Looking for a simple way to light a layout

[jashb2001]

Hi everyone

I'm planning my first ever layout at the tender age of 57(!), and am a complete idiot when it comes to adding LED lights. So any constructive advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

To quickly explain, I'm intending to have an L-shaped 00 gauge analogue layout with the longest sides being about 8-10ft long. I know many feel that DCC is the way to go but as a first step analogue seems a good starting point (and upgraded later). My plan is to include probably about 40-50 LEDs - a mixture of streetlights, railway yard lights, building lights etc. I a hoping to power these using the 2 x 12v DC (1 amp) accessory outputs of my Gaugemaster Q controller.

My question is - what is the easiest (and safest) way to do this? Should I use bus wire(s) and if so will there be sufficient power for say 50 x 3v LEDs? Should I attach these lights in parallel or in series? Will a distribution board like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TVC9668/ ... _lig_dp_it make things easier?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Jim

[End2end]

I've run twin wire 'lighting' bus's under the layout. All LED's Lights will connect to this.
My layout is fairly large with many lights planned so I have installed 2 lighting bus's. One for the front and one for the rear.

Each LED has a 1KOhm resistor attached to the positive leg.
Some buildings have multiple LED's inside which are wired together so only 2 wires from the building connect to the bus.

The end of the bus just attaches to a 12v wall wart for power using a pair of these..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195228811707 ... R6rV4vPVYQ

The Power Distribution Board you posted means all lighting wires will have to be run back along/under the layout and connect to that.
I think a lighting bus would be much less wiring / cost.

If you find that after connecting all your LED's to your lighting bus that they are too bright you can also wire one of these inline between the power and the first LED to turn them down somewhat.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115718972970 ... R7zYhPTVYQ
Thanks
End2nd

[Richard08]

If you want to do a posh job you could strip the black and red out of mains lighting cable and create a bus using it. Put one end of the wire (solid core, not not multicore) in a vice and pull the other with pliers - you'll feel a bit of 'give' and then you have nice straight wire. Then run these two wires around the layout cutting away the insulation when lights are to be tapped into it with a scalpel/very sharp craft knife. Use telephone cable size P clips or small tywraps to fix each junction to the boards, or as required on a run. Any additional lights added later can be just tapped into the bus as required. The same works for a DCC bus FWIW.

[Mountain]

A torch? Seems simple to me. Bicycle front lamps have brackets so this could come in useful, especially with the more expensive adjustable beam type bicycle lamps (Rare).
I bought a string of battery operated Christmas lights. Theze may offer a budget alternative.
Then comes table lights and all sorts of things...

[Buggleskelly]

A torch? Seems simple to me. Bicycle front lamps have brackets so this could come in useful, especially with the more expensive adjustable beam type bicycle lamps (Rare).
I bought a string of battery operated Christmas lights. Theze may offer a budget alternative.
Then comes table lights and all sorts of things...

Battery powered (even wall wart type) xmas lights are a good idea, and easily modified, cut down, led changed extended etc. Many possibilites, and with no worries re cost or power supply/resistor matching.

[Bigmet]

...I'm planning my first ever layout at the tender age of 57...

Take time over the planning stage would be my starting point under 'advice'.

A working model railway builds up in 'layers'.
It's pretty obvious that you need an intended plan of the scene that will be modelled, and this is typically 'worked around' the constraints of the location.
That done you need a layout structure design to accomodate the plan.
Then you can plot where the supplies need to run, based on where the track and static powered items will be located.
Build the layout support structure, installing the wiring and feeds, lay the track and test, test, test. (A model railway that doesn't work is no use to anyone.)

And that's as far as I go. It's so much fun operating the trains to timetable once the track is laid and proven reliable, that the 'scenic treatment' largely consists of felt pen outlines of platforms and other structure outlines. (There is an engine shed because my wife liked the look of a couple of Metcalfe kits and made a good job of the construction.)

I should think installing lights in buildings and yards comes near the end of the process, because you don't want to be overmuch waving your hands around what will be quite delicate items. Those who have got that far will be better placed to advise...

[Phred]

Years ago I bought a roll of the cheapest LED adhesive strip lighting I could find on eBay to make a light fitting over my workbench. There was about a metre left over so I put it in the 'handy one day' bin.

This thread prompted me to connect it up to the Gaugemaster with crocodile clip leads and Wallah! Works lovely. Got some ideas now for interior building lights.