2mm Diffused Tower / Lighthouse LEDs

2mm diffused tower LEDs are the smallest through-hole LEDs in our catalog, featuring a tiny rectangular tower body just 2mm wide with a built-in diffused lens.

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2mm diffused tower LEDs are the smallest through-hole LEDs in our catalog, featuring a tiny rectangular tower body just 2mm wide with a built-in diffused lens. The tower shape has a small, flat emitting face on top of a narrow rectangular body — fundamentally different from the round dome of standard DIP LEDs. The diffused lens scatters light across a wide angle from that flat face, producing a soft, even glow without the directional hotspot of a clear LED. At just 2mm across, these LEDs are purpose-built for extreme miniature applications: N scale and Z scale model railroad structures, micro-scale dioramas, tiny electronics projects, and any build where even a 3mm LED would be too large. The compact tower body hides inside the smallest model railroad structures, signal housings, and terrain features.

N scale and Z scale model railroad applications: The 2mm tower LED was designed for N scale (1:160) and Z scale (1:220) model railroading. At N scale, a 3mm LED is the equivalent of about 480mm (nearly half a meter) in full scale — far too large for a realistic building light fixture. The 2mm tower is proportionally closer to a real light source at these small scales. N scale modelers use 2mm warm white tower LEDs for building interiors in Atlas, Kato, and Micro-Trains structures. The tiny body fits inside even the smallest structures — gas stations, phone booths, small houses, and narrow trackside sheds — without being visible through windows. Cool white 2mm towers light modern structures, station platforms, and commercial buildings. Red, green, and amber 2mm towers serve as block signals, crossing indicators, and locomotive cab lights in N scale.

Z scale and micro-scale modeling: Z scale modelers (1:220, using 6.5mm gauge track) are the most space-constrained modelers in the hobby, and the 2mm tower LED is one of the few through-hole LEDs that works at this scale. Building interiors, street lamps, signal heads, and vehicle lights all benefit from the 2mm body that is small enough to be proportionally realistic. The tower body shape, narrower than a round 3mm dome, fits into the rectangular housings and narrow spaces typical of Z scale kit interiors. Some Z scale modelers still use the even smaller 0402 and 0603 SMD LEDs, but those require soldering tiny surface-mount pads — the 2mm tower's through-hole leads are much easier to work with for hobbyists who are not comfortable with surface-mount soldering techniques.

Architectural scale models and dioramas: Architectural model builders working in 1:100, 1:200, and smaller scales use 2mm tower LEDs for building interior lighting, streetlamp simulation, and display case illumination. Museum-quality dioramas and display models use 2mm warm white towers to create realistic nighttime scenes at scales where larger LEDs would be visually distracting. The flat emitting face of the tower shape projects light in a defined forward direction while the diffused lens softens the output, creating a convincing lamp effect in miniature scenes. Military diorama and figure display builders use 2mm towers inside vehicles, buildings, and terrain to add lighting effects without overwhelming the scale.

Small electronics and specialty builds: Beyond model railroading, 2mm tower LEDs find use in compact electronics projects where space is extremely limited. Custom keypad backlighting, tiny PCB status indicators, and embedded sensor indicators in wearable electronics all use the 2mm tower when a 3mm LED will not fit. The tower shape has a smaller footprint than a round body of the same width, making it easier to position in tight PCB layouts. The through-hole leads (standard 2.54mm pitch) are compatible with breadboards and perfboard, making prototyping straightforward even at this miniature scale.

Colors, wavelengths, and electrical specifications: Available in red, orange, amber, yellow, green, blue, warm white, cool white, and pink. Each product page lists peak emission wavelength in nanometers. Forward voltage by color: red/orange/yellow/amber ≈ 2.0–2.2V; blue/green/white/UV ≈ 3.0–3.2V. Maximum forward current: 20mA. A current-limiting resistor is required in series. Use our LED resistor calculator to find the correct value. The through-hole leads are standard pitch, compatible with breadboards and perfboard. The longer lead is the anode (+); the shorter lead is the cathode (−). Many N scale modelers intentionally use a higher-value resistor to dim the 2mm LED for a subtle, realistic glow inside structures.

Power sources and related categories: For AC model railroad transformers, DCC track voltage, or landscape wire, add a bridge rectifier and smoothing capacitor to convert to clean DC before the LED circuit. See the AC/DCC wiring guide for a complete diagram. If 2mm is still too large for your application, SMD LEDs in 0402 and 0603 packages are even smaller but require surface-mount soldering. For larger model railroad scales (HO), 3mm diffused round-top frosted LEDs are the standard. For builds that need a resistor-free solution, pre-wired LEDs come with the resistor already soldered on. For automatic blinking and flickering effects, browse animated LEDs.

A tower LED has a small rectangular body with a flat emitting face on top, unlike the round dome of a standard DIP LED. The 2mm tower is just 2mm across — smaller than a 3mm round-top — making it the smallest through-hole LED we stock. The tower shape has a narrower footprint and fits inside tight rectangular spaces in miniature models. Electrically, tower LEDs work the same as any other through-hole LED: same voltage ranges by color, same 20mA max current, same resistor requirements.
Primarily N scale (1:160) and Z scale (1:220), where even 3mm LEDs are oversized. At N scale, a 2mm LED body is equivalent to about 320mm in full scale — roughly the size of a large wall sconce. 3mm LEDs are approximately 480mm at N scale, which is larger than most real residential light fixtures. 2mm towers are also used in HO scale for extremely tight spaces like locomotive headlight housings and narrow signal heads.
The resistor depends on supply voltage and LED color, identical to any other through-hole LED. Use our LED resistor calculator for the exact value. Many N scale modelers use a higher-value resistor than calculated to dim the LED for a subtle, realistic building interior glow rather than a bright indicator-level output.
Through-hole. They have two wire leads at standard 2.54mm (0.1″) pitch, compatible with breadboards, perfboard, and standard-pitch PCBs. This is a significant advantage over SMD LEDs for hobbyists, because the leads are easy to solder by hand with a standard iron — no surface-mount techniques or magnification required.
Warm white (~3000–4000K) for residential buildings, restaurants, and period structures — it mimics incandescent household lighting. Cool white (~5500–6500K) for modern commercial structures, gas stations, and industrial buildings. Mixing both on the same layout creates realistic variety. For signal lights, use red, green, and amber.
LEDs require DC. DCC track power is a high-frequency AC signal, so you need a bridge rectifier and smoothing capacitor to convert it to clean DC. See our AC/DCC wiring guide for a complete diagram. This is especially common in N scale where buildings are powered from track feeders.