Sorry, wanted to make this a new post to keep topic clear in my mind.
Now I have figured out the Spectrum Decapod has a bulb for a headlight. I would be grateful for information either
a) how to get the darn front of the loco off to change it to LED (my preferred solution) Anyone every do this? It seems glued on!
or
b) what kind of bulb do you think it is? I think it is probably a 1.5V or something. (I read of someone who blew one out immediately.) Question: Will the resident light board have a resistor to protect this?
Thanks to all who respond.
I'm pretty sure the Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-0 Decapod uses an LED for the headlight if you're talking about HO scale, which I think is the only Decapod they made.
EDIT: I just looked at one of my Decapods and confirmed that the headlight is in the center of the boiler front -- just grasp it and pull straight out and it should come off. You can then see whether the headlight is an LED or bulb.
You know, Cacole, I figured we must have different models, because you always know what you are talking about. On mine, which as I say, was new in the box and still wrapped, the headlight is just the trim piece with a plastic "light pipe" stuck through the front of the smoke box to the bulb inside. There is definitely a bulb inside, because when I switched leads in that clever test I was reminded of, the bulb lit up either way. I just wish Bachmann tech support would have admitted to this possibility.
Somebody told me the smoke box cover can be pryed off (with some damage in their experience). I'll try working on that slowly.
I suppose I could use a multimeter to test the voltage of the bulb. Still learning to use that meter...maybe I could figure it out that way.
Otherwise I think I will just light it up and see if anything pops when wired through the light board and its resistors. Seems that if a model says DCC ready, the lights should survive.
Cisco,
I think you might be on to something there -- Bachmann has no doubt released different versions of the 2-10-0 Decapod, and they may even be from different factories in China.
Mine are all Bachmann stock number 81705, Frisco with dog house, purchased in 2001. I think the Decapods offered today are a newer version.
I put SoundTraxx decoders into all of mine, which at the time was a special decoder specifically for the Decapod.
Mine did not require any modification for the headlight. The decoder was a plug-in type that replaced the dummy plug in the tender and retained the Bachmann constant-lighting board.
One way to know for sure without removing the front of the boiler or anything else is to connect a battery to the headlight wiring. If the headlight comes on regardless of which wire is connected to the battery positive terminal, the locomotive has a bulb. If the headlight comes on when only one of the wires is connected to the positive terminal, it is an LED.
If you are retaining the Bachmann constant-lighting board inside the tender, it doesn't matter what you have.
cacole wrote: If you are retaining the Bachmann constant-lighting board inside the tender, it doesn't matter what you have.
Really? That is what I wanted to hear, and fits with my thinking. (I tried again to pry off the cover but got pretty near to mutilating the margins in a visible area. I know for sure that it is a bulb) I think that, if the darn thing is supposed to be DCC ready, the decoder should not blow the lights even if no other modifications are made. So do you think I should just hook up the Tsunami and see if the light pops? I wouldn't hesitate if I could actually get at it to replace.
If you don't remove the Bachmann constant lighting board, the resistors for the light bulb are on it and installing a decoder should be a simple matter of plugging it in and running. No modifications to the lights are necessary under these circumstances.