I have found a new source for LED's. The company is called Evan Designs. You can find it on the internet at www.modeltrainsoftware.com These LED's come in three sizes: 1.8 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm. There is also a "chip" LED that is small enough to fit in a G-Scale lantern. They come in flashing or non-flashing configurations. The voltage options include 7-19 Volt AC/DCC/DC or 3 Volt DC. Colors are warm white, cool white, red, green, yellow, blue and orange.

I have used the "chip" LED's in Marker Lights, Classification Lights, and Number Boards. In my latest project, I have a Combine/Caboose where I have illuminated a wall lamp and the Markers with Warm White Chip LED's. For battery power, I use a CR2032 medical battery held in a "Coin" battery holder hidden in an interior cabinet. This will keep the lights bright for six hours. I have the interior lights (1.8 mm size) set up with another "Coin" battery and holder, which is hidden in the celestory roof. This gives me a fully illuminated piece of rolling stock with 6 hours of battery life. If I had chosen the 7-9 Volt LED's, I would have the same illumination using track power or DCC.

No more need for incandescent bulbs. The LED's produce no heat and are easy to work with. The company's products are ready to hook up with the required resisitor in place covered with "shrink wrap" tubing. The wires are red (+) and black (-), so there is no danger of blowing the LED by hooking things up backwards.

The use of these LED's is limitless. Besides realistic warm white locomotive headlights, they can be used for building lighting, street lights, vehicle headlights and tail lights. They have a kit for a flickering flame that would work with a Hobo camp fire or a locomotive firebox. The flashing LED's could easily be used for emergency vehicles like police, fire, or ambulance. The cool white LED's can be used for fluorescent lighting in modern passenger cars.

Shipping is very quick, and the LED's are packed very securely in bubble wrap envelopes.