Using LEDs in headlights


GN.2-6-8-0

GN.2-6-8-0

Member
Just received my 3mm golden white LED's from Litchfield Station and have a question about fitting them in a brass steamer.
this will be in a GN. loco in which the headlight casting is quite small, In this application the leads will have to extend through the boiler front to connect with a DCC decoder so my concern is what would be the best way to insulate the leads to prevent short's from occuring? painting them with a good coat of paint might work for awhile but vibrations are sooner or later scratch through the paint,shrink tubing even the smallest diameter would probably need to large of a opening.....any thoughts?
 
Well, can you think of any hard-to-see, non-conducting, scratch-proof coating that can go on your steamer?
 
Hi GN: The heat shrink tubing I use for decoders is 1/16". If that's too big, how about stripping some small dia. wire and use the outer sheath over the led leads? Just thought of something else. There is a product called Liquid Tape that brushes on as a liquid and dries to a rubber-like coating. DJ.
 
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GrampysTrains said:
Hi GN: The heat shrink tubing I use for decoders is 1/16". If that's too big, how about stripping some small dia. wire and use the outer sheath over the led leads? Just thought of something else. There is a product called Liquid Tape that brushes on as a liquid and dries to a rubber-like coating. DJ.
Click to expand...
AHAA! :D
Think you hit the nail on the head with the liquid tape.
 
After further inspecting what will be my first conversion things are looking a bit easier. As I said the GN. headlight casting is quite small but on looking the engine over I realised there was very little space between the smokebox door and the back of the headlight. Also saw there was small flange on the LED therefore I need only to carefully drill a 3mm hole through the headlight and through the smokebox , By doing this I will be able to insert the LED through the back of the smokebox door and into the headlight,This should also keep the LED from protruding out the front of the headlight casting leaving space for a MV lense.
Also the other main concern will be addressed as the leads will not have to be run through the smokebox front and a good coat of nail polish should protect the leads just fine.
Will have to check for light leakage between smokebox door/headlight casting but a few drops of black paint will solve that issue....
 
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if you need more room for the lens you can sand and polish the
top of the led from domed to flat
 
I know you already have 3mm LEDs but another option is a surface mount LED. Somewhere here there is a post I did about adding a SMLED headlight to an old brass steamer. I used magnet wire so only had to drill one .014" hole in the smokebox front.
Here are a couple pics after the headlight was installed:
26826.jpg


26825.jpg
 
GN.2-6-8-0 said:
After further inspecting what will be my first conversion things are looking a bit easier. As I said the GN. headlight casting is quite small but on looking the engine over I realised there was very little space between the smokebox door and the back of the headlight. Also saw there was small flange on the LED therefore I need only to carefully drill a 3mm hole through the headlight and through the smokebox , By doing this I will be able to insert the LED through the back of the smokebox door and into the headlight,This should also keep the LED from protruding out the front of the headlight casting leaving space for a MV lense.
Also the other main concern will be addressed as the leads will not have to be run through the smokebox front and a good coat of nail polish should protect the leads just fine.
Will have to check for light leakage between smokebox door/headlight casting but a few drops of black paint will solve that issue....
Click to expand...

this is exactly how I do it on my Steam engines. If the head light is mounted too far off of the smoke box I relocate it closer to hide the LED wires
 
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