Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Are Walthers Lighting kits any good?

1579 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Chamberlain, ME
  • 5,084 posts
Posted by G Paine on Saturday, January 9, 2010 8:13 PM

I have been using the Miniatronics light kits in the last couple of passenger cars I have done. They have one with yeloglo LEDs for heavyweights with incandescent lights and a more blueish LED for lightweights with floroescent lights. They are bright and the last one I bought included 3 resistors of different values to dim the lights if they are too bright.

This is my lightweight coach with the "fluroscent" lights (the interior is blue, so the light effect may be more blue that with other interior colors)

and the lightweight and heavyweight coach together

They are stocked by Walthers; here is a list
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=&manu=miniatronics&item=&keywords=interior&words=restrict&instock=Q&split=300&Submit=Search

George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Saturday, January 9, 2010 10:22 AM

 Did you search these forums before posing your question?  The Walthers passenger car lighting kits have been cussed and discussed on these forums several times over the past year.

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/search/SearchResults.aspx?q=Walthers+passenger+car+lighting+kits+AND+sectionid%3a88&o=Relevance 

  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: high desert so cal
  • 997 posts
Posted by BIG JERR on Saturday, January 9, 2010 1:28 AM

rjake4454

Thanks Tom, do you know why the DCC versions are not as bright as the DC ones?

 

Im guessing the dcc bulbs are higher voltage say 18 volt ,and the dc are 12 volt or maybe 5volt with a regulator circuit built in for consistent light....again just guessing...Jerry
  • Member since
    March 2009
  • 802 posts
Posted by rjake4454 on Saturday, January 9, 2010 12:54 AM

Thanks Tom, do you know why the DCC versions are not as bright as the DC ones?

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Carmichael, CA
  • 8,055 posts
Posted by twhite on Friday, January 8, 2010 9:22 PM

rjake: 

My Walther's Rio Grande passenger cars are lit with their DC lighting kits, and they have a nice, fairly bright orange glow to them (not enough to blind my Prieser passengers, LOL!). 

However, like most track-dependent lighting kits, their constancy depends on clean track and clean wheels.  If I haven't cleaned my track in a while, I get a flicker. 

No photos or videos, but as long as I keep my track clean (which I'm pretty good at), my "Royal Gorge" and "Prospector" do the trick pretty well.  They're not hard to install, as the Walthers cars have ready-made slits for the lighting tabs.  But you do have to do some minor adujstments to get the roof to lie flat once you've got them installed. 

Tom

  • Member since
    August 2008
  • From: Southeast Kansas
  • 1,329 posts
Posted by wholeman on Friday, January 8, 2010 9:03 PM

The Walthers single level lighting kits use incandescent bulbs.  I say single level because they also make the ones that fit in their Superliners which I have.  The Superliner light kits use white LEDs and only light the top floor.

You may want to check out Minatronics light kits.  They have a capacitor that remain on for 4 minutes after the power is killed to the track.

Will

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Columbia, Pa.
  • 1,592 posts
Posted by Grampys Trains on Friday, January 8, 2010 8:35 PM

 The brighter coach has Walther's DC lights, the other two have DCC lights. I had to do some cutting to make the DC one fit. DJ.

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2009
  • 802 posts
Are Walthers Lighting kits any good?
Posted by rjake4454 on Friday, January 8, 2010 8:05 PM

I'm a little disappointed with Rapido's, they are a little too dim for my tastes, and kinda greenish. I'm also not crazy about the wand thingamajig. Battery powered lights? Why not track powered like everything else? And why are these cars so expensive, $60 for one sleeper?

I was looking for something brighter with more of a yelow/orangish lightbulb looking glow, obviously not too bright as to blind the imaginary passengers, but still enough that it catches your eye. Will Walthers kits do the trick and are they easy to install?

If anybody has any pics or videos of some cars lit with these kits, that would be great.

 

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!