Large Scale Central

Marker Lights

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

Over on one of those other forums, I found some neat replacements for the jewels used in marker lights.

You can get these from Mouser Electronics for under 30 cents each. = http://www.mouser.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=CLB300RTPvirtualkey59300000virtualkey593-3000R - you’ll probably spend more in postage than on the product. They come in red, green, yellow, amber, blue, and clear. http://www.mouser.com/search/Refine.aspx?Ne=1447464+254016&Ntt=clb300&Ntx=mode%2bmatchall&Mkw=clb300&N=1323038&Ntk=Mouser_Wildcards Check out the data sheet and you can see it’s a lens with a tube attached - I just used my razor saw to cut off the lens part and glued them in place. In this case, I’m using them with 1.5volt lights - and they look a whole lot better than those old jewels.

#2

Those look great Bruce. Thanks for the tip.

#3

Wow, those really do look much more realistic than the jewels. Thanks for the tip!

#4

Quick question: Red goes to the rear, obviously, and I see you have green facing out from the side. So what color faces forwards?

#5

The jewels used in the marker lights are available at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc. from the jewelry parts and very cheap. Scrape off the reflective backs just like the original kits. Cheap.

Barry - BBT

#6

green, see this:

#7

drat! wrong scan…

#8

A couple weeks ago I ordered some of those LED covers to use as lenses in my marker lamps. They look great! – thanks for the tip!

Anyway, today I get Mouser’s catalog in the mail… Holy cow! It’s bigger than our phone book! It must have cost them more than my entire order just to ship it.

#9

I got one of those giant catalogs as well. I sure don’t recall asking for one. Like you, I had a small order, even tiny! Very strange.

#10

Bruce and Ray,

Did you order the 5mm or the T1 3/4? Which Mouser number did you order? I want to put them into Trackside Details Caboose marker lamps.
Thanks for the help and the link.

#11

Gary,
In the confirmation, they show as:
593-3000R T1 3/4 FRES LENS RED
593-3000G T1 3/4 FRES LENS GRN

But, they are listed as 5mm in that link. I’m not sure what the 3/4 refers to in the confirmation.

I forget where I got my marker lights from.

That’s confusing.

#12

I’m using Ozark Miniatures marker lamps, and the 5mm lenses.

The lenses are part of a cylindrical LED cover. They are also too big to fit into the lamps, so I came up with a fairly easy method to cut them off while trimming them to fit.

I put the lens cover on the end of a wooden dowel (3/16", I think) and secured it with tape. I then held it at an angle against the side of a large cutting wheel on my Dremel, while rotating the dowel. This cuts the lens off and also trims it down very close to the correct size. Any slight adjustment needed can be done with an emory board.

#13

Bruce and Ray,

Thanks for the info,

#14
Bruce Chandler said:
Gary, In the confirmation, they show as: 593-3000R T1 3/4 FRES LENS RED 593-3000G T1 3/4 FRES LENS GRN

But, they are listed as 5mm in that link. I’m not sure what the 3/4 refers to in the confirmation.


“T-1-3/4” is the specification that describes the diameter of a miniature bulb. The glass on T-1-3/4 bulbs is nominally 0.23" (5.8mm) in diameter. For each size bulb, there are numerous base styles that must also be specified. The total length of a bulb varies by base style.

Here is a link to a full page of bulb size specifications along with lots of choices of base styles:

http://www.farnsworthelectronics.com/miniaturelightbulbs.htm

Near the top of that miniature bulb page is a link to the same information on LEDs.

Happy RRing,

Jerry