Source for Weaver Micro Bulbs?

I'm going to follow this topic, because I'd like to find those as well!  Another thing I've never been able to find is the tiny LED's that Weaver used for markers and class lamps, they are red and a similar size, less than 2mm in diameter.  The ceramic 2mm LED's don't fit in the spot these fit in.

MTH has 6 volt, 2.3 mm grain of rice. CA-0000102. Does Weaver use 6v, or 1.1/2 volt for the markers?

2.3mm is way too large Chuck. 

Local HO modeler Sam Parfitt (he posts an ongoing blog on his projects on a "Great Northern railway" thread on the HONGZ forum) uses really tiny LEDs for class lights, marker lights, work lights under running boards, etc. in HO.  The link below shows the seller.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/8V-12...50OVLPJS5IhXfeCf3TRg

Pete, I found some 1.3mm diameter 3mm long 1.5V bulbs in my stash, are those suitable?

Bob posted:

Local HO modeler Sam Parfitt (he posts an ongoing blog on his projects on a "Great Northern railway" thread on the HONGZ forum) uses really tiny LEDs for class lights, marker lights, work lights under running boards, etc. in HO.  The link below shows the seller.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/8V-12...50OVLPJS5IhXfeCf3TRg

 

Apples and oranges Bob, these are SMT LED's.  I doubt they're what Pete has in mind.

The LEDs are obviously not bulbs, BUT I have seen them in person installed in HO locomotives and they are very impressive.  The sellers have larger sizes than the ultra-tiny ones pictured above that would work for O-scale.  Here's another seller.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/0402-...047675.c100752.m1982

Bob, you're obviously missing my point!  They are directional, and when you stick the bulbs in the class lights or tender markers, you need the light from multiple directions.  I don't dispute they're small enough to fit in the space.

FWIW, I use SMT LED's in the pilot mounted headlights of articulated locomotives, I know about them.

These are so bright that you can see them from 3 sides, not just one.  I repeat, I have actually seen them in operation.  Not trying to get into a p***ing contest, but they might be worth a try for Pete at $7 for 10 of them.

Whatever you say.

I have been buying those pre wired surface mount LEDs from eBay. They are so bright I don’t think it would matter how they face in an enclosure. Here is one in my N1 backup light after I drilled it out then filled it in with Gallery Glass. The leads are so fine (like 40AWG) that you can tweak the direction of the light no prob. The size I used was 0402:

Here’s a terrible compare-o pic from my workbench. I think those smaller bulbs to the left and that stray LED may be from a Weaver or a 3rd Rail at one time. The 1.5V GOR bulbs are Miniatronics I believe. The 0402 SMT LEDs are unbelievably small:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Pete, I found some 1.3mm diameter 3mm long 1.5V bulbs in my stash, are those suitable?

John, Those sound like they may be better but hold off for now until I can see what the traditional 2mm LED looks like. Here is a pic of the Miniatronics bulb in place. I measure the bulb alone are nearly 4mm long and with the adhesive the bend in the wires is closer to 6mm. Kind of kills the appearance. I had to open the holes with a .073" drill to fit these. I measure a 2MM LED at .079". Drilling out the light to that dimemsion won't hurt the appearance too much. I will first see how close I can shorten the LED leads to before proceeding further.

Pete

Norm, the small bulbs on the left above the Red LED appear to be what Weaver used.

Pete

I’d mail them to you but they appear to be dead. I’m thinking they were 1.5V, and a AA battery didn’t seem to want to light them up.

Norm, I appreciate the offer but I believe the 2mm LEDs may work for me. I think Weaver is overdriving these bulbs which is why they are burning out so quick. My engine appears to have little or no run time and the remaining bulb is very bright. It has a 6V regulator driving them through a resistor so its not a function of track voltage, just too small of a resistor.

Pete

Here it is now with the 2mm LEDs installed. Only required opening the rear of the housing by about .010". The rest of the openings unchanged. Actually these housings are better suited to these LEDs than the oversized ones used by everyone else. Now to cram everything back into the shell. No easy task. Sort of like building a ship in a bottle.

I think it still would be great to find those micro incandescents though. A nice option for class lights vs the ubiquitous green given no white LEDs would fit here.

Pete

Hey Pete, are those 2mm's the ceramic one's?

Yes, Lumex. Just about everyone including MTH, Lionel, K-line uses them. Its my understanding Lumex quit making them but some suppliers still have them in stock. I found some at Mouser a few months ago.

Pete

Since Lumex has discontinued the 2mm LED perhaps 2mm side glow fiber optic would be an option? Could use 1 LED and then run the fiber optic from each marker to the LED. Then the marker/classification lights could be any color you want.

Fiber only passes illumination from the end. You wouldn't get any light out the sides. Not really a solution for steam lamps. With LED chips getting smaller someone will be stacking them at 90 degree angles to fit.

Pete

This fiber optic also transmits light out the sides and is available in 2mm diameter: https://www.wiedamark.com/fibe...lidcoresideglow.aspx

Lou1985 posted:

This fiber optic also transmits light out the sides and is available in 2mm diameter: https://www.wiedamark.com/fibe...lidcoresideglow.aspx

An interesting product but would not have helped in this application or a few others I have done. Reason is the 2/3" minimum radius. In the case of most steam housings the wires are bent close to 90 degrees. Also the wire pair themselves can be much smaller than 2mm even with covering.

I could see a lot of applications for buildings and other structures though.

Pete

Norton posted:

Yes, Lumex. Just about everyone including MTH, Lionel, K-line uses them. Its my understanding Lumex quit making them but some suppliers still have them in stock. I found some at Mouser a few months ago.

Pete

Pete, do you have a stock number or search term for these? I can’t track them down on the Mouser site.

BTW, it’s probably academic but what I have done with small marker lights is to install Evan Designs Nano or Pico size LED chips face up/down in the bottom/top of the marker housing. They are very bright and the light shows through all the lenses in the housing.

Looks like Mouser is NLA. They only had a few hundred when I ordered mine about 6 months ago. Allied, Digikey, and Newark were already out at that time. I found some red ones here though, no greens.

http://www.surplusgizmos.com/L...LX203CIT_p_2764.html

Pete

Norton posted:

Lou1985 posted:

This fiber optic also transmits light out the sides and is available in 2mm diameter: https://www.wiedamark.com/fibe...lidcoresideglow.aspx

An interesting product but would not have helped in this application or a few others I have done. Reason is the 2/3" minimum radius. In the case of most steam housings the wires are bent close to 90 degrees. Also the wire pair themselves can be much smaller than 2mm even with covering.

I could see a lot of applications for buildings and other structures though.

Pete

I was looking at the Hiawatha on my phone and didn't notice the way the wire was routed. I thought it was like a MTH Premier streamlined steam locomotive where the LED comes out at a right angle to the boiler (see the attached picture of my Premier Blue Goose Hudson). In that case a larger LED mounted behind the marker/classification lamp with a short run of that fiber optic would work great. But the bend it would have to make on that Hiawatha wouldn't work at all.

Since the 2mm ceramic LEDs are no more the small nano or pico LEDs are probably the way to go. I've used the 1mm pico LEDs in some passenger car drumhead projects and they work great. Super bright.