My Paragon C&O 2-10-4 headlamp is out.
1. How do I remove it? I popped off the front and the # board bulbs are still lit. I am not sure how to proceed.
2. What voltage goes through these lamps? I would like to test it when I get it out.
3. Can replacments be bought at the local train stores or should I order it from BLI directly?
4. Could it be something other than the bulb that is the problem?
As always, thanks.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
SHould be an LED. Size and color may make it not readily available in a local store, but you should eb able to get them from an electronics supplier if not BLI directly. The manual should have an exploded view, to see where it is exactly located, if it's not right there behind the headlight housing, it probably is deeper in the boiler with a light pipe.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Brent, I have that exact loco, #3001, one of my very favorite steamers. It is an LED, so I am surprised that it is out.
I will be anxious to find out what the problem might be.
Rich
Alton Junction
I have a BLI 4-6-2, less than a year old, same problem. Hoping someone can come up with some thoughts. The parts breakdown for this one doesn't seem to show the bulb.
Good luck,
Richard
Batman...
Before prying anything out of the boiler I would want to try a decoder reset first, then check that troublesome tender to engine plug, being sure it is fully engaged by pushing it with a blunt object (bamboo skewers with the point sanded down a little work well).
When you press F0 does the dynamo ramp up like it should?
Hope this helps, Ed
gmpullman Batman... Before prying anything out of the boiler I would want to try a decoder reset first, then check that troublesome tender to engine plug, being sure it is fully engaged by pushing it with a blunt object (bamboo skewers with the point sanded down a little work well). When you press F0 does the dynamo ramp up like it should? Hope this helps, Ed
Ed, that is a good point. Since the decoder is in the tender, with the tender shell off, the LED could be tested on a 9 volt battery. Just be sure that there is a resistor on the wire between the LED and the battery.
A little update is in order. I have been E-mailing back and fourth with BLI over the holidays and they are going to send me a new LED board to try. Hopefully that will fix it, and hopefully it's not a complicated install.
The # boards still light and the dynamo ramps up and the plug is tight. So onward and upward.
Brent, thanks for the update and be sure to keep us posted on this project.
Well I got the new lightboard and had it swapped out in less than five minutes and I now have a working headlamp again. The old board looks like it has some dicey looking solder joints. I will keep it and try and repair it.
BLI gets two thumbs up from me. A little chit chat back and forth, they send me the part and tell me how to install it and all is well with the universe once again.
Brent, that is great news. Congrats.
Brent.
Glad that you can look ahead again. I have the sister loco in Blueline version PRR J1b. At first the pink looking headlight bothered me so much I shopped it and pulled the LED board out and replaced the LED with a golden white. Looked a heck of a lot better. Some time later the headlight quit. I shopped it again and checked out the LED board and it checked out fine. I put it back together and it lit up like it should. As it turns out the BLI yahoo forum gave me the answer why it works now. The board is sandwiched between the frame and the contact strip. When the front screw of the boiler works loose it losses contact. Tighting the screw will get it lit again. I ended up doing one better and soldering wires to it instead of the lousy contacts.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
My board was held in with two screws and they were a real bear to loosen, I'll tell ya. There were two set of wires with plugs that plugged into the light board. It sounds like the two are of a different design.
Now I need to figure out how to go about changing the ugly bright green light in my BS 4-4-0. Now that is an ugly light, or maybe I am just colour blind.
Small point. Voltage is "applied" to the LED via the resistor. Current "flows" though the LED. Probably around 15 ma. Most LED's are 20 ma max. With maybe three LED's in series for 12 volts, voltage is not a concern. They will all work the same with the same current.
LED's are current operated devices.
Light bulbs are voltage operated devices.
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Green? Pink? Hmm. I've seen the white LEDs that have a bluish tint to them, Bachmann used these on many locos, including the E33 electrics. I've seen out and out YELLOW LEDs used, some Stewart locos had these. But ones the look green, or pink? Perhaps a touch of colorblindness does come into it.
The bluish ones you can fix with some orange Tamiya paint, or a marker. Although that will make the LED look orange when off, if it is directly visible (ie, not behind a light pipe).
Forgot to mention, about four years ago I bought a BLI F7 from BLI. It was only DC, no lights or decoder. Made my own LED board with three LED's in series. Two light boards and one headlight. Used one resistor. I think I used a 750 ohm resistor wgich allows about 15 ma of current.
One LED and resistor for cab lighting when the loco is stopped and the other three lights are off. Operates just like my factory made BLI, F3.
Used Tsunami lightboard decoders and 28mm speakers.
3 white LEDs in series and assuming about 14V get to them, with a 750 ohm resistor is about 5ma. Single LED, or if they are in parallel, 750 ohms results in about 14ma.
14 - (3 x 3.5) = 3.5, 3.5/750 = .0046 amps
14 - 3.5 = 10.5, 10.5/750 = .014 amps
Brent,
Since my loco was still under warrenty and I am not much on digging inside my locos, especially my fanciest one, I chose to accept their offer to return it for them to service. Glad you were able to get yours back in service.
Very quick response to my emails and now I am preparing to return it for the needed service.
May have paid a little more than I usually do, but great service makes it worth it.
Have fun,
rrinkerI've seen out and out YELLOW LEDs used, some Stewart locos had these. But ones the look green, or pink? Perhaps a touch of colorblindness does come into it.
No Randy they were pink. I am not the only one to notice it too. As a matter of fact the Blueline series of M1b and my T1 also has the pink tint. The M1b is a lttle less pink but the T1 and J1 were horribly bright almost a neon pink. For some odd reason the reverse LEDs in the tenders are sunny white and much better than the headlights. I have also done a few changovers for club members Blueline locos too. It is no wonder that the Bluelines were so inexpensive. Clearly there were several suppliers of parts for them. Defective chuff reed sensors in some and others with gear issues. Then the dual decoder system that confused so many that they had to drop the line and developed their own decoders.
I might not hear very well and the CRS is creeping in but my eyes are as good as years gone bye. Every 2 years I get the DOT physical with the eye charts, periferal vision and color blindness tests. 20/25 every time and full color spectrum to almost 180 degrees.
Glad I never bought a Blueline loco then. Sheesh. Was the LED itself pinkish, or only when viewed through the light pipe/lens?
We started with a Paragon, and now we are talking Blueline. How did we get there.
I have some Bluelines with LED headlights and they are white, not pink.
Some of the first run of Rapido F units came with a very noticable green white LED. It was especially noticeable on the units with two front lights if they weren't matched - one was green and one was white.
Reminds me of those bulk packs of white LEDs you get on ebay. I have an entire rainbow of whites - pure white / pink white / green white / blue white / actually warm white all in one package of 100 ! .... but what do you expect for $6.00 and free shipping from China ? ;)
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Well I passed my pilots medical and passed the colour test OK, and never had a problem with night landings. That being said, the light on this Loco appears a bright green to me on the layout, yet shows up as yellow in this photo. At least to me it does.
Richard, I would have probably let them fix it also if it was still under warranty. I have had mine a few years now though.
Randy.
It was through the headlight and alone the LED was clear in color and reddish when lit.
Rich.
I thought the only differences between the Paragon and Blueline was the decoder used. It turns out there are many subtle differences.
I have both Paragons and Bluelines, but I am not sure that I can summarize the differences, if any, in the detailing, the motor and/or the drive assembly.
The big difference is that Paragon has a factory installed sound decoder whereas the Blueline has a factory installed sound (and lights) decoder, but it is up to the purchaser to install the motor decoder, making the Blueline a two decoder loco for DCC purposes.
That photo looks mostly yellow but trending to green a little. Of course with a camera you cna make it any shade you like just by messing with the white balance. And if the camera has auto white balance, it might correct for the LED shining on it instead of to the room lighting which is how your eye is judging it.
I guess variation is to be expected, especially in cheap Chinese LEDs - 'white' is actually a UV LED and phosphers, so an inconsistent phosphor layer will I'm sure lead to inconsistent light spectrum output.