Good afternoon all,
I have just finished the baseboards and legs for Blaenau North and am starting on the facia , backscene and lighting.
I want to light the layout from the front with a flourescent tube(s) under a pelmet arrangement made with MDF. The layout will have sides/backscene made out of MDF.
I was wondering if anyone had and ideas about which sort of tube(s) I should use.
The layout is 4' long so a 4' tube would do it or I could use a couple of the low voltage types that link together.
Additionally I am not sure about the distance that the tube should sit off its pelmet dues to heating so again any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you very much
Bob Berry
Based on various layouts at our club I have used MDF pelmets with fitted kitchen tube lights for which I was able to get "warm white " tubes. I would have thought that a conventional 4 foot fluorescent light fitting may be too heavy and with the normal tube may have too harsh a look .
Our club uses a hardware retailer near oxford for the kitchen fittings and tubes. They sell the connectors so you can string as many of the approximately 1 foot long fittings as you need. The tubes are maybe half to three quarters of an inch diameter. (These are the lights that go under the cupboard units if you know what I mean)
Dont know where you are but I have 12 foot of such lighting units in my shed from an abandoned project
Peter Smith
Hi Bob
Meanderbahn has a standard fluorescent light fitting for a 4 foot layout but the fitting is shorter than the layout at 3 foot. (I think) As the light is dissipated a shorter fitting is all that is required.
I will have to have a look at what lamp it is, but I think it is
And Arthur Budd of 0-14 The Brickworks fame just in shot on the right!
Mick
I had a couple of incandescent tubes for my lighting and always kept thinking 'I must get some spare tubes, one day I'll turn it on and one of the tubes will have failed'. This, of course, did happen and when I went to purchase a couple of replacement tubes, discovered they were an obsolete size. I therefore took the plunge and replaced them with warm white leds, which I have never regretted. The light is constant, no shadow areas, no heat generated, except for the power unit and, best of all, they came on self-adhesive strips already wired. I can see no drawbacks at all, and they are more robust than bulbs. Twice now, by accident, I have dropped the pelmet they are fitted on, with no ill effects. Can't recommend them highly enough. If the light level is too bright, simply blank out every other/third led with a felt tip pen.
Rod
Wise move Rod. I have a full set of spare lamps for my layout. One day I'll need them.
so you are into high-tec Rod!
You could no doubt get a piece of kit to make the leds flash on and off like fairy lights......
Sorry Peter, I see no need for flashing leds. However, something that has been at the back of my mind for some time is a sprinkler system, to replicate the prevailing weather conditions at Corris! Mind, since most of the buildings are cast plaster, might not be a wise move.
Rod
I did once see a layout that featured a lake (real water) and one of the ultrasound fog/mist units for adding "atmosphere" to garden water features. Not a wise move. The layout was decidedly soggy by the end of the exhibition.
The LED strips for under kitchen cabinets etc do look like they have potential for layout lighting and the price is coming down. It is hard to get a clear idea of actually how much light they produce.
Not layout lighting as such, but I've bought an 85 W (actual Watts, not tungsten filament equivalent Watts) "energy saving" lamp for my work room. What a difference! http://www.green-lamp.co.uk/ (http://www.green-lamp.co.uk/)
All,
Thanks, and as ever a wealth of good advice.
I think I might start with LEDs as they seem to be up and coming - also I like the idea of little heat and not much cost.
If LEDs don't do it then I'll move on to tubes.
Bob
Rod,
Please can you tell me where you got the LED's - I was thinking of popping over to Maplins
Regards
Bob
Bob
Mine came from Perfect Lighting. They are in Liverpool. I telephoned them and explained what I was trying to achieve. The guy understood immediately and told me what I wanted and even the colour, warm white. I gave him my card number, including carriage two one metre strips and a power unit cost me about
Thanks Rod.
A big penny has just dropped with me - your layout is Corris 1930 and I was taking pictures of it at York on the Saturday !
It was very busy that day but if I had known I would have tried to speak to you ....doh !
Yes, I can see how good the lighting is so I will try with Perfect Lighting
Regards and thanks
Bob
Bob
What a pity, it's always good to put a face to a name nowadays! (It used to be the other way round). Hope you enjoyed the show. Some very nice layouts there but those infernal diesel noises behind me were very wearing all three days with a shouted commentary from a Bobby Ball impersonator going all the time! Even if you didn't like the layout (I know the way it operates isn't to every ones taste, but I like it) at least the lighting was good!
Rod
Rod
Its a nice layout, very atmospheric to my thinking - I've attached the picture I took - could not get near it as you can see.
I can't find Perfect Lighting on t'internet - I wonder if they have closed ?
Not to worry there are plenty of other suppliers.
Hopefully my first every layout - Blaenau North will have its first showing at the Tyne-Tees Group planned members day in September 2014.
Regards
Bob
Bob
On reflection it may well have been SIMPLE lighting at Birkenhead.
Rod
Quote from: rod335 on April 09, 2013, 21:12
Bob
On reflection it may well have been SIMPLE lighting at Birkenhead.
Rod
Sounds like this company?
http://www.simplelighting.co.uk/ (http://www.simplelighting.co.uk/)
That's them!
Rod
Thank you !
Bob
I have to agree with what Rod says regarding,LEDs,i fitted a 26 inch strip in my APA box layout,and it is totally hidden by the framing of the box.Just one thing though,dont try running your leds from any old transformer,use a proper LED driver,mine was only
Thanks for the advice Derrick - I was planning to do it "properly" anyway as my brother is an electrician and won't let me get away with bodging it !
Bob
A 3-metre length of warm white strip arrived this morning, complete with correct driver-transformer. If anyone does order from Simple Lighting, remember to ask for the necessary input lead to connect from the strip to the driver - I didn't, but they rang back and offered to do so. The driver I have would take up to 4 strips (maximum 15 watt), but I need a single length, so only one lead required.
About to try it out this afternoon, but I am confident this will work OK. Thank you to Rod and others.
2 metre strip, driver and connecting leads all arrived yesterday and first impressions are that it is excellent - I can't believe they get so much brightness out of such a small LED.
I have constructed a "pelmet" under which to fit the strip and the lighting is very good.
Bob B.
Very glad my recommendations have not proved false! Glad you are both pleased with your purchases. This is, however, about as far as my 'high tech' leanings go!
Rod
Wiring a layout with DC is about my limit so it is going to be a bit of a challenge for my new 00 layout which will be DCC !
Bob
Quote from: Elmgate on April 12, 2013, 12:16
A 3-metre length of warm white strip arrived this morning, complete with correct driver-transformer. If anyone does order from Simple Lighting, remember to ask for the necessary input lead to connect from the strip to the driver - I didn't, but they rang back and offered to do so. The driver I have would take up to 4 strips (maximum 15 watt), but I need a single length, so only one lead required.
About to try it out this afternoon, but I am confident this will work OK. Thank you to Rod and others.
Well - it has been successful. I will await the next exhibition (Burgess Hill, Sussex, 11 May 2013) to see how it performs in action.
Hope all goes OK.
Still experimenting a bit with it but I do like the overall effect and I also like having only 12v running up into the pelmet - feels a lot safer !
B.