Layout Light's

[Brian1975]

Hi everyone:   I was wondering what some of you guy's use for Layout Lighting... Just last week I bought @ Lowe's  ( 3 ) - 4 FT shop lights with the new energy saving T-8 cool white bulb's.. I put 1 light above my Yard & the other 2 across length wise over my main part of my layout. I had my neighbor friend wire the lights & had a switch installed next to my Layout/Track Power switch "actually instead of having 2 switches in 2 different boxes he installed a 4x4 box & put both switches in there "actually a better setup & a better look too"... I have really great lighting now & very happy... My last setup of lights where the halogen track lighting where I could move the bulb up & down & left & right.. These lights left alot of SHADOWS on my layout & alot of my Friends would say visiting my layout it's a very nice layout but my lights make it hard to see everything... I noticed a HUGE Difference with these lights WOW I said to my neighbor friend now I can see what everyone was talking about that seen my layout in the past..

[jward]

i prefer daylight spectrum bulbs. they make for better photos.

[West Bound]

Brian, I've been thinking about doing the same thing. What are the dimensions of your layout? My layout is 8'X20'. I was thinking of 4 light fixtures but I may need 6 or more.

[Doneldon]

Brian-

As important as the lights you use is the need to put up a valance or something so the lights themselves cannot be seen. This needn't be fancy. Some eighth-inch Masonite bends easily if you need it to and isn't expensive. I even know a fellow who attached curtain rods to his ceiling and hung short curtains in a railroad bib overall pattern. I think his wife made the curtain from some denim she found on a remnant table so the whole thing only took him less than an hour to install. Of course, it took his wife some time to get the material and make the curtain but that was time HE could spend on his railroad. (It never hurts if you can get someone else to do the work.) She also made curtains for the area below his railroad to conceal the shelves he had under there for storage. He used Velcro for those so he could easily pull them off to get a good look at what he had under there. He even had light bulbs under the train table so he could see his storage and wiring. And, of course, it only took him a few minutes to staple up the Velcro and he could play trains while his wife was stitching up the lower curtains. Having valance and curtains to match looked very nice, even professional.

Oh, by the way. While the materials for the curtains were inexpensive, the snazzy restaurant he took his wife too as a thank you was
not. But they both had a great meal and some fine wine.

                                                                                           -- D

[Brian1975]

@ West Bound :  My Layout  is 6 ft wide - 18ft long  /  West Bound your layout is a Tad bigger than mine I don't think you'll need 6 light's. I would get ( 4 ) 4ft shop lights "@ home depot or Lowes

West Bound : Put 2 lights across the your main layout  - Put 2 lights lengthwise across your yard / siding track's
Make shure you get the cool white bulbs & I think you'll be fine with 4 lights

P.S West Bound if you like send me a PM of your Cell # & I would be glad to send you pics of my layout I have pics of my layout from the 1st day I started building it..

[Brian1975]

Brian-

As important as the lights you use is the need to put up a valance or something so the lights themselves cannot be seen. This needn't be fancy. Some eighth-inch Masonite bends easily if you need it to and isn't expensive. I even know a fellow who attached curtain rods to his ceiling and hung short curtains in a railroad bib overall pattern. I think his wife made the curtain from some denim she found on a remnant table so the whole thing only took him less than an hour to install. Of course, it took his wife some time to get the material and make the curtain but that was time HE could spend on his railroad. (It never hurts if you can get someone else to do the work.) She also made curtains for the area below his railroad to conceal the shelves he had under there for storage. He used Velcro for those so he could easily pull them off to get a good look at what he had under there. He even had light bulbs under the train table so he could see his storage and wiring. And, of course, it only took him a few minutes to staple up the Velcro and he could play trains while his wife was stitching up the lower curtains. Having valance and curtains to match looked very nice, even professional.

@ Donelton :  Although I don't have a concern about valances or making anything up @ this moment & overall happy with the light's now how they are.. I do thank you for the input & idea

Oh, by the way. While the materials for the curtains were inexpensive, the snazzy restaurant he took his wife too as a thank you was
not. But they both had a great meal and some fine wine.

                                                                                           -- D

[jward]

i have to disagree with brian. i feel there is no such thing as too much light, especially if you ever intend to take photos of your layout. notice all the layout photos in the model magazines are very well lit.

if you are using shop lights suspended above the layout, or in a drop ceiling, do not cover them with diffusers as this cuts down on the amount of usable light. you're paying for it you may aas well use all the light output.

most model railroads i've seen in person are under lit. i shoot for enough light to take photos without a flash, with a handheld camera.

[utdave]

41k  light spectrum is abount the best for color rendering   daylights are around 56k     the higher the number the bluer or brightness increases .   the lower the number the  more yellow look .   i buy 41k at work t-8  with electronic ballast

[Doneldon]

41k  light spectrum is abount the best for color rendering   daylights are around 56k     the higher the number the bluer or brightness increases .   the lower the number the  more yellow look .   i buy 41k at work t-8  with electronic ballast

ut-

This isn't much of an issue with electronic cameras because you can set (or the camera will auto set) the white balance for the type of available light. That's why we can take photos inside, outside, with incandescents, fluorescents, LEDs or hallogens and get consistently good results.

I must say that I disagree with jeffw here. I don't think we should light our layouts so brightly that we can take photos with a hand held camera. That much light is not realistic, in the first place, and it can ruin the effect of a darkened room with a vignetted layout floating in space. Look at what professional photographers do: They use all kinds of added light for most shots including food, PEOPLE, details and what have you. Sure you need great light for photos but do as the pros do. Add light for your photos but live in the normal world when you don't have the camera out.

                                                       -- D

[electrical whiz kid]

Take a really good look at your present layout, it is also a good idea to take photographs of it.  Download the pics and look carefully-critically-at them.  I heartily recommend this for starters.  The camera never lies.  I have always endorsed the valence idea, as well as view blocks (to give the illusion of distance) especially on a smaller layout.  In my case, I have used valences, single lamp fluorescents installed directly behind it, and fitting rope lighting behind the secnery (not way down low, but just behind mountains etc. to play upon any sky you might have painted on backdrop behind the mountains, etc.  Rope lighting (also LEDS, but strips of that are a little on the pricey side) is not only available, but inexpensive, it is dimmable, and gives a constant light, rathr than the bright-dull effect gotten with incandescent lamps.  On rope; I recommend two types:  warm light and blue.  When installed in concert, one can control not only the daylight intensity on the layout, but also create some dramatic night scenes, as well as various daylight effects using two dimmers.  One thing to tuck into your mind:  Trying to litefrally immulate outdoor lighting is alosing fight-that sun is a lot brighter and has a lot more room to play with than you or I ever will.
RIch c.