I'm building an around the room type shelf layoiut varying in width between 18 and 32 inches. the layout varies in height from 48 to 54 inches above the floor. The layout is lit by daylight LED tube lights spaced around 24 inches from the walls.The ceiling height is about 7 feet.
Should the lighting valance be aliged with the edge of the layout or offset a few inches inside or outside of the edge?
My layout is only partially double-decked, but for the most part, the fascia on the upper level is flush with the fascia on the lower level...
...the exception is here, near to the room's entry, where the upper level is about 4" wider than the one below...
The lighting for the lower level is mostly fluorescent tubes, within an inch or two of the fascia, with a few LED bulbs where needed.
Ceiling lights for the upper level (and the main level) are a combination of fluorescent tubes above clear-plastic panels, and LED pot lights...
I'm slowly phasing-out the fluorescents over the main lower level, and replacing them with the LED pot lights, but I will keep the fluorescents over the partial upper level, as too many LED pot lights would be needed for uniform lighting from such a short distance from the ceiling.
Other than the level below the partial upper level, I won't bother trying to install a lighting valance over the single level of the layout.
Wayne
wouldn't you want lighting to be in front of the layout as much as possible otherwise objects near the front will be in shadow?
of course you don't want is so far in front that people block it
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
A valance with single tube 4100K flor. fixtures mounted in the overhang provides more light to the foreground area at the edge of my switching layout. Layout is 48" above the floor and 22-24" deep, after experimenting with some mock-ups I chose a 4-6" valance overhang. The Dec. 2010 issue of MRR mag contains a good article about lighting and valances.
Something I think may have helped with illumination was painting the valance ceiling and inside surface white.
Regards, Peter
I would mock it up and check how it looks and feels. Mine are pretty close to even with the edge of the benchwork with no shadow effect.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Iain Rice recommended the lighting be 2-3 inches in front of the edge of a shelf layout. BUT he installed the lighting in a "shadow box" lid that was 10-12" above the layout surface. The deeper the layout, the higher the viewing aperture had to be, and vice versa. This was explained in a lot more detail in his book, "Shelf Layouts for Model Railroads" published by Kalmabach (our forum hosts). ISBN 978-0-89024-690-0. Obviously these dimensions are affected by personal decisions such as your height, and the height, depth, and scenery style of the layout.
I'm using the double slot standards for mounting my shelves so that I can vary the height of the layout and the lighting shelf until it suits me. 2ft deep shelves.
Fred W
....modeling foggy coastal Oregon in HO and HOn3, where it's always 1900....