This is my attempt at layout lighting. I am building an On30 4x8 layout to develop techniques for my dream layout. The dream layout will occupy my 25x53 basement. This layout has brought me many insights in layout building not discussed in periodicals. If you are armchairing you should jump in and build a layout, it is fun.
I attended a clinic presented by Boone Morrison about layout presentation and that developed into this foray. His idea was drawing the viewer into the reality of the layout by limiting vision. My analogy is always a horror movie, where every tense scene is presented with limited scope of vision. The only reality is the shadowbox, the aisles are dim to trick the eye.
This is central California, I am trying to evoke this look. Unfortunately to light it to that level would require too much candle power.
Florescent fixtures give too flat an effect and incandescents generate too much heat.
I found these lights at Walmart. They generate 150 watts on 45 watts. Since I had plans for 320 feet of benchwork for the dream layout these were perfect.
These are the only fixture the lights will fit. They offer a reflector to direct the light to mimic sunlight.
I found this plastic to try for a temporary valence. It is heavy duty 4-mil in a 3x50 foot roll. It worked out better than I planned.
I needed a mount for the lighting that could be moved after I moved the layout. If the layout were permanent I would just mount it to the layout frame. I got this idea from the book John Armstrong on Creative Layout Design . The late John Armstrong was the most creative model railroader ever, we mourn his passing. There are alot of his ideas running around, most not fairly credited to him, that are the basis of our current hobby. Read anything that he wrote, it will help you.
This is the frame I developed to hold the lights. I made it moveable because this layout will be moved around the basement.
Mount feet on the 2x4 uprights, by marking a line slightly less than the foot width. The upright should be short enough to clear the ceiling with all the light apparatus. Mine is 6 inches shorter than the ceiling. The feet should be the same size as the benchwork cross members so the assembly clears the benchwork.
Make a mounting bracket at the top of the vertical member. Use a countersink to make driving the screws easier through the 2x4's. Countersinking also prevents splitting when drywall screws are used.
Clamp the uprights to the benchwork making sure they are straight and equidistant from the table edge. I used spacers to make sure the light frame would clear the benchwork.
Make an L-grider to span between the uprights. I made mine from 1x4's and it was too flexible. I would make it with a 2x4 web and a 1x6 flange to give more room for mounting screws and clamping.
Mount the L-girder temporarily and determine where the lights will go and find a location for a outlet strip.
Take the L-grider down and mount the outlet strip.
Mount the L-girder to the uprights and find the best light locations.
Mount a 1x4 fascia strip to the upright to mount the valance.
The direct lighting with reflectors produces a "twin suns of Ragnar" effect with shadows on both sides of the object. John Armstrong suggested modulators. Light baffles with a finger effect, I made them out of translucsent drawing vellum. Just make fingers and tape them to the reflectors. The lights shown produce very little heat.
Light midway between 1 & 2, slight shadow from light 1 at the right shown by the arrow but can be disquised with texture.
Light midway between 2 & 3
The plastic sheeting has folds in it. The top fold makes a flange for mounting.
I used map pins to mount the plastic. Originally this was to be a temporary pattern for a more permanant valance. The effect is quite good. It is good enough to be permanent and the flexibility makes working around it easier.
The front pinned to the light cross members.
The layout from the front showing the shadow box effect.
The view of a 5'-11" viewer
The view of a 5'-5" viewer
The only problem with florescents is the UV fading of the scenery. I am presently looking at filter solutions.
This is the way I did it, not necessarily the way you might do it. Do not E-mail me about strip lighting, I have used that and did not like it.
Light sources are 1 at far left, source 2 in the middle, and source 3 at right.
