Large Scale Central

Bachmann Heisler Firebox Flicker LEDs

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

I’m looking for a method to flicker the two leds in a Bachmann Heisler firebox. I have removed all of its electronics so as to place a battery (14.8v) and a RailBoss 4 receiver into the tender. The flicker circuit was on the removed Bachmann board unlike, for example, the Shay which is in the firebox and was easy to wire direct to battery voltage.

I haven’t found anything suitable after a bit of wandering the internet so I thought I ask for suggestions here. Thanks for any approaches that you can offer-up.

The best that I have found thus far is using the flicker circuits from battery tea light candles. I am resisting that since I want to use the engine’s battery and not have to add a separate 3v battery and switch. Assuming that I’m calculating correctly (being electronically challenged) I’m guessing that about a 220 ohm/1 watt resistor would cut the voltage appropriately. I’m assuming a .05 current draw (amps) for the two leds (too high?). If true, where would one order such a resistor since Radio Shack is in bankruptcy protection and is usually out of stock at local stores anyway?

Again, thanks for any suggestions.

Mark

p.s. Cross-posted to MLS forum.

#2

Mark,

Check here with search, and also look up Dave Bodnar’s site (www dot trainelectronics dot com), I think he has a circuit.

#3

Bob:

Thanks, I already searched his site during my first internet wander and didn’t find anything that I thought would be applicable.

The search continues.

#4

Mark,

I build a firebox flicker circuit for almost all of my Bachmann locos. I use 14.8 volt on-board batteries. It’s really more of a firebox roaring fire effect than a flicker effect. The circuit also has outputs for classification lamps and a cab light. Here is the link to my article that describes the circuit and shows you how to build it. There is a video that shows what it looks like.

http://www.rhyman.org/articles/auxiliary-lighting-circuit

#5

Bob:

Thanks for your response and the video is quite impressive and realistic effect. I think that is far more complex than I probably need or would be willing to attempt.

I received the following from Del Tapparo of G-Scale Graphics in his reply to an email that I sent to him directly.

The proper way to do it would be to use a 3V regulator chip, which in theory also requires a couple of capacitors for stabilization, but you could get away with none. http://www.digikey.com/product-detai…4-1-ND/3505909

If you want to try hacking in a resistor (trial and error), I would try 300 ohms, 1W.

Assuming that no one offers up a different method of providing the flicker I’ll probably order both the regulator chip and an assortment of resistors and “hack” away with some tea light chips as Del suggests.

Thanks again.

p.s. this editor is surely not wysiwyg!

#6

There are a lot of electronic component resellers tht sell blinking LEDs in red and yellow. Wire 2 each of these together with an orange LED and place a large ie 1.5K resister in line and an off and on switch and you can have a flickering fire. I have not used it in an engine but it made a realistic campfire. Gregg E. had an alternative to the resistor but I don’t remember what it was. Perhaps he could chime in on what he used for controlling current to the LEDs.

#7

I used these in a Shay after I gutted the electronics:

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/flickering-fire-kit.html

I ordered the 9v-powered ones by accident, so I put two of them in series since I was using a 14-volt battery. That actually turned out to be the bettery way to go, as the “flicker” from just one set was a little slow to be convincing for a firebox. Two in series gave a faster flicker.

Later,

K