WARNING Life-like Berkshire DCC headlight!!

[gmpullman]

I've been having great fun with my recent DCC decoder installs. DCC really brings out exceptional locomotive performance and I really like the constant brightness headlights.
My latest addition to my layout is the beautiful Heritage 2-8-4 Berkshire... don't she run sweet, though!
When replacing the headlamp with a 12 V GOW you notice that it protrudes through the smokebox door and actually into the headlight housing.
I thought this was great since I have other engines where the lamp is buried deep inside and lucite or acrylic tubing refracts the light out the front and that doesn't look as nice as actually seeing the bulb. So it is on the Berk!
HOWEVER after about 10 minutes into my trial run... horrors!!! The beautiful headlight and numberboards are a melted, distorted blob! The heat from the lamp melted the thin section headlight and ruined it!
Beware, these DCC conversions are great but I learned the hard way that constant intensity 12V lamps get HOT!
I hope I get lucky with a replacement from L-L, I've never dealt with theit "customer service" department yet!
Looks like the headlight will have to be an LED or go back to the 1.5V bulb with a resistor!!!
Ed

[tstage]

Ed,

Sorry to hear about the mishap. Hopefully LL will be able to do something about it. I guess you could always just replace the shell. (Although, come to think of it. I can't remember: Is it Bachmann or LL who WON'T sell you replacement shells for their locomotives?)

Ed, definitely go with the LED's. I replaced headlights in both my S1 switcher and 2-8-2 Mike. They look fabulous and REALLY put out some light. You'll probably have to add a 1K resistor in series to keep the LED from going "poof". Better your LED than your numberboard or headlight.

Tom