passenger car LED source

Evan Designs a forum sponsor is someone that has been reliable

If you check around you can find 24 volt LED peel and stick light strips at LED light shops, just add a full wave bridge rectifier for changing from AC to DC. These lights are made for full size semi trucks.

Tom,

If your looking for strips, I use these in either a warm white or bright white with one of GRJ's LED light boards when convert mine. $7 for a roll long enough to do the entire consist.

DC12V 5M 16Ft 5630 SMD 300 LED Light Strip Flexible Lamp Neutral White/Warm/Cool | eBay

Ron

Many options:  found these from AliExpress, which will work just fine with a conversion pcb for each car.  Either DIY or commercial for the lighting pcb.

Do a search on Hennings Trains and go with items from GRJ’s products. Buy the entire kit or just the electronic portion.

Wow, you guys are a great!  Tremendous resource here.

So,  these can only we used with EITHER AC or DC?

They could not be used in a car running under switchable AC or DC conventional power?

If I set them up to run off of a  Z-1000 AC transformer then they were exposed to DC current would they be damaged or just not function?

Thank you.  TT

Tom,

Using a LED board of GRJ design, I can power the board with track power or a DC power supply on my bench. I assume with the bridge rectifier and voltage regulator in John's design it goes both ways.

I am thankful we have talent on the forum like John who shares his work so generously. The gerber files are available for the pcb and the components readily available from multiple sources. It takes about 10 minutes a pcb to build with coffee sips as do it.

Breaking down the cars, depending on whether the simple frosted window shell or the detailed K-Line or MTH cars can be 30 minutes per upgrade to about 90 minutes to get everything back together after sandwiched the board into a vestibule or space and double check my work to make sure I don't reassemble it without working.

I hope this helps.

Ron

Did all my MTH cars from products purchased on EBay.  11 passenger cars for less than 40 bucks.  You need to know a little about electronics and what you need but can be done.

The components for the LED board, including the board, ran about $4 a car, but I bought bulk components after shopping a bit. Just grabbing what is available for quick delivery would be much more. I used ALLPCB for the boards, but OSHPARK is weeks quicker though a bit more per pcb. It all depends on your style of building, if your in a hurry and spending threshold.

Enjoy whatever you do and keep them rolling on the rails.

@Tom Tee posted:

Wow, you guys are a great!  Tremendous resource here.

So,  these can only we used with EITHER AC or DC?

They could not be used in a car running under switchable AC or DC conventional power?

If I set them up to run off of a  Z-1000 AC transformer then they were exposed to DC current would they be damaged or just not function?

Thank you.  TT

Tom, I'm shocked you didn't ask me about this.  Since the first thing that the input power encounters is a bridge rectifier, you can supply my module with either AC or DC and it will work fine.  It's actually very difficult to damage the module.

John,  you are too generous and kind,  there are times I feel I lean on your resource too much, did not want to be too much of a bother.

I do have a follow up question though,  This question revolves around an MTH set of 4 pantograph equipped commuter cars converted to 2 rail with PS-2.

The power car picks up juice from the one side of the front truck and the other side of the rear truck which hesitates on any un powered frogs.  Is there any way a wiper could be used on the opposite wheel to have 8 wheel pick up or would having a plug connection to the following car be adequate to have stretched out power pick up to reach over dead spots??

Ever since I have been switching to battery power I have gotten real lazy about doing any more wiring.

I asked about LEDs because with all four cars factory illuminated the Z-1000 is maxed out to bring the train to 60 mph.  I am thinking that LEDs would allow a lower power setting,

@Tom Tee posted:

The power car picks up juice from the one side of the front truck and the other side of the rear truck which hesitates on any un powered frogs.  Is there any way a wiper could be used on the opposite wheel to have 8 wheel pick up or would having a plug connection to the following car be adequate to have stretched out power pick up to reach over dead spots??

Ever since I have been switching to battery power I have gotten real lazy about doing any more wiring.

I suspect the plug connection to the next car would probably be easier, though a wiper on the wheels is an option, depending on exactly what the trucks look like.

@Tom Tee posted:

I asked about LEDs because with all four cars factory illuminated the Z-1000 is maxed out to bring the train to 60 mph.  I am thinking that LEDs would allow a lower power setting,

Although the LED's are a good idea, a four car consist at full throttle on the Z-1000 shouldn't be an issue.  Hard to imagine the incandescent bulbs in four cars account for more than maybe 25-30 watts.  Have you tried it with just the powered car to see if it gets more speed?  If so, then the LED's might be a cure, but if as I suspect, it maxes out, then you may have to look elsewhere to pick up the pace.