Headlight LEDs

[Stan]

Im interested in placing some LEDs in the Atlas locos I have. I see that there are some ultra bright ones available and others that claim too look more like a incandescent bulb (aka more realistic). Any preferences out there?

[Smoke]

I don't have any experience with regular size LED's but even if you do get some that are the bluish color you can always paint them with some transparent orange color.

[icghogger]

Check the Ngineering web site and look at examples of applications to help you decide. They have a good selection of sizes and colors. I tried soldering the leads on the smallest ones and it is a chore I would not recommend (and I was using a stereo microscope to see what I was doing!) The Richmond web site has similar-sized LED's with leads already attached. I prefer the incandescent color for steamers and bright white for diesels, but as Andrew pointed out, you can always tint them with transparent colors, such as Tamiya or others, to suit yourself. Orange works real good (when built up a little at a time) if you want that incandescent yellow look.

[cnwidecabnut]

The recommended types of LED's to simulate incandescent are Warm white, sunny white or golden white. Golden white look physically orange and produce a very yellowish white light, while the other two are less yellow, simulating later diesel headlights. The sunny white and warm white are clear, so you don't have to hide the LED itself. I just put one on the cab roof for a strobe. It's a little large, but is convincing enough. I use Ø3.0 mm ones which are available at a reasonable cost, but are too large to stick right in the headlight holes. I drill a hole in a block of styrene and drill out the body diameter right thru and then the flange diameter just so that the LED sits flush with the back. I then glue the block behind the headlight holes. Clear lenses are then placed in the headlight holes. After hookup, I paint the block and the back of the LED flat black (sometimes a couple of coats) to prevent light leakage on the inside of the cab. Ditch lights can be done the same way if they are pilot mounted. I just received an order from Richmond controls for my ditch lights. These very bright LEDs are an incredible 0.030 X 0.060 and will fit in almost anything.

[Stan]

For the ditch lights did you use sunny white or golden white? I was thinking golden for GP38/Gp40s being older diesels.

[cnwidecabnut]

I am currently installing the sunny white LEDs in an SD60F, a little more modern than your GP-38. I've personally not used a golden white yet, but to me the ditch lights were made to be very bright and attract attention so I would start out with the sunny white. If you find that they are too bright, a light coat of transparent orange paint would give you the desired effect. Hope this helps