MTH baby Madison LED lamps

Don't look for me to find drop-ins, cuts into the sales of my lighting kits.

Don't want to deprive GRJ of selling any kits here, but if you just want the LED replacement bulbs, try here: TrainAidsA They are 18 volt and AC/DC. The color and intensity would probably be better with gunrunnerjohns kits though.

I should add that I have never used these in passenger cars, only yard lights and the Lionel die cast track bumpers. I don't have any passenger cars yet.

Hi Sam

I did my with the GRJ special and feed bay LED. It took me from start to finish about 4 hours for 6 cars. The original wiring the cars from the MTH bus bar underneath the seats was very short no play room what so ever.

Sorry I have no idea what GRJ special is.  Please clue me in.

rrman

Try trainelectric.com they are a sponser here. I got replacement LED for my Lionel paassenger cars and they were great.

Hi Sam

GRJ special is GunnerRunnerJohn special. There are two different version both are not really plug and play.  One is the version he sell and other is roll your own.  Both need a some soldering to make them work.

GRJ special

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...80#30009353979881080

Here is a great thread about LED lighting in passenger cars.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...assenger-cars?page=1

In regards to the MTH Baby Madision cars here are my suggestion since I have done the conversation. Disconnect the wiring to the wheels and take the whole car apart. It is alot easier work with the car complete apart.

I've never seen an LED direct replacement for the little MTH plug-in bulbs that are used in most of the MTH passenger cars.  I see all sorts of other styles on that site, but not the ones that Sam is seeking.

What do the MTH passenger car lights look like? I don't have any passenger cars. Are they the little bulbs with the tiny, flexible wires for connection like some of the Lionel yard lights?

I have a couple of MTH caboose (cabooses, cabeese?) I was thinking about converting, but have never looked inside at the lights. Are these like the passenger cars too?

Dear Tom

They look like the Christmas tree lights and bulbs. Socket and bulb fit into a clear plastic holder that is attached to the side of the passenger car. I have not taken apart MTH caboose I can not tell for sure what they look like.

Here is a picture for what I am talking about.

Gentlemen,

   As far as I know Guns is correct there is no plug and play LED available for the MTH Passenger Cars yet, Guns better make his money while he can however, it probably won't be long before somebody makes them, heck Guns should do it, and add them to his business.

PCRR/Dave

Thanks, that looks like the same sockets as the Lionel yard lights I have. I have not seen any replacements for that type either. I will have to look at a caboose and see what they have. May be an opportunity to try some of GRJ's kits.

I converted my yard lights with either a LM317 or 7805 circuit (forget which) and used just the regular two prong LEDs, like from Radio Shack, just folded the leads over and cut them off. It was a pretty tight fit, but they worked.

Hi Tom

If the socket you are talking about are similar to the Lionel NJ Transit passenger then yes you are correct.

The lights on the Lionel NJ transit passenger are attached to the floor pointing up to light the passenger car. Where the MTH passenger I worked on the lights are closer to the roof and mount side way.

Most MTH cars have the lights either in the strip on the roof, or little plastic holders that arch over the car interior.  I've replaced these in a ton of MTH cars. 

Would a wedge LED work in this situation??

That's the classic MTH lighting, but I don't know of any wedge LED's that would work.

Dear John

"A wise man can hear profit in the wind" Maybe this something you could look at and try to make which is right up your alley. You are really good at this stuff and I am surprised that no one else has come up with idea before.

That's just like what's in my yard lights. I used the plastic holders from the old bulbs and I think a 5mm (maybe it was 3mm?) led stuck in it with the leads bent over and cut off as in the picture. I had to make a small 3 or 5 volt power supply to power them. It was either a 7805 or LM317, forget which? It was just a fun something to do winter project.

nvocc5,

I agree, if GRJ could come up with something I think it would be a good seller. There seem to be a lot of requests for these around here. That is if he wanted to? May be a difficult project though, being so small a bulb/socket. The light kits he already has may be a better option too, probably better light and you have to do something to the power to run them anyway.

This is more of a mechanical project than electronic.  If I were going to do something like this, I'd mold the resistor and diode into the bulb base and just perch the LED on top.  However, the big issue is getting the wide dispersion of light that the incandescent gives you.

The lighting dispersal would be another reason to go with the gunrunnerjohn lighting kits, even in a caboose, correct?

The bayonet and screw type replacement LEDs seem to disperse the light somewhat, but still may not be like an incandescent bulb? I suppose the only real thing I have for dispersal it the Lionel die cast bumpers. It's hard to tell about the light dispersion with the yard lights I have that use the bayonet bulbs. 

I still have an assortment of the LED replacement bulbs. I bought a number of types, but was never impressed with the results.  That's when I started doing upgrades with the LED strips and the result was so much better than I never looked back.

Thanks, kind of what I thought about the GRJ kits being better light.

Dear John

Again thanks for sharing the knowledge. I see you already studied this topic and came up with the GRJ special.  It always a pleasure to hear your insight, knowledge and expertise on this topic. I can dream up a lot of this stuff but it always nice to bounce ideas off of you get what is reality and what is a misguide adventure.

This is what the MTH baby Madison car look like with the LED lights being installed observer car.

Looks good, I light the markers and end lamps in a similar manner. 

Dear John and Stan

This is the unit I asked about LED in series question on another thread. I did need to put in a 470 ohms resister for the lamps. The lamp worked but the LED strip on the roof did not come on. When I placed the 470 ohm resister in all the lights came why I do not know but it worked.  Thanks to both of you for all your tips.

It's a secret.

If you connect two series LED's directly to the constant current supply, they'll suck up all the current as they light at around 6 volts.  You need to balance any parallel circuits when you're running constant current.

Hi john

As you can tell I have learned that lesson. Now I understand why this worked the way it did. Thanks John.