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Incandescent lights for Marklin layouts instead of LED
Joined: 13/06/2010(UTC) Posts: 19 Location: Washington DC
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I find the new LED lights (lampposts, spotlights and interior lighting) for Marklin layouts from Europe to be far less satisfactory than the older incandescent items. I assume the incandescents were phased out due to EU regulations (like the old plugs), but the LED are much whiter, harsher, and less warm. Is there any source that still sells warm incandescent lighting for train layouts with 16volt AC? (I did read that a grey market has grown up in some EEA countries for regular incandescent bulbs.)
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 3 users liked this useful post by dwptravel
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Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,556 Location: Paris, France
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Hi David The normal bulbs for miniature trains are not phased out here in the EU. You may find plenty of E5.5 small screw bulb and MS4 (very much used in Märklin 800 series. Often we replace them with good quality LEDs (I do) and you may pick the color cold white or warm white Good quality LEDs. To me they must: - include a double alternance rectifier and a resistor - have the LED firmly sealed to the socket (and not simply connected by the wires) What are the advantages of LEDs? - the current needed is much smaller - the life is waaaaay longer (on my older layout, lamps in the switch lanterns were burning all the time, etc) - with the same power (transformer or digital central unit) you may connect much many more lamps What is phased out in the EU - regular transformers must be replaced with switching power unit (better efficiency) - household lamps now replaced with LED lamps and even neon lamps are phased out (poor reliability and poor efficiency) All this is a matter of personal choice and on my layout, I removed ALL lamps for all these reasons Here is how my layout looks like with LEDs Cheers Jean Edited by user 15 February 2023 13:28:34(UTC)
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 1 user liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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LEDs do not have to be 7000k colour temperature. They are just plain ugly. Something around 2800 - 3200k colour temperature looks better. Also has better CRI (colour rendering index).
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 1 user liked this useful post by Toosmall
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Joined: 04/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 480 Location: USA
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Like others, I suggest you buy warm white or similar LED (with rectifier), instead of pricey old replacement bulbs. LEDs come in all colors too. If you power LED lights from digital source than some give problems when they do not have a rectifier (- becomes + in decoders like M/K 83/84, for reasons I still do not understand). I must admit that I bought a stash of old incandescents for my signals, as I could not find suitable LED replacements for Marklin size bulbs. Ben |
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 1 user liked this useful post by BenP
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,886 Location: Michigan, Troy
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I just installed some white led strips in 2 rail dc cars. 9 leds per strip. They were too bright, but just right with one resisitor compared to my Marklin trains. Adding a second would dim them more so. This is at 50% power on the dc analog speed knob. They only work in one direction of course, as leds are not polarity reactive as they are resistiors themselves and current only flows in one direction.
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Joined: 04/08/2015(UTC) Posts: 74 Location: Stockholms Lan, Stockholm
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Originally Posted by: JohnjeanB  Hi David The normal bulbs for miniature trains are not phased out here in the EU. You may find plenty of E5.5 small screw bulb and MS4 (very much used in Märklin 800 series. Often we replace them with good quality LEDs (I do) and you may pick the color cold white or warm white Good quality LEDs. To me they must: - include a double alternance rectifier - have the LED firmly sealed to the socket (and not simply connected by the wires) What are the advantages of LEDs? - the current needed is much smaller - the life is waaaaay longer (on my older layout, lamps in the switch lanterns were burning all the time, etc) - with the same power (transformer or digital central unit) you may connect much many more lamps What is phased out in the EU - regular transformers must be replaced with switching power unit (better efficiency) - household lamps now replaced with LED lamps and even neon lamps are phased out (poor reliability and poor efficiency) All this is a matter of personal choice and on my layout, I removed ALL lamps for all these reasons Here is how my layout looks like with LEDs Cheers Jean Marklin transformers are still being made and sold under caralogue number 66471 https://www.maerklin.de/...ts/details/article/66471They are not regulated by EU. I have yet se a switching power unit abe to run Märklin analogue trains. I use old style bulbs for nostalgic reasons. Regards Henrik Schütz
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 1 user liked this useful post by Henrik Schütz
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,443 Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: Henrik Schütz  They are regulated, that's why the 66471 now has a power switch. IANAL but AIUI Märklin might have difficulties to sell analogue starter sets with such a transformer, even though they can still sell transformers standalone. Originally Posted by: dwptravel  I assume the incandescents were phased out due to EU regulations (like the old plugs) [...] The old plugs are still available. Märklin decided to phase them out. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
 2 users liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 26/03/2019(UTC) Posts: 751 Location: Florida Classic but Successful Swampland City
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Quote:Henrik Schütz wrote: "I use old style bulbs for nostalgic reasons." Same here  ...Analogue also Although I do recognise and accept that LED are longer-life by far. I find that the necessity of perhaps needing to add resistors to a circuit a very daunting task (if they are needed they should come already installed in my personal opinion). As a very personal opinion, I find LED (sorry) annoyingly bright at any level. I think that this may have been discussed before, but I am pretty sure that steam loks did not have LED...he said innocently... Anyway, Rule #1.  |
Jimmy T Analogue; M-track; KLVM; DDR; Primex; Sarrasani Zirkuswelt There is a Prototype For Everything |
 2 users liked this useful post by Jimmy Thompson
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,886 Location: Michigan, Troy
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jimmy, some led's do have resitors already on them. Woodland Scenics just plug do, and the Viessmann crossing flashers for example. Addimg them isn't hard, once to do a couple. A decent soldering iron, tweezers, or forceps to hold them and or wires, thin wire sooder, and flux. Then if they might contact a metal surface after instal that might cause a short, you can add some shrink tube to the solder points. Just get it at Home Depot, Lowes, or a hardware store. It comes in various diameters. You can use a heat gun, the wide part of the solderin iron, or a small butane torch to heat and shrink it. Just cut a piece to size and put it on one side of the wire or resistor before soldering. I bought these from Amazon, and thgey work great; E-project 2.2 ohm 1/2 watt. 10 count for less than $10. Item X0018CR6YX.
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 2 users liked this useful post by marklinist5999
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Joined: 26/03/2019(UTC) Posts: 751 Location: Florida Classic but Successful Swampland City
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Thank you marklinist! I was not aware of that! Learn something new every day right here  Wow! Cheers! |
Jimmy T Analogue; M-track; KLVM; DDR; Primex; Sarrasani Zirkuswelt There is a Prototype For Everything |
 1 user liked this useful post by Jimmy Thompson
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Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
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Adding a resistor will cut down on the brightness.
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 1 user liked this useful post by Mr. Ron
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 15,443 Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: Jimmy Thompson  I think that this may have been discussed before, but I am pretty sure that steam loks did not have LED...he said innocently... Early steam locos didn't have light bulbs either. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
 2 users liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 13/06/2010(UTC) Posts: 19 Location: Washington DC
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I have found some Veissmann LED lights evidently meant to resemble the older prototype lights, like 6300, described as “warmweiss”. Similar color to old incandescent, though pretty bright.
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 1 user liked this useful post by dwptravel
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Joined: 26/07/2021(UTC) Posts: 635 Location: Sydney
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Originally Posted by: H0  Originally Posted by: Jimmy Thompson  I think that this may have been discussed before, but I am pretty sure that steam loks did not have LED...he said innocently... Early steam locos didn't have light bulbs either. A bit like modern cars today, just this evening I counted 5 cars with 1 headlight, about the same number with less than 3 brake lights. Others with 1 rear light. Some with no number plate light. It's not in general all the same cars over each of the nights. I really wonder if cars are actually been checked for registration each year.
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,467 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,452 Location: Scotland
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A decent modern car will give a warning if a light fails. LEDs tend to last a long time and rarely fail. For model rail they are great for taking little power from the transformer and they do come in white and warm white with some in a yellow type of white. Did the old steamers have lights with some type of candle behind the lens. At my age Probably saw them. Lol. |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
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Incandescent lights for Marklin layouts instead of LED
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