LED Christmas lights.

[ChevelleSSguy]

Who is using LED christmas lights for thier model railroading needs? Whether it be on the layout itself or for locomotives, passenger car lighting, etc. Now that christmas is over. It might be time to grab some cheap LED lights on clearance.

 

[Larry]

I bought 6 sets last year at WM for $1.50 ea. The original price was $9.00 ea. There's 60 bulbs on a string. I've already been experimenting w/them for my engines. Going to use them for a lot of my smaller buildings by cutting the wires & extending the lites for each structure. They're not brite enough to use just one for a larger building. Leaving those at the original voltage & plugging them into a 110V box. This year I found some brighter one's at WM that I think I'm going to try for larger buildings. Waiting for the price to drop to a buck or less. My WM has zillions still left.

 

[Beachbum]

I don't think I've seen any that are small enough to fit in a loco.

I am considering getting a couple strings of C-9 (C-6?) white, a couple blue and a couple orange for daytime, sunset, and night. I'd hide them behind a valence.

 

[UP2CSX]

Some of the white ones made for outdoor lighting I've seen this year look like they would have a nice color match with warm white for layout lighting. I haven't found that LED Christmas lights are very good for building lighting either, since the beam is so directional. They work well for things like floodlights, warning lights on water towers, and things like that. The one's I've found this year that have LED's small enough to work in locomotives or streetlights are the battery operated sets I got at Michaels. They are 1.5 volts and you get 20 white or mixed color lights for a buck on clearance. They even have a nice rubber sleeve to cover the wire connections and are easy to install without worrying about shorting.

 

[Larry]

I don't think I've seen any that are small enough to fit in a loco.

I am considering getting a couple strings of C-9 (C-6?) white, a couple blue and a couple orange for daytime, sunset, and night. I'd hide them behind a valence.

This year they didn't have the small ones that I bought last year. The ones I have are about the size of a 5mm bulb.

 

[Trussrod]

Say Jim,
That some good info, I guess I'll have to take a look at Michaels and see what I can find?

I imagine to run off the track voltage rather than a battery set up a ristor would need to be installed in the line if mounted in the Loco's? Have you tried this?

Thanks, David
Ps: How about some shots of your FDB layout & plan.

 

[UP2CSX]

David, you use them just like a normal 1.5 volt LED, with a resistor in line, if you want to run from 12 volt power or track power. I've installed a couple in signs and they are pretty bright with a 500 ohm resistor. Run nice and cool inside the sign and the resistor doesn't get too hot.

P.S. - FDB layout and plan? You lost me on that one.

 

[railBuilderDhd]

I plan to head over to WM this weekend and I hope it's not to late to get some lights myself. I'm still out of town so I'm not able to get to the store now.
Dave

 

[ChevelleSSguy]

Some of the white ones made for outdoor lighting I've seen this year look like they would have a nice color match with warm white for layout lighting. I haven't found that LED Christmas lights are very good for building lighting either, since the beam is so directional. They work well for things like floodlights, warning lights on water towers, and things like that. The one's I've found this year that have LED's small enough to work in locomotives or streetlights are the battery operated sets I got at Michaels. They are 1.5 volts and you get 20 white or mixed color lights for a buck on clearance. They even have a nice rubber sleeve to cover the wire connections and are easy to install without worrying about shorting.

Ill have to check a store or 2 in the next few days for these.

 

[GandyDancer]

Who is using LED christmas lights for thier model railroading needs? Whether it be on the layout itself or for locomotives, passenger car lighting, etc. Now that christmas is over. It might be time to grab some cheap LED lights on clearance.

I've been using Christmas tree lights for layout purposes for over 30 years. Two years ago I got several sets of the GE warm white LEDs that are the perfect color and size for headlamps.