#135 ~ Illumination

 Headlights

Installing LEDs for the headlights.

Working headlights on streetcar models I find to be most helpful when working with DCC.  When I place the car on the track the first thing I do is hit the headlight button on the command station to determine if the car is getting power and responding to commands. If the car has been sitting on a siding for a while but the headlight is still on, then I know it hasn't ventured onto a dirty piece of track and the KeepAlive lost its power. So I always try to have working headlights on my cars.

The rounded lens of these LEDs look great as a headlight.

1.8mm, 3 volt, warm white LEDs works for this. The lens portion will fit inside the housing while the square portion glued against the inside wall.

Reaming out the housing a bit was required to accommodate the LED.

Perfect fit! Positive leads on top, negative on the bottom. But the square portion of the bulb is still a bulb, which means it will be casting light inside the car. So...

Black paint to block the light from the back of the LEDs, but keeping the lens clear.

Wire Routing. The leads to the LEDs are bent and trimmed so as to aid in routing the wires past the windows and up to the decoder that is mounted on the ceiling.

Illuminated.  I hooked it up to a battery to test it out and voila!

Yes sir!

Voila!

Dandy