Where to purchase building lights

I imagine you can buy them from MTH or their dealers. They are 18 volt bulbs. Christmas tree lights which fit I think are in series and are rated for less voltage. I convert my buildings to LED lighting,then there is no need for replacement.

Dale H

Dale, I had the exact same problem as grandpa bill, only my buildings are lionel.  I too tried the Christmas lights both incandescent and LED versions with both burning out quickly.  Where do you get the LED's that you use?  Are they available in the "Christmas light" base?  Do you think Radio Shack might have them?  Thanks for the help!

I wire mine individually mounted on fish paper. This way I can custom configure lighting in each building. There are also LED strips that are prewired for 12VDC input in groups of 3. so you can mount 3,6,9 etc per building. These have adhesive backs so you just stick on. If your input is 12VAC just add a bridge rectifier. Make sure you get warm white unless you like a bluish cast or yellow LEDs. Anyway here is a post on on LED lighting,the way I do it.

www.jcstudiosinc.com/BlogShowThread?id=407

here is a supplier of the LEds,100 ma versions are also available but these are plenty bright

www.ebay.com/itm/20-pcs-5mm-Pi...;hash=item27b99ade4c

Dale H

TMack

I use both methods,strips and individual. However there are advantages of using individual ones. You can configure the LEDs exactly where you want them. Also you can use the 5 chip very bright 100 ma ones for taller buildings. 3 of these will light a 2 story building with good spreading of light if roof mounted.. It is not just about saving money.

Dale H

Thanks for all of the tips on lighting.  They are a big help.

G'Pa Bill

Dale,

I appreciate the information you provide, but sometimes it is a little over what I want to delve into.  I started with individual lights and still use them.  These strip lights when cut down to three are very small and compact at 1".   I just need to simplify. It is much simpler for me to gab a 12v wallwart run it into a stepdown converter  so I know I have 12v and then power a buss and connect my LEDs to the buss.  Most of us have a box of old wall warts in our garages and you can get the step down converts off ebay cheap - 5 for $6.25.

 This is a typical Netgear 12v Power supply I had three not doing anything, but collecting dust. All have 1 - 1.2 amps output

Even though it says it is a switching power supply it is putting out 13v so if I run it through a DC-DC stepdown converter I can dial it in at the Voltage needed. 

I then power an old telephone punchdown block as my LED buss and use old CAT5 twisted pair to run to the LEDS.

I buy these prewired LED with resistors and just use the phone splice connectors to connect them to the CAT5 wire back to the buss.

Lots of ways to do things. Nothing is right or wrong. If you want DC just add a bridge rectifier from the train accessory transformer tap. The pictured supply is OK good for maybe 12 watts. Good for an LED only supply. A few bulbs on the circuit would use it up pretty quick. I just use 1 lighting supply buss per section,using a 300 watt outdoor 12v transformer per each. I have a common 120 amp buss which circles the layout shared by everything on the layout. Saves a lot of return wiring.

Dale H

http://www.georgetebolt.com/postlist.html#bulbs

http://www.hobbysurplus.com/trainbulbs.asp