I use 3000k for most cars (referred to as soft white) and then the 4500/5000k for the very modern cars (referred to as daylight or bright white). Most of my collection is 1930’s to 1960’s and the warm white is too orange for my tastes. The soft white to me is a good balance. I just ordered a 16 ft roll of soft white LEDs for $11. Thats about 12 of my cars so a good value as far as I’m concerned. John’s boards makes it easy to switch out the lighting. I’ve done about 20 so far.
Truthfully, unless someone asks for them, I don't use the bright white 5000-6000k LED's. I use the 3000-3500K Warm white most of the time, and for some heavyweights I've used amber or yellow.
I had posted; I have been buying the 24 volt rolls LED warm white, make sure they are the lowest brightness rating and wire them with a bridge rectifier saves a lot of extra work building a circuit for each car. They have performed fine on my layout and give a good amount of light in the cars. Have not experienced DCS interference.
And was asked if they flicker. I wired a passenger set from our museum this way, and ran it on our Christmas Railway village layout at our Railway Museum Christmas train event. Train runs for 1 - 10 hour day and 1 - 8 hour day, pretty well almost non stop each day, each weekend for 4 weekends each Christmas. I clean the track before I start and if I find I need to during the event. I did not experience a flicker issue on the railway but it was just 1 of 12 loops of track so no switches or X tracks. As long as the wheels, track and center rollers are clean and in good condition there is not an issue.
I also have 3 long passenger sets wired the same way. I do not experience flicker other then when moving the train to a storage track through a # of turnouts. I have had the occasional car give me a problem, but I find I can change the center roller pickup out for new ones and this has cured the issue or cleaning the wheels. But the main line ceiling loops I use for long passenger trains have very wide radius curves and only 1 turnout on the mainline loop.
I do have some 2 rail scale passenger sets as well and wired tiny plugs between the cars to eliminate the flicker and have a standard plug to steam engines as well for extra power pickup to make the engines more reliable prevent stalling. The 2 rail layout area has a # of turnouts but the plugs connecting the cars makes them flicker free.
If you have the time to wire up the control units and can solder OK then go for it they are an excellent design and cheap when ordering the right parts. They eliminate any chance of flicker and can adjust the brightness. The new 24 volt LED lights rolls and lower brightness rating, created in particular for the 24 volt systems on big rig trucks offers a lighting option with less electrical stuff needed to wire them for use on a 24 volt model railway over the 12 LED strips.
@Keith Crook 020419 posted:I just ordered a 16 ft roll of soft white LEDs for $11.
Mind citing your source to share/shorten the search?
Thanks!
@dkdkrd posted:Mind citing your source to share/shorten the search?
Thanks!
Sure, I just didn’t want to run afoul of any rules. If your search the famous auction site for AbiLights you l’ll find this seller with the lights. They have several color temps. Here is the specific listing I bought:
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