48 http://www.ModelRailroader.comR
ailroading is an industry that
operates 24 hours a day. The
earliest railroads ran during
daylight hours and would rest
overnight. However, it wasn’t
long before someone realized that trains
rolled just fine in the dark. All that was
needed was a way for crews to see what
was ahead at night, and a way for others
to see a train coming out of the dark.
A large light on the head end of the
locomotive solved both these issues, and
a few red lanterns on the caboose or last
coach provided markers for the back of
the train. The industry quickly became
one that worked around the clock.
Railroaders are at work as the sun rises,
while the sun sets, and throughout the
day and the night.
With off-the-shelf components, we
can reflect the 24-hour nature of rail-
roading on our model railroads. Below
are some lessons I’ve learned from my
HO scale model railroad.Lighting your space
There are many methods for lighting
a layout room. Modelers have used
everything from incandescent bulbs tofluorescent tubes to track lighting and
light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Lighting, to many, is often more of an
afterthought than a component of plan-
ning. With the on-off nature of fluores-
cent bulbs, modelers opted for full light
all the time. Dimmer switches for fluo-
rescent lights weren’t always easy to find,
and installing a switch wasn’t a simple
swap. Running trains in the dark was
accomplished with the flick of a wall
switch. While this is fine for display, the
sudden change from day to night is
unrealistic, as it skips dawn and twilight.
Lighting technology continues to
advance, and economical dimmer
switches are commonly available today
❶. Remote-control or computer-control
dimmers have become available. With
these improvements, the decision to add
night lighting to a layout is becoming
less cumbersome.Creating atmosphere
Part of the adventure of model rail-
roading is creating an environment that
helps us capture the spirit of our proto-
type. The atmosphere of the layout space
may be even more important than thechosen prototype. Lighting on a model
can reflect reality just as much as a well-
weathered locomotive or car.
Space the lighting around the layout
to maximize an even spread of light ❷.
The sun outdoors lands evenly across
surfaces, and that’s the effect we try to
simulate. It’s important to understand
that the human eye does an incredible
job adjusting to different light levels and
sources. Our goal is to create plausible
light, as well as a believable transition
from modeled daylight to modeled night.
The fading from day to night and
reverse is a key in the process of using
night lighting during operations. Fading
should be done as imperceptibly as pos-
sible. This can be done using a computer
interface, such as the DMX light control-
ler (available from ADJ Products LLC
and Elation Lighting Inc.) or simple
manual dimmer switches. Every few
minutes the dimmer can be adjusted to
gradually reduce or increase the lighting.Equipment and yard lighting
As darkness sets in, lights become
central to activity that continues beyond
dusk. Vehicle headlights turn on,Safety first!
Adding or changing lighting in your home, whether for
your layout or for any other use, may be subject to local
building codes and inspection. Before adding a circuit or
installing a new series of lights, check with your local
building inspector to ensure you’re in compliance with
local ordinances.
Consult with an electrician regarding lighting and the
power it needs to work. Breakers in the panel must be
properly sized to ensure adequate power is available for
the fixtures. Before construction, check your controls,
switches, and dimmers against how much power will be
traveling through them. – Dave Abeles❶ A smooth transition. In real life, the shift from day to night is gradual. Use dimmable lights and dimmer switches to
capture that effect on your model railroad. The photo backdrop depicts Syracuse, N.Y., on Dave’s layout.❷ Spacing lights. This roll-out table is illuminated by several
light-emitting diodes wired in parallel with the lights above.