Light bulb or Led.

In general, traditional bulbs draw may more current than LEDs. You would have to be certain that the driving circuitry could handle the increased current (it would be safe to presume probably would not).

The circuit that drives the blinking light was specifically designed to drive an LED, I'd stick with that.  Just curious, why do you want to change to incandescent, most folks are trying to go the other way?

The reason is I didn't want to spend $10 for a $6 part. Shipping is pretty high and I don't have anything else to order right now. Thank you guys for the info. Joe

Can't you find a 99-cent (free shipping from Asia) listing on eBay for qty 10 of a suitable LED replacement?

What size LED is it?  LED's are dirt cheap if it's really the actual LED device that died.  Are you sure it's not something in the wiring or the board?

led are much Cheaper

light incandescent bulbs cost more and fail more often then leds ever would. I agree with John its probably the board or bad wires or the connector is not seated all the way on the board!

Alan

John I broke the glass on the Led. I don't know the size but would like to get this repaired. Not in a rush. Thanks John.

Well, if it's a common LED, which I suspect it is, they're easily obtained.  I have the PS/2 AEM7, but it's already boxed up for the move or I could check the size of the LED.

Marty I had taken the whole insides of a loco and put it in another. I broke the LED so I was wondering if I could replace using a bulb.

Measure the diameter of the LED, I probably have one that will fit.  I don't have that locomotive handy to check, it's in a big box under the pile right now.  My guess is it's a 3mm round-top white LED.

In this youtube video https://youtu.be/meHvqIhESX8?t=24s

it appears there are 2 roof-top blinking LEDs that alternate.  It looks like they may be yellow/amber (rather than white)?  They look like standard 3mm round-top diffused lens type (diffused meaning the un-lit color of the lens is the color of the lit LED). You should be able to measure the diameter without even removing the shell.  Anyway, if these are the blinking LEDs in question I'd think you need to replace BOTH so that they match - unless you can find the exact replacement.

If a generic 3mm yellow would work, GRJ would spend more in postage than eBay - qty 100 for 97 cents (free shipping from Asia).

I thought I remembered white for those strobes, but I may be remembering wrong.  That could be the F40PH that I'm thinking of.  I'd be very surprised if they're blinking LED's, I think the blink is supplied by the PS/2 board.  If they alternate, I'm certain they're not blinking LED's, they would be free-running if they were.

For little stuff like this, I actually use 49 cents postage.  Cut a piece of corrugated cardboard smaller than the envelope, then cut a hole in the center.  Tape on both sides of the small parts, and mail them that way.

John I just pulled the good LED out and its 3mm. Where can I get these on ebay with wires on them?

John the one I pulled out is clear. I seen the real strobes work and they look like a bright clear flash to me.

I thought they were white, they're bright white like a strobe, right?

If you want wires on them like MTH harnesses, I suggest MTH.  If you want the harness repaired, you can send it to me and I'll put a pair of matching 3mm LED's on it and send it back.  You won't find the LED's with the correct wires for the locomotive on eBay.

There was another video of an MTH AEM7 that indeed looked like white alternating blinking roof-top LEDs.  Yes, I meant blinking LEDs with the blink supplied by the PS/2 board - so the 1 cent type.

I've had hit-or-miss success mailing small parts with just the 1 ounce postage in a plain envelope even as you describe.  You have up to 1/4" uniform thickness so a 3mm (1/8") LED should be able to fit in a cut-out; I like that idea.  The issue is the bend-ability requirement for the item to go thru the automated sorting machines.  There's a tedious description of the bending specifications on the USPS website.  So, in theory, you ought to add the nonmachinable surchage - something like 20 cents and mark the envelope suitably so it gets hand-sorted.  The hit-or-miss part is if they run it thru the machines anyway and it cracks the component; that would be a "miss".   

If someone has nothing better to do, search youtube for videos of the USPS high speed letter sorting machines; it really is amazing how fast they scan the envelopes and photograph each envelope.  It's curious how USPS sends me a daily email with a picture of the letters I will be receiving in the today's mail. 

You may not get the item you have a picture of. It could be sent to another office and take more time to get to you. I am a US Postal employee.

John I could solder the red to the anode side and black to the cathode side? I could buy these from a LED distributor? Any recommendations on a company and part number? Thanks all you guys for the help and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

There are some youtube videos with PS3 AEM7 that indeed look more like a strobe than a blink.  In other words a shorter more brilliant flash.  I'm pretty sure the PS2 LED circuitry just provides blink timing rather than strobe timing.

As for the color, note that when PS2 first came out some 20 years ago, WHITE LEDs were not common and somewhat expensive.  So even if the prototype indeed has/had gas-discharge "white" strobe lights, perhaps MTH used more common/inexpensive yellow/amber LED as the video seems to show - but could just an artifact of my video monitor.

You can simply solder the LED's in, for strobes I'd use the bright white 3mm LED's.  I happen to use flangeless LED's, they fit in places the flanged ones don't work.

I buy mine in quantity when I need them, I don't have any "tip of the tongue" recommendations for specific sources and/or part numbers.  I'd look for LED's with a color temperature of 4100K or higher.

Are these for 3 volt or what voltage rating?

They have a nominal voltage rating of around 3 volts.  Note that LED's are current mode devices, so the voltage rating doesn't mean much in most applications, you want current limiting to keep the current to a generic LED at 20ma or less.

For the application you are contemplating, that's all been handled for you, just replace the LED's.

I found some 6500 to 7000k, 100 for $4.20 on Ebay Water clear color.

They should work just fine, and you'll have 98 spares.

Thanks again John.