The papere included says to just plug and play but you have to change out the bulbs. The bulbs have quike connects so removing is no issue I am asuming.
It's easy enough to put LEDs in - they both sit on top of the frame, not up in the cab or anything. 3mm round should work, and a 1K resistor for each one. Wire to the 8 pin socket and then plug in a decoder. You do have to run a new orange wire to the bottom motor terminal and isolate the motor from the frame with a piece of tape.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrebell,
If you don't want lighting with your locomotives why not just completely disconnect the light wire from the bulb, LED, or decoder and be done with it? Then there's no chance of blowing an output on the decoder board.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
A Proto 2000 S1.
Knowing what type of engine and what type of decoder the OP is asking about would help.
This is one of those "it depends" sort of things. Mainly it depends on "do you feel lucky, punk?" Sometimes when the bulb or LED blows, the burst of high current is enough to damage the output on the deocder, other times, it does not, and simply replacing the blown light with the proper one (and/or adding a proper resistor this time, if required) and all is fine.
Most decoders that have more than 2 functions have at least some remapping available, so unless you need the extra functions for something, if you've blown out the white wire output for the headlight, you can use one of the other available functions and program the decoder so that F0 operates that output. So if you have spare functions available, blowing one doesn't necessarily mean having to replace the decoder. But if it's a new decoder under warranty, and it's one fo the brands with the no goof type of warranty where they will replace the decoder even if it was your fault it got damaged, then you might as well get it replaced.
Your question is very vague, but I'm guessing you're asking something like 'if my engine uses LEDs, and I install a decoder but no resistors and the decoder causes the LEDs to burn out, can I still run the engine?' If so, the answer is yes.
Of course, if you never hit the F0 function button to turn the lights on, the LEDs won't burn out. Also note many decoders have the ability to have the light voltage output adjusted with a CV, and that if you're plugging the decoder into a receptacle in the light board, the light board probably already has resistors built in.
Reason I ask is I don't care about the lights at all.