I haven't been on the forum for a while. Sorry if this subject has been discussed. I am building a new 11 x 14 HO layout and for the first time in 40+ years, I planned ahead for structure lighting. In addition to the #14 DCC buss, I also ran a similar buss for building lights. It took me a while to figure out how I was going to do it but the result works just fine. I wanted to use LEDs because of their reliability and low cost. I bought a pack of 50 5mm yellow LEDS for $7. After doing a lot of reading, I settled on a 12v 1a DC power supply and experimented with different resistor values for the LEDs. The ones I have work with every thing from 4.4k ohms to 270 ohms. Easy installation with one wire going up through a plastic tube and the other on the outside. Everything is painted black and the LED is positioned as high as possible so that only the bounced light is visible. So far the system works fine and is a part of layout building that I've always skiped in the past. - Bill
Bill,
Good idea and good forsight. I plan to do the same with my layout but haven't run the 12 vDC buss yet.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Yes, a lot of us learn the hard way, me included. After the first section of my layout, I put in my wiring buses as soon as I got the benchwork assembled in the train room, the track bus, the control bus and the accessory buses. I use two lighting buses, one for structures and one for streetlights, because I use Walthers incandescent street lights, with non-replaceable bulbs. I have a toggle switch on my control panel for each bus, so I don't bother to turn them on in the day time.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I planned from the very beginning for lighting and have three bus circuits of power transformers of 4amp's each, 12.6AC, 12VDC and 1.5VDC in my control panel, all buildings and structure's, street lights, bridge's have lights....can never have too many lights. LOL
Incandesants and LED's. You can tell which, from pic's.
Take Care!
Frank
You will notice light from backdrop.....that is my fault...the buildings are removable and I did not have the building seated correctly in it's foundation before taking pic'.