Passenger cars by Lionel switch to LEDs?

I believe Eric of Eric's Trains fame did a video about changing out existing lighting to LEDs. Check his website...

I don't yet have any passenger cars, but I think many here have used the GRJ lighting boards (or kits) and have been pleased with them. I think GRJ's are meant to be used with the strips of LEDs, but again I have yet to use one.

I think the biggest head ache is getting the cars apart and put them back together again... changing the lighting and using GRJ 's kit is pretty easy.

I looked and couldn't find anything in the tutorials that were labeled as to subject. Maybe in one of the many blogs?

rtr12 posted:

I don't yet have any passenger cars, but I think many here have used the GRJ lighting boards (or kits) and have been pleased with them. I think GRJ's are meant to be used with the strips of LEDs, but again I have yet to use one.

I have used those. I put strips into the Illinois Central aluminum passenger cars with great results. The "Stream Lighting" setup on the K Line cars is more complicated though.

J Daddy posted:

I think the biggest head ache is getting the cars apart and put them back together again... changing the lighting and using GRJ 's kit is pretty easy.

It looks like the bottom panel with the trucks comes off without removing the vestibules I hope... 

Not only do I not have any passenger cars, I don't know much about them either, as you can tell. 

cjack posted:

I looked and couldn't find anything in the tutorials that were labeled as to subject. Maybe in one of the many blogs?

Yep...Sorry...My mistake.

I've taken them apart in the past, and I believe you do have to remove the vestibules, at least I remember taking them off.  It's been several years since I worked on them.  I have some buried downstairs that someday will get LED lighting and passengers, I'll know when I attack those.

After looking at the parts fiche, I think maybe the vestibules have to come off, by unscrewing two screws from the metal frame (maybe leaving those fender skirt things on). And the guts slide out, like the streamlighting board after unplugging it somehow. I wonder where there is room for the regulator board though.

I put the regulator on the ceiling, I fold the tab on the regulator over and it's totally out of sight unless you stand on your head and look in the window.  The fender skirts may get in the way of sliding the trucks past them if memory serves.  I may be thinking of a different car, but I know I had trouble with a K-Line car like that.