[jetmech]

Hi all, my name is Ed. I go by the user name of Jetmech. I just recently got back into O gauge because it agrees with my eyesight more than the N scale I've into for years. I hope my how to hasn't been discussed here before. I just don't have time to go through them all. I purchased a AA set of Williams FA-1 locomotives and probably like some others here have been impressed with the level of detail and running qualities considering the small amount of money spent. They don't have the neat sounds and speed control of an MTH but there is a lot to like. One thing I just couldn't live with is the weak headlight and I had to do something about it. After removing the shells from the two units, I found 12v lamps. At the low track voltages required to keep these units under scale speeds of 100mph, the lamp was just barley lit. I went to Radio Shack and picked up a 2 pack ($1.79) of 6.3v lamps PN# 272-1110. I also made new mounts that extend the lamps forward into the hood area and position them next to the headlight lens. I now have bright headlights. A bonus is the little red marker lights at the front of the number boards are nice and bright as well. I don't know how long the lamps will last at the 8-10 volts track voltage they are being operated at, but I think they will last long enough and they are easy to replace. I have a couple of hours on them and am very happy with my new bright headlights. The downside is the brighter lights illuminate unwanted areas of the bodies, so I will try to find a way to block the light and keep it in the hood area. All comments are wellcome. Ed

 

[Boston&Maine]

Welcome to the forum! It looks like you did a great job on that headlight; thanks for sharing the how-to...

 

[T-Man]

it's bright. If you are happy with the beacon, try some foil around the bulb sides. You only want to light the forward section. Keep in mind the amperage of the bulb. By going to a lower one has the same effect as a lower voltage. That is why some prefer an LED it uses a lot less power. You could try a 330 0r 270 ohm resistor to extend the bulb life and equal out the voltages. Or try a bridge rectifier. If you play with resistance you may find a less brightness you will be happy with.
By all means show more if you like the Williams. I would like to know more.
I have been researching Radio Shack 14 volt bulbs for accessories. The 6 volt bukb 272-1115 draws 150 mille amps. I don't have the 1110 .You could even paint the bulb sides black.In comparison the LED uses about 2o mille amps .


I took a second look using 12 volts DC and .15 amps I came with 40 ohms. So a 47 ohm resistor would be OK The 10 volts was 26 ohms. I am assming you have DC motors.

BTW Welcome to the Forum.

 

[jetmech]

Thanks for the replies. I tried your foil trick, T-Man and it worked great. No more illuminated interiors. I really like the FA-1 locomotive. it just looks better than the garden variety EMD F units.That's just my opinion of course. I am not familiar with the FA offerings from anyone else except for Lionel and the Williams seem to have much better detailing. I am considering more mods for these for the future such as sound, speed control, directional lighting, etc. I am afraid that mods such as these might turn a simple locomotive into a techno-headache. The horn and bell as it is now isn't that bad. Here's anothe pic of the Williams FA-1 along side a set of MTH F-3's. The Warbonnet looks awesome on these. I would like to see some FA models with other colors if someone has some. Ed

 

[jetmech]

T-Man, I forgot to address the lamps I used. The amp rating is the same as the ones you have. 150ma. I agree that LED's are probably the best choice and will look closer at using some. The motors are can type with small flywheels atop, so I think they are DC. I am also going to investigate rewiring the motors in series. I have read that doing so will slow the speed down somewhat and make them more controlable. Ed