Under The Hood: LED Bulbs in a Lionel 153 Signal...

I think it looks great Mitch!

Great idea!  I think you can remove a little of the clear plastic that sticks out.  The part that creates the light is further back.

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

Great idea!  I think you can remove a little of the clear plastic that sticks out.  The part that creates the light is further back.

Yep!  I've ground the lenses flat in the past.  However, for this particular application, best to leave 'em as is. 

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Can you provide P/N and vendor?  I have a couple I'd like to do as you've done.

Thanks.

RJR posted:

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Not a bad idea!

Pingman posted:

Can you provide P/N and vendor?  I have a couple I'd like to do as you've done.

Thanks.

Here ya go!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120932412635

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120932415457

Mitch

That was cool!!!!!

RJR posted:

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Being an LED, doesn't most of the light already go straight out in a relatively narrow cone?

---PCJ

RailRide posted:

RJR posted:

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Being an LED, doesn't most of the light already go straight out in a relatively narrow cone?

---PCJ

There is some side leakage, particularly in a darkened room:

Mitch

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

RJR posted:

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Not a bad idea!

Pingman posted:

Can you provide P/N and vendor?  I have a couple I'd like to do as you've done.

Thanks.

Here ya go!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120932412635

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120932415457

Mitch

THANKS, Mitch.

Which base--the listing mentions several varieties?

Pingman posted:

THANKS, Mitch.

Which base--the listing mentions several varieties?

The bulbs will fit in any of those bayonet bases, actually, which is why the varieties are mentioned.  

Mitch

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

RailRide posted:

RJR posted:

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Being an LED, doesn't most of the light already go straight out in a relatively narrow cone?

---PCJ

There is some side leakage, particularly in a darkened room:

Mitch

Hey Mitch, if the side leakage bothers you just paint the sides black!

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

A little experiment I just did: 

L

Looks unconventional, but works pretty good!

Mitch

One of the things that shows up well is the fact that the green is the correct color for signalling. For the technically minded, it is 504nm. Nanometers, that is. This comes from the days of incandescent lamps behind lenses that are almost blue. The yellow filament makes the green color. If you can look at an old real railroad signal you can see the bluish lens. 

Atlas signals use the technically correct LED colors. 

Lou N

RailRide posted:

RJR posted:

You could slip copper tubing over the bulb so light only goes straight out.

Being an LED, doesn't most of the light already go straight out in a relatively narrow cone?

---PCJ

No not necessarily.  An LED die actually emits light from all 6 sides. It is the lensing that focuses the beam. 

I have a project at work that uses LED die for a photodynamic therapy device, an implant that stimulates a pharmaceutical that is injected. The printed circuit board is transparent so light comes out both sides of the board. 

Lou N

The 153's large bulbs aren't prototypical.  The lights were pretty-well focused down the track.  The copper tubes, with angled ends mimicing sunshades, look more prototypical.

Great job!

-Eric Siegel

RJR posted:

The 153's large bulbs aren't prototypical.  The lights were pretty-well focused down the track.  The copper tubes, with angled ends mimicing sunshades, look more prototypical.

Yes, well, toy trains and all that there.  ^.^

ericstrains.com posted:

Great job!

Thankee kindly!  

Mitch

Those are refered to as focused LED bulb,  try using the non focus types,  I have done about 12 of these and the non focused are great.