I need a new light bulb!

[PennRailRoads]

Hey guys,

My mini light bulb on my Rivarossi Big Boy just burned out when it was on its run in (break in) period. I need to know how much those little bulbs cost.


Thanks!

 

[jon-monon]

I would hope it to be free from where ever you bought the engine, if it's new. My River is old as dirt, but it just has a common bulb I could get at the LHS for 2 or 3 schmackers.

 

[Vic]

Hi Penn, Since the loco is new I sorta wonder if the bulb is acutally burned out or if just the connection has come loose? Check for that. If it is burned out any mini 12V bulb that will fit in its place will work. Shouldn't be more that a buck or two.

 

[PennRailRoads]

Thanks for the help guys! Vic I checked the connection and its seems that the bottom of the bulb was a bit dirty. All I did was rub it against my pants, put it back in and the SOB worked.

Would a brighter bulb be more better? That one just don't cut it!


Again thanks for the help!

 

[Vic]

Hi Penn, Glad it works now. Agreed...those lights never were the best. What's gonna be the best thing to do is go to constant lighting with a 1.5 V bulb. They are plenty bright and with the constant lighting it will be full bright when ever there's at least 1.5V to the track. Here's a site for circuits you can build yourself or you can buy a constant lighting unit for the loco.

http://www.mrollins.com/circuit.html

 

[PennRailRoads]

Thanks Vic! I'll look at the site right now and add it to my favorites.

 

[jon-monon]

I thought I should try Penns fix as a preventative measure. So I began rubbing my bulb on my pants. It seemed to be working, so I went faster and faster. I never knew the hobby could be this exciting. OH BOY! WHO's YER DADDY? Damn. Bulb broke. What a mess.

 

[Vic]

Hi Jon, I thought everyone new that trick I haven't bought any light bulbs, even for the house in 30 to 40 years much less for the model railroad. In fact I rejuvinated the picture tube in my TV set simply by rubbing it with an old pair of sneakers!!!

BTW.....KIDS... DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!!!

 

[PennRailRoads]

Jon,

As for me it wasn't that exciting! But if you don't have a rag (hehehe) to make the bottom of the bulb shine then proceed to use your pants.

 

[jon-monon]

After I get the bulb all polished up how I like it, it just shrivels down to nothing.

 

[PennRailRoads]

<chuckles>

Jon, my man, you're on a 1 track mind! Just say it like Jim Carrey does in "Liar Liar" .........fat guy: "Hey Fletcher hows it hanging?"....."Short, shriveled and always to the left."

 

[eeyore65]

You guys are a trip.LOMA
I put together one of those 4 diode (1N4001) constant lighting circuits and used a 1.5v "wheat" bulb from radio shack and it's not at full brightness , sort of a nice constant orange glow.
Looks kinda neat but not like a headlight.
Then i tried a bulb for a single cell AAA Mini Mag flashlight and nothing , no light at all. I had a voltage drop on the diodes , maybe the bulb draws too much current.
Should i build a voltage regulator circuit (LM317T) or just buy the complete circuit ?

 

[Vic]

Hi Eeyore and welcome aboard The~Gauge.

Here's a link to a circuit that I've been using for for headlights years. Nothing but a shorted out bridge rectifier. I use MiniTronics 1.5 volt mini bulbs and get full brightness with them.

The way to tell + and - on a rectifier of this type is that the longest lead is + and the lead opposite it is - . You may already know that but just put it in just in case.

http://www.mrollins.com/constant2.html

With your 4 diode circuit try reversing the polarity and see if you get full bright. OR...Heaven Forbid!!! You may have a mispackaged bulb (not 1.5V) from Radio Shack...I've seen that happen. Be sure that when you test your lighting circuit that you wire it through the loco's motor. The motor has to act as a resistance ballast for the circuit.

 

[eeyore65]

Thanks vic , i'll try that.
I guess i can get the right bulbs from my LHS.