irishRRHello! I am reviving an old thread because of two reasons. 1) I just made a short video of Night time operations on my N scale layout and would love to share it so that some of you more experienced modelers could give me a little feedback and let me know what you think.
Hi John,
If you are looking for advice I haven't any to offer, other than to keep up the good work! Your layout looks wonderful at night! You have obviously spent a lot of time installing lighting and interiors in your buildings. The street lighting is very effective as well!
You have set a high standard for night running. I hope our club can do half as well.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I dunno. I kinda miss Ed around here.
TF
Hello! I am reviving an old thread because of two reasons.
1) I just made a short video of Night time operations on my N scale layout and would love to share it so that some of you more experienced modelers could give me a little feedback and let me know what you think. (Disclaimer: I was operating at night by myself so I just put a couple of trains on cruise control while I shot the video with my smart phone. I am no professional, but I feel it gives you a good view of my working animations (crossbucks, neon signs, campfire, lighthouse beacon, flickering haunted house, arcwelder in shop, turntable, lineside and turnout signals) as well as my structure and street lighting and some custom light functions added to some of my locomotives. So please let me know what you think....
https://youtu.be/Z_8HT9ZlQas
2) I would love to see some photos and/or videos of other night layouts for some additional inspiration. I am really digging the night scene and love the way the layout becomes peaceful within a whole new dynamic.
I look forward to seeing what all you on this great forum have to share. Cheers!!
-John Collins
The "original source for this type of arrangement" is likely way back in the early 1800's. In the prototype world. It's kind of an obvious and convenient setup.
And, because it's obvious and convenient (and pretty neat looking), it's not a surprise that someone would model it.
When the Revell first came out, I did have the feeling that they copied Allen's general layout. Doesn't make it true,though--see second line of first paragraph.
I will say that when I decided to build my enginehouse, I did copy the layout of both. Again, see second line of first paragraph.
But one could ask: "Why did John Allen choose THIS particular arrangement?" The special and attractive part of the layout is the through track. I think usually there wasn't one. But I haven't made a proper survey. What's neat is that you can extend railroad activity out the back--lots of little details and stuff. And Mr. Allen DID like setting up little scenes.
Ed
I have an off topic question. John Allen's famous two stall engine house was the prototype for an FSM kit released back in the 1980s, but it was also similar in design to both the Revell and Walthers brick enginehouses in the it had one through stall and one stub end. Was this a typical arrangement for two stall enginehouses or was John Allen's enginehouse the original source for this type of arrangement?
7j43kModel railroading's first rule: NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY! Model railroading's second rule: NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY!
Yep.
I was lucky enough to be able to preserve my Olden Days enginehouse, which was built from a plan. I just don't recall which one. I dusted it off, did a little restoration, then used it at Tefft when I installed the turntable there.
I added LEDs.
A Goose usually lives there now.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Ed, sounds like you had some "live" spores in that mushroom power if you'd left it you might've grown some mushrooms!
I concur with the statement, "NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY!!!" Because years later you'll regret it...
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Mike,
I swear that's what it looked like when I ducked my head down to see it. Logically speaking, what else COULD it be: a large glowing orb hovering a couple of feet off the ground?
Nope, I didn't use not steenking plans when I built by enginehouse, Allen's or otherwise. Mighta turned out different if I had.
But maybe I really did screw up, because now I have my first HOn3 engine. And the little fella doesn't have a place to hang out. I coulda stripped the track out, relaid, and he'd have had a nice cushy place, with room for company.
Model railroading's first rule:
NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY!
Model railroading's second rule:
7j43kMy first "real" scratchbuilt building (as opposed to a little storage shed) was a two track enginehouse with a shop on the side (along the lines of a John Allen/Revell).SNIP Oh, yeah. There was also a couple of lights out back up on a pole to light the building's "out back". I, uh, unfortunately made a mistake on that building. I built the framing on the ends too tightly, and most of my engines wouldn't fit.
Ed,
Great stories! Glad I'd put my drink down when I read about the UFO in the barn or I would've splashed diet soda all over my keyboard from laughing.
On the enginehouse, perhaps it was built to Allen's plan. I think I recall that he built it for the HOn3 Hellengone & [whatever?], then simply relocated it to service standard gauge locos. They fit, but needed to be small. Meanwhile, people built them to spec to make discoveries like yours. Maybe simply a concidence? And I can't find my John Allen book right now to check my sources...Ahh, remembering the Olden Days means I mostly can't remember.
As I was recovering from my wallow in The Olden Days, I recalled perhaps the absolute worst case of layout lighting ever.
Across the street, there lived a family. Which had one of those father people. Who decided to build an HO layout (unlike MY father!). So far, so good.
Except.
He had this Revell barn on the layout. Some of you may recall that it had wide-open doors on each end. Well, openings, anyways.
He decided to put lights on his layout. For the barn, he placed a light bulb and holder in the middle of the barn. On the "floor".
It looked absolutely like a UFO was hovering in there, waiting to abduct a human. Or maybe a cow. Hard to say.
Just another example of adults maybe not being as bright as I'd thought when I was much younger. My kids might endorse that concept today.
I must say, you folks have inspired me to take my lighting more seriously.
A couple of personal comments about olden times:
When I built my first steam engine (right there, it's obviously olden times), I figured it needed a headlight. In goes the grain-of-wheat. So cool. That bulb had (and still does) a built in headlight lens. So, at speed, there's quite a beam of light shining down the tracks. And onto the walls of the room. A veritable mobile flashlight.
My first "real" scratchbuilt building (as opposed to a little storage shed) was a two track enginehouse with a shop on the side (along the lines of a John Allen/Revell). It was wood-sided with big windows. A corrugated roof. An interior with benches and tools in the shop. AND about a dozen grain-of-wheats in the ceiling. My, that was beautiful all lit up. Oh, yeah. There was also a couple of lights out back up on a pole to light the building's "out back".
I, uh, unfortunately made a mistake on that building. I built the framing on the ends too tightly, and most of my engines wouldn't fit. Tres very bummer. I eventually scrapped it.
Still another remembrance about that building: I built it on a base so that I could have the outback (one track ran through). It extended about another 9". Well, I needed it to become dirt (my FIRST scenery attempt!). Well, dirt's brown, so I patrolled the house looking for "brown dirt". AHA! Got it. I found a bottle of dried mushroom powder. I spread some kind of glue on the base and sprinkled on the powder. VERY convincing. At least to a beginner. I put a couple splotches of lychen on for weeds. Looked great. In the winter. Summer (the real one, not the model one) came. We lived in Virginia, which has been known to be hot and humid. Yup, the mushroom powder had "somethin" in it, 'cause one day I look at my wonderful bare dirt, and it's covered about a quarter inch deep with fine grey weeds. ALL BY ITSELF!
As rewarding as that accidental experiment was, I still decided to henceforth minimize use of food products in my scenery.
Ed,Interesting subject.. On a ISL the lighting would be sparse on the rail dock side of a industry..Grain of wheat or grain of rice bulbs would be required over exit doors and maybe small security lights along the side of the building as needed.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Our club has a "night" mode that we use for our open houses (though it's on the fritz at the moment) and I love the atmosphwere. Power move: Give an operating newbie an all-black train (say a steamer pulling a rake of express cars) without sound, wait until he goes into a tunnel, then cycle the lights to night and watch him frantically search for his train. Good times, good times!
I enjoy seeing the hundreds of little lights all over my layout.
What he said!
I'm sure everyone on their layout has certain or special freight trains that run "under the cover of darkness".
It is rather neat to operate at night, if your layout has lighting of all sorts. To quote 'Old Pa Kettle"....One of these days....
Oh by the way...Do have a operable prototypical flash light handy, with fresh batteries...as you are going to need it.
You can take it to the bank.
Here is some night life on my layout. People on motorcycles cruise the street while people in the bar socialize.
My lay out is small, on a closed in porch. I love running and switching at night. I love the Just Plug system from woodland senics. You can see the people eating in the cafe. In the morning, I love to run the passenger train in the sun light. the shadows and reflections are fun to watch. And, its not simulated daylight!
I use blue LED rope lights that were bought in a after Christmas sale. Kept it simple with a switch for white lights and a switch for blue. N scale view of the town of Shelbieville.
The St. Jacobs and Aberfoyle Railway http://stjacobsmodelrailway.com/ (in MR long ago as Aberfoyle Junction) has a major 10 minute night scene. The room lights go down, lights come on in the streets and in buildings, then they go off in appropriate sequence, some come on again briefly, and finally the rrom lights come on again.
We had a backstage tour last month and saw the controller -- a large drum with ridges that control microswitches which then work relays and such.
Something to see if you're in southern Ontario.
--David
My layout lighting is LEDs on a dimmer. At the lowest setting the effect is similar to bright moonlight. As I build structures and finish scenes I also add appropriate lighting, and all my locos have working headlights (I'm in the diesel era, though). As for operations, I have a session plan that depicts a 24-hour day, so some of the action occurs at night. The local turns and industry switching all occur during daylight hours, because the small-town industries I'm modeling wouldn't have been working at night. But there is a mainline local that sometimes performs setouts or pickups at night, and the eastbound San Francisco Chief came through the area I'm modeling at night. A little pocket-sized or "keyfob" flashlight is a useful tool. While nighttime operations can yield some cool-looking effects and an enjoyably different flavour that makes the extra effort worthwhile for me, I will say that it doesn't satisfy me 100%. The problem is that light just doesn't scale down the way our models can, and there's no way to completely avoid unrealistic, overly harsh shadows - particularly on the backdrop. Static flock grass that looks great by day also gets unrealistically shiny at night. So, yes, midnight on my layout's cool, but not quite as realistic as noon.
When I was a kid, I sometimes used to darken the room and run my LGB Starter Set to see what it looks like runiing through darkness.
I'd say two or three headlights are better than one. One headlight looks like a flashlight.
Thanks, all, for your responses. Very interesting. And varied.
I like running my trains at night some times just to remind myself what it's like in the dark. The only lights I have are the street lights, water tower blinking light and building lights as well as the head lights of the locos...
I loved running my layout at night. Most of the time, I had to work during the day and than come home and make dinner, so that was my train time. In the winter it was dark. Sure, I could put the room lights on, but night running has always had a great draw for me.
I've iluminated my passenger cars, and paid special attention to the structures, with interior walls and lighting distributed to give the look of occupied and non-occupied spaces. I've installed street lights and working traffic signals.
I found that if I didn't drop the room lighting to zero, the optical sensors would still work and therefore I could have working crossing lights and gates, a true delight.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I started a similar thread several years ago. I wondered how many modelers engaged in night operations. When I planned my layout, I had night operations in mind but as I got closer to reality, I realized the challenges that go along with night operations. I have several scenes that are lighted and make for interesting photography but so far my operating sessions have been daytime only. I intend to add a couple overnight passenger trains that will swap sleeping cars at my primary station and one of them will pick up a pre-boarded sleeping car en route but that is pretty much going to the limit of night operations.
I think night time model railroad photography can be quite dramatic and I'm glad I've set up lighted scenes at several locations but I think full blown night operations would be more trouble than they are worth. My imaginary world will shut down at 11:00 pm.
Lonnie Utah My kid drove his priz ES44AC onto the floor while operating "at night". Thank goodness for foam tile flooring. We don't do that anymore.
My kid drove his priz ES44AC onto the floor while operating "at night". Thank goodness for foam tile flooring. We don't do that anymore.
That's a good reason why your layout needs to be properly prepped for night ops -- and the crews trained to safely operate.
Crew lighting (small flashlights or a headband lamp) is a key component, useful in checking turnout position and other things that could lead to a bump in the night. On my manual switch throws and my electric toggle switches, I paint a small dot of day-glo, UV-sensitive paint on the NORMAL position to help make this easier.
BroadwayLion ROAR
ROAR
In many parts of the subway time of day or night matters not.
Joe Staten Island West