Head light wire
- Chris Hollands
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:38 am
- Location: Vancouver ,Canada
Head light wire
What wire are people using to power there headlight on your engine .
I have the standard Superscale 12V front headlight .
Note - the wire will have to be a quite high temp rating as the wire /handrail conduit in places is very close to the smokebox surface .
Also has any one done a LED replacement for the standard bulbs .
I have the standard Superscale 12V front headlight .
Note - the wire will have to be a quite high temp rating as the wire /handrail conduit in places is very close to the smokebox surface .
Also has any one done a LED replacement for the standard bulbs .
- Bill Shields
- Posts: 10590
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
- Location: 39.367, -75.765
- Contact:
Re: Head light wire
I would use asbestos insulation, but since that is no longer available .. you can use thermocouple wire. .you do not care about the wire, but the insulation is very hi temp.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
- Gary Armitstead
- Posts: 279
- Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:35 am
- Location: Burbank, CA
Re: Head light wire
I used ordinary teflon (high temp) wire for my ten-wheeler headlight.
Gary Armitstead
Burbank, CA
Member LALS since 1980
Member Goleta Valley Railroad Club 1980-1993
Burbank, CA
Member LALS since 1980
Member Goleta Valley Railroad Club 1980-1993
- Charles T. McCullough
- Posts: 404
- Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 2:25 pm
Re: Head light wire
Teflon insulated wire should do.
Re: Head light wire
I use Teflon or Polyolefin.
Karl
Karl
- Chris Hollands
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:38 am
- Location: Vancouver ,Canada
Re: Head light wire
Thanks for the advise - is there a preferred gauge the thinner the better I did see 24G but I think that might be on the small size maybe 20G is good .
- Greg_Lewis
- Posts: 3021
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
- Location: Fresno, CA
Re: Head light wire
Here’s what I’m doing:
My headlights use a 12 volt, 20 watt halogen peanut bulb (I don’t care for the look of LEDs. Even those that are warm color just don’t look right to me.)
I’m running 22 gauge wire inside 1/8 brass tube attached to the boiler handrails to simulate the conduit of my prototype. A larger size would fit inside the tubing. The closest it will get to the boiler jacket is about 3/16 inch. I don’t know what the wire insulation is but if it gets hot enough to melt then I’ve got a problem more serious than the headlight wiring.
The total run is about 4 feet. Checking with the calculator linked to below, the voltage drop would be .2 volt and the wire resistance would be .12 ohms. I think that’s negligible.
https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/wire/v ... lator.html
My headlights use a 12 volt, 20 watt halogen peanut bulb (I don’t care for the look of LEDs. Even those that are warm color just don’t look right to me.)
I’m running 22 gauge wire inside 1/8 brass tube attached to the boiler handrails to simulate the conduit of my prototype. A larger size would fit inside the tubing. The closest it will get to the boiler jacket is about 3/16 inch. I don’t know what the wire insulation is but if it gets hot enough to melt then I’ve got a problem more serious than the headlight wiring.
The total run is about 4 feet. Checking with the calculator linked to below, the voltage drop would be .2 volt and the wire resistance would be .12 ohms. I think that’s negligible.
https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/wire/v ... lator.html
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
-
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2003 2:56 am
- Location: Waltham, MA
Re: Head light wire
The headlight I supply made originally by Frances Moesley, later by Barry Hauge and then by Robert Johnson is supplied with 28 gauge Teflon insulated wire. I still have the wire spools that Barry purchased.
30 gauge wire would work but it is very difficult to remove the insulation without special tools.
Polyolefin insulation will not take much heat. Asbestos insulated wire if it is available would have so much asbestos thickness
over the conductors as to be impractical.
30 gauge wire would work but it is very difficult to remove the insulation without special tools.
Polyolefin insulation will not take much heat. Asbestos insulated wire if it is available would have so much asbestos thickness
over the conductors as to be impractical.
- Chris Hollands
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:38 am
- Location: Vancouver ,Canada
Re: Head light wire
Howard can I buy some wire off you probably 50ft to keep some for future .
please email your contact info and cost to chrishollands@shaw.ca if that's ok .
Greg can you please advise what halogen bulb you are using .
Thanks
please email your contact info and cost to chrishollands@shaw.ca if that's ok .
Greg can you please advise what halogen bulb you are using .
Thanks
- Greg_Lewis
- Posts: 3021
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
- Location: Fresno, CA
Re: Head light wire
Chris: My headlight is an early one from the first iteration of Mercer, about 25 years ago or so. I put a 20 watt peanut halogen bulb (photo below) and socket in it in place of the original flashlight type bulb and socket. If I was doing this today I'd use an MR16 or perhaps an MR11. Those include the reflector and are available in various wattage and spot to flood configurations.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Re: Head light wire
Hey Chris, I used 28g PTFE High temperature wire all through my Pacific. I have a switch for each light. Head light, head light number board, class lights, top number boards and cab lights. Here is were I purchased the wire.
http://powerwerx.com
Part # wire-TF-28-02-25 for red at 25'
They have a very large assortment of Teflon wire in all colors and sizes. Go to the web page and copy and paste the part number I put here in the search and you will be able to change the gauge of the wire and also the feet you need. I think it goes from 25' to 100' etc.
I hope this helps you out.
Dave Workman
http://powerwerx.com
Part # wire-TF-28-02-25 for red at 25'
They have a very large assortment of Teflon wire in all colors and sizes. Go to the web page and copy and paste the part number I put here in the search and you will be able to change the gauge of the wire and also the feet you need. I think it goes from 25' to 100' etc.
I hope this helps you out.
Dave Workman
Dave Workman
- Bill Shields
- Posts: 10590
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
- Location: 39.367, -75.765
- Contact:
Re: Head light wire
Or you could use PTFE....
Good grief I am showing my age...
Good grief I am showing my age...
Too many things going on to bother listing them.