Scenery LED Lights

[RedMt Dave]

I am planning a new HO layout that will include about 10-12 buildings, some street lights, etc...
I've been researching and watching videos about lighting systems and I am wondering whether I should design and build my own system or buy a pre-configured system such as Woodland Scenics "Just Plug".
I am a very accomplished DIY person and comfortable working with electricity. As a kid I was wiring 120 VAC lights for my old American Flyer train layout.
Just wondering what everyone's experience is. I like the idea of being flexible with my own system.

[Len]

If you're comfortable doing your own soldering, and understand using dropping resistors with LEDs, it's a lot cheaper to do it yourself. You also have a bit more flexibility in which LEDs to use, e.g., yellow for an incandescent bulb look, white for situations where fluorescent tubes would be used.

Len

[trainman203]

The Woodland scenics lighting system is a godsend for an all thumbs guy like me.  as far as expense goes, yes, if you're going to light every building and put dozens of street lights down miles of streets, yes, they are expensive.  But my layout is in a rural setting. One town I'm going to have a wood pole light at the team track, two or three wood pole lights for street lights, and one at the oil dealer.  The two intermediate settlements will have only one pole light at the team track. The other end of the layout is not finished, but it will probably be like the first large town.

 No structure lights.  Out in
the country everybody is in bed after dark.

That's 12 lights period.  That makes this woodland scenics system pretty good for me.