Layout Lighting - June to September 2010

With the benchwork constructed, the next step was to install layout lighting. What method to use?

• incandescent bulbs: generate lots of heat, and may well be impossible to get in the future
• compact fluorescents: keep fading and changing colour as they age
• strip fluorescent lighting is one alternative, but with 55 metres of benchwork to light, this could be expensive and power hungry.
• LED strip lighting - low power, extremely long life (longer than mine!), not cheap.

I opted for LED strip lighting.  After testing some samples, I decided that I would use a mixture of Warm White and Bright White LED's, to give the colour temperature range I was looking for. This involved installing 2 strips of warm white and 2 strips of bright white LED's around the top front edge of each deck.

I also added a single strip of blue LED's, so that I could simulate night/moonlight on the layout.  Normally the amount of light from the blue led's is quite bright, but with a suitable dimmer these can be turned down to a nice low level.

As the light emanates from the LED strips at a 120º angle, I ripped some lengths of 90x35 into 3 equal parts, then set the saw bench up to cut these on a 30º angle, thus each length of 90x35 gave 6 pieces of triangular timber.  These were then carefully installed around the front edge of the layout.

Once the glue had dried and all 55m was installed, I then undercoated the face of the timber to give a better surface for the LED strips to adhere to.  The LED strips were supplied in 5m rolls, with an adhesive backing already applied - just peel off and stick.  Before application, the necessary power wires were soldered onto the strip.  Here is a picture showing the LED's in place - some of the backscene masonite panels have been installed also:

I had to calculate the power requirements, and design a power system to suit.  I ended up sourcing some 300W and 10W 12V DC switchmode power supplies on the internet, as well as 3 LED dimmers, and built 3 power distribution boxes and installed these on the very top of the top valance, with all of the wires running down to distribution points at both levels.  This seems to have been very successful and works extremely well.

These lights are controlled from a central console on the peninsula, where I can select white for daytime or blue for night running, and also turn the room lights on or off as needed.

A separate switch located on the central console controls 240V power to the various 240 outlets under and around the layout.  A bright green neon light tells me if the mains power to the layout is on or off, so that if I walk out and leave the layout, I can be sure that all light and power to the layout is turned off. If a soldering iron is left plugged in and switched on for example, then power will be shut down as I leave (not to mention a DCC locomotive sitting idling quietly in a siding all week!).

Blue LED's provide the night-time feel.