What size LED's for Athearn headlights

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NYSW F45

NYSW F45

Active Member
Can anyone tell me what size leds would fit in the opening of Athearn headlights on the newer RTR and Genesis? I'v heard 3mm and also 1.5, which is closer?
 
It really depends. It seems that Athearn RTR diesels have a pretty wide margin of tolerances for the headlight holes.

A member of this forum, MGWSY, makes his own with a lathe, and he said that each LED he makes has to be custom due to these tolerances.
 


mark is going to be out of commision for a while or else i would be sending him my stuff. When he told me of the news i went ahead and bought the magnet wire, smd leds for ditch lights and heads.

But I was hoping there would be a general size to start with. :(
 
Not sure if this helps but If you can find a LED that is slightly larger to the size of the hole you can sand down the plastic to get it to fit snug. I do this on alot of My diesels using 3mm LEDs. I then paint the parts of the back and sides of them to reduce the light bleeding from them.

just my .02
 
lmackattack said:
Not sure if this helps but If you can find a LED that is slightly larger to the size of the hole you can sand down the plastic to get it to fit snug. I do this on alot of My diesels using 3mm LEDs. I then paint the parts of the back and sides of them to reduce the light bleeding from them.

just my .02
Click to expand...

thats what i would like to do. where do you get your leds?
 
Well, what Mark does is use a lathe and a file or a similar tool to grind down the LEDs until they fit in the holes. If you use shrink tubing over the bottom of the LEDs, there won't be any light leakage.
 


ok i just checked the ebay seller i had placed a bid with and he has the 2mm ones for sale aswell. I sent him an email asking if there was anyway possible to just swap the 3mm for the 2mm without any problems and to also keep the resistors as I dont need his. So hopefully he's will to work with me.

I may still order a set of 3mm ones for my athearn P42's red markers and ditch lights. I believe those openings are slighter larger.
 
The P42 will need the 2mm tower LEDs. From what I've seen, (there's an installation video on youtube) the tower LEDs (2mm) will stick out too far and will need to be cut down to size.
 
i'll have to see if i can get that video later at home. Work just put a block up on all streaming media and social network sites. The social sites I can give two s#$ts about, but youtube made the day go by so much faster. :(
 
I recently did an older blue box SD40-2 with surface mount LEDs. I painted the backs of the leds with opaquing fluid but liquid insulation works well too.
 
Paul, how did you deck-mount the stanchions?

RTR locos need lenses for surface mount LEDs or LEDs that fill the entire hole since they put bulbs in the headlight holes, so that theres no glazing for the headlights.
 
I have those SMD leds. Will regular clear rod work in the holes or should it be fiber optic? The blue box loco's headlight holes are enormous compared to the RTR ones. and the guy i won those 3mm leds from hasn't gotten back to me about swapping them for the 2mm ones.
 
NYSW F45 said:
I have those SMD leds. Will regular clear rod work in the holes or should it be fiber optic?
Click to expand...

I can't find the part number right now, but give Athearn a call because the tapered light rods for the Blue Box versions from Athearn are a perfect fit for the RTR. I wish I had the part number for you. Maybe get in contact with Jerome as he may have the part number. Those 2mm LED's look like a good solution too. Very similar to the LEDS that Mark ended up with after turning them down on his lathe.
 


NWCanuck said:
I can't find the part number right now, but give Athearn a call because the tapered light rods for the Blue Box versions from Athearn are a perfect fit for the RTR. I wish I had the part number for you. Maybe get in contact with Jerome as he may have the part number. Those 2mm LED's look like a good solution too. Very similar to the LEDS that Mark ended up with after turning them down on his lathe.
Click to expand...

Thats why i want the guy to swap them hopefully. If they are to big i'll smooth it down with a sanding stick as carefully as possible.
 
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