Any one has a diagram for led installation on passenger cars 3 rail
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
See this link
There are several circuits I use. Which one depends on if you run conventional or command. Also search some other methods on the forum search engine.
Dale H
Its real simple:
Buy the lighting boards from GunRunnerJohn/Hennings Trains, and some LED reels, install...done!
Obviously this is a caboose but the same applies to passenger cars. I just converted a 21" K-Line car to LED lights using these 2 components. Quick, simple, and under $10 per car.
Attachments
Images (1)
If you don't mind a little soldering, using the Constant Current Lighting Regulator with a strip of LED's from the common 5 meter LED rolls from eBay or other sources will do the trick.
If you want to do it the solderless way, for a little more money per car, you can use this Passenger Car LED Lighting Kit.
Either of these choices have the parts to do two cars, the lighting kits has everything you need, including the LED strips and is intended for solderless installation.
Thanks to both of You lei do and gunrunnerjohn.your advice is always on target and very well received.it is nice to be part of this fantastic group.
thanks a lot.
jge
Jorge, don't overlook Dale's advice. The best solution will depend on whether you run conventional or command. The former will have the lights lit at no higher than 3 volts. The latter must withstand up to 22 volts. Circuits exist to give usable brightness over the whole range from 3 to 22 volts but require either discrete LEDs or modified LED strips.
Pete
One attractive option to still use the LED strips would be a voltage boosting switching board. I have this one from eBay: 271676542465
If you add a bridge rectifier and a 470uf 25V capacitor, this would suffice for conventional running over the full range. It still delivers 12 volts to the LED strip over the range. The only caution is the 24V maximum input voltage, high track voltages may exceed that rating.
Attachments
Pete Your point is well taken,thanks a lot.the only trains I ever run conventional have no modifications other than electronic reverse.
thanks a lot.
And GunnrunnerJohn I really admire both Your knowledge and altruism.
thanks again very much.
jorge
Command users, if you want to use the lighting strips,all you need is a 4 amp bridge rectifier,capacitor and a suitable half watt resistor. Using 3 leads of the bridge protects the wires from the pickup rollers You can size the resistor to suit your taste for intensity.
Circuit is shown here.
Dale H
Dumb question Dale, why use a 4 amp bridge for a light strip that might use a fraction of an amp at most?
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:
Dumb question Dale, why use a 4 amp bridge for a light strip that might use a fraction of an amp at most?
Hi John
1) Since only half of the bridge rectifier is used,it has only half of it's capacity.
2) The same method,as mentioned in the post can be used to dim light bulbs in half. A one amp bridge for that instance is borderline.
3) The 4 amp bridge costing about 50 cents each as pictured is flat. The increased size actually makes mounting easier. It can be glued to the floor of the car with silicone, fitting under the seating (on cars with interiors) with a roller wire soldered to each of the leads. The third wire can be routed up the side of the car. Sometimes the condenser will fit in an indentation in the floor,depending on the size and car configuration.
4) the 1 amp is OK for LEDs,however the small size may be actually a detriment as far as ease of installation.
Dale H
Dale the information You kindly sent to me is powerful and awesome,could not find better than that.
it is sincerely appreciated,thanks a lot!!!!!!!
jorge
Hi Dale ,I am following your great advice step by step and Your polyfuse idea sound great.do you have a number for it,I have had ,almost,no luck except with allelectronics,but they call it poly switch,will it be the same.
thanks a lot again for your help.
jorge
Jorge
This one will work
As described in my other link you can also use 3 leads of a bridge rectifier which protects the wires also.
Dale H
Thanks a lot again Dale.
my best regards.
jorge
I recently contacted a local MTH tech that I deal with in regards to installing the Henning's passenger car LED upgrade kits in my MTH Premier N subway....his response was this:
1) You can install the LEDs into the non-powered subway cars, but not the locomotive due to the inner shell design.
2) The LED circuits have extremely thin wiring. One derailment and the circuit is blown.
3) I have found that the LED circuits have a very short life. Although advertised to last forever, they don't.
Do you all agree with his assessment? Thank you in advance for your thoughts...
Robert
No offense to your local MTH tech, but that's pure BS. I've personally installed these in tons of cars, both for myself and for other people. I will agree that installing in the powered subway car will require a little more work to split the strips, but it's certainly quite possible to have LED lighting in those. What mystifies me is why he'd buy the solderless kit when he could just use the power modules and a reel of LED's for less than half the price for each car. The reason I do the kits is because there are people that do not want to have to solder, I'd think any MTH tech should not have an aversion to soldering a couple of wires. If he doesn't solder, how can he actually do MTH repairs?
The thin wiring comment is a joke, I can't even imagine where he came up with that. First off, the LED's are only drawing 20-30 milliamps, so the finest wire on the planet would probably power them without issue. In addition, a derailment would have zero effect on the LED circuit, it's far more likely to take out the MTH electronics package. The circuit that powers them, at least the one I designed, is quite robust, and I've never had one fail in service. Out of several thousand, I have gotten two back that were bad right from the start, both were simply poor solder joints in manufacturing. Finally, the actual size of the traces on the LED strips rivals the size of the traces on the MTH logic boards that is used to carry a lot more current, maybe he should explain why those don't fail first!
FWIW, I wire lighting in shells all the time with #30 wire for LED's, it's more than sufficient, and it's easy to keep it from interfering with other components. Somehow, after all these years, none of that really fine wire has ever burned out. 
I have no idea where he gets the idea that LED circuits have a very short life, the only reason that happens is if you run the LED's beyond their ratings. Yes, it's quite possible to kill LED's if you abuse them with excess reverse voltage or run them over their design current. However, properly used, LED's will indeed outlast many incandescent bulbs, and most likely most of our lifetimes.
In short, I'm sorry to say, he's all wet!
John...thank you very much for your reply...I was surprised by his response as well because he seems to be a very good technician and has fixed many of my trains...perhaps he just does not want to do the job...I would think you stand by your products...
I live in central NJ and this summer I will bring my set down to Hennings ( I work as a school teacher and I would have more time then to make the trip) ....I'm not comfortable doing the job myself...could you do the install? Also...can you convert the headlights and number boards to LED as well?
Anyway can you give me a price for the job if possible? My email is gladstone23@gmail.com
I love the MTH N train set but I have LED lighting in the new MTH R-11 Premier set and the lighting is just soooo beautiful....it would be great to replicate if possible in the N set.
Again...thank you...
Sincerely,
Robert
You can send me an email to my profile email. I'm in the process of moving, but I'll be back in the saddle after the spring York, so summer works fine for me.
Great...thank you...I wish you well on your move.
