Here is a question for the forum:
What type of lighting do you like on crossing signals or block signals, "old-fashioned" lightbulbs or the "LED"?
IMHO, LED is better.
How about you?
LED's. They don't get hot or burn out unless you do something dumb, or you don't understand them at all.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
The new super-bright LEDs used on modern signals are just as bright as incandescent bulbs, use a lot less current, and will last much longer.
ndbprr wrote:If I were a signal maintainer I would say bulbs looking for job security. If I were the railroad I would say LEDs becasue they require far less maintenance and last longer.
Even with LEDs,something can still go wrong with the signals.Aren't you forgetting that broken crossing gates have to be replaced and knocked over signals have to be replaced?As long as people drive through crossing gates,crossing accidents knock down signals,crossings upgraded to signals and/or gates,malfunctioning signals and/or signal failure,& new crossings are put in place,you still have job security.Sometimes crossing gates won't come up also.And you still have old signals that have bulbs burning out also.Some crossing signals are sometimes 50 years old,according to one railroad whom I've talked with when I reported crossing signal malfunction and the agent told me a 20 year old signal is still new to the railroad.
There is one disadvantage to using LEDs in northern climates. In winter a warm bulb will melt snow that collects on or in front of the signal lens so it can still be seen.
Think how many calls a signal maintainer will get when the train crew cant' see the signal indication due to a build-up of snow.
I just presened a science fair project to my 8th grade class in February called LED'S vs. Light Bulbs (I got an excellent on the project). But from my results LED's proved to be more eficient in the subjects of:
- Low current draw
- Little heat generated after long term use
- Long life (if used correctly)
Although they are efficient you frequently need to use a resistor or two to get the correct voltage (be careful with this, I wasted at least 10 LED's making mistakes in my project)!