LED replacement light bulb for MTH RealTrax lock on.

Some years back I could not find the LED replacement for the bulbs with bent-wires going into a Christmas-light style socket. Perhaps they are now available off the shelf but I can't think of the name of this kind of flying-lead bulb.

I ended up building my own but I can't imagine anyone else bothering to do so. 

Thanks Stan.  Many years (10+?) ago Daylight Don Grabski posted a good thread on how to convert the realtrax switch lanterns to LED.

I saw some on "the bay", t-5 with 5 diodes, that say they are 8-16v, ac/dc. Would those work if you removed the base and put them in the mth base? 

They are replacements for auto or rv, and low volt outdoor light fixture bulbs.

Gentlemen,

   You mean to tell me the only way I am going to get LED's for the RealTrax Lock on's is to build them myself!  With all the other stuff I have to construct for the Christmas layout, I do not want to have to build these small LED bulbs.  I thought by this time some company would make and stocked them for MTH.  

PCRR/Dave

This may be the incandescent replacement-can't tell if the pins are long enough.

I saw a 6-28 volt led replacement with two pins in clear $12 on sale $5.75- not sure if that would fit. Edit-wedge base

Carl,

   The 6-28 V LED do you have a sight were I might purchase from, or a business/Phone number?  I would spring for the $5.75 if the LED fits!

PCRR/Dave

Carl embedded the link in his post but here it is again:

http://www.bulbtown.com/T1_3_4...DGE_BASE_p/l8043.htm

If you do give it a try please report your findings!

Dave and Stan,

I only performed some web trolling. I tried some of the all-in-one LED replacement sites that I have bookmarked. No joy. bulbtown is a new one. I may have some skin in this game. We are about to wire and power 15 RealTrax switches on the Eagle Scout layout restoration project. These look like the same bulbs as in the switch motor. Correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks, Stan for making the link obvious.

Carl & Stan,

    I just ordered the 6-28 LED from bulbtown to see if it would fit the MTH Lighted Lock On, will let you know if it fits when it arrives.  T

Thanks of the help guys

PCRR/Dave

Carl, for the ones I have the bulbs for the turnout mechanism are the same shown below with the bulb base:

What's not clear is if the bulbtown "wedge base" is identical or identical enough to fit the MTH Realtrax socket.  As shown below with a Christmas string bulb vs. the MTH bulb the wire-terminal bulbs are the same diameter but the base has different dimensions.  I suppose one could take the LED version out of its base and install it in the MTH base but looks like Dave will know the real deal soon enough.

The other perhaps trivial detail I'm curious about is the directionality of the bulbtown LED.  It appears to be one of those flat-top LEDs which supposed spreads the light.  In my case, with the Realtrax switch controller, I made a 2nd style of DIY replacement with upward pointing LEDs (rather than sideways pointing LEDs).  This is because the red and green lenses in the switch controller box are at the top rather than on the sides.  The photos below shows my rendition of this style.  That is, I found that my initial sideways aiming LED replacement did not project upwards enough.

Stan,

I am concerned about the directional lanterns on the switch motor that connects onto the switch. We have a controller board built by the original builder that we will reuse with toggles and indicator lamps.

I have not taken one apart. which just dug out the lanterns made sure each switch motor had one.