LED lighting on the layout

[Suffolk Dave]

I've never used LEDs before but I'm keen to try them out on my developing Inglenook layout. With it being small I won't need 100's but I would like to illuminate the single box and the few other buildings it will have. Apart from them being new to me, the issue I have is that I don't want them all to blaze away like arc lights! I appreciate each LED has to have a resistor fitted to its wiring but can any other members of this parish offer advice on how LEDs can be dimmed to replicate low wattage bulbs or gas/oil lamps?   Many thanks.

[Pete the Elaner]

I saw a layout at the Manchester show a couple of years ago which had adjustable lighting, so it could be turned from summer to winter.

I am not sure what LEDs were used but it looked very effective.

Good lighting is also a very big help for layout photography.

[Right Away]

1 hour ago, Suffolk Dave said:

I've never used LEDs before but I'm keen to try them out on my developing Inglenook layout. With it being small I won't need 100's but I would like to illuminate the single box and the few other buildings it will have. Apart from them being new to me, the issue I have is that I don't want them all to blaze away like arc lights! I appreciate each LED has to have a resistor fitted to its wiring but can any other members of this parish offer advice on how LEDs can be dimmed to replicate low wattage bulbs or gas/oil lamps?   Many thanks.

 

Experiment on a test “breadboard” with differing resistors, potentiometers or even a series connection of LEDs to achieve brightness values. Note that when the LED(s) are positioned in the model structure, the effect may well vary from that on the test circuit, so use a degree of trial and error to get what you want.

Coating an LED with a thin wash of acrylic paint which can act as a colour filter (often a quick work around), again experimenting to achieve the effect/tone desired. 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Right Away

[doilum]

The LEDs I have tried have all had a harsh white light very unlike the soft glow from a grain of wheat bulb. I await helpful advice too. It is a pity since LED street lighting from China is very you affordable.

[Monkersson]

47 minutes ago, doilum said:

The LEDs I have tried have all had a harsh white light very unlike the soft glow from a grain of wheat bulb. I await helpful advice too. It is a pity since LED street lighting from China is very you affordable.

Use warm white or yellow LED's to replicate the light from a GOW bulb, far too many people used the brightest white LED's for everything, which does nothing but spoil the look

[SamThomas]

You can source cheap LED's from places like The Range that sell decorative strings & suchlike.

 

Or type in <SMDS pre wired> in advanced search on ebay to get an idea of what is available.

 

Never run LED's at their rated voltage - the cheaper ones will eventually fail as they are driven hard.

 

When lighting a building use several LEDs dimmed down to give an even spread of light or any shadows cast will not look right. You can use a buck regulator to cut down the voltage - cheap enough on eBay & similar.

 

There are many ways to tone down the light - even paper can have a diffusing effect. Nail varnish can also be used.

 

As already suggested experiment 1st.

[The Johnster]

Leds can be run on a lower voltage than rated as well as the coat of acrylic tip mentioned.  They emit less heat than GOW bulbs and the decorative strings of them can be obtained very cheaply on that inter netty thing from Amazon.  These are available as battery powered sets but can be easily connected to a mains psu that gives suitable output voltage.  You want the smaller bulbs without the various globes, stars, santas and wotnot, but these plastic coverings can be removed and binned.  They are available as warm or cool lighting, often with all sorts of fancy flashings and pulsings you don’t need.  Unlike GOWs, the current draw is very low and the lights do not dim when more are connected in series, but of course battery life is affected. 
 

I use them as internal lighting for buildings, and of course have the usual bleed issues.  The acrylic can be used to provide different levels in different rooms; for instance an office will be more brightly lit than the waiting room next door.  Signal boxes need very dim lighting as the signalman needs to observe the trains clearly at night, but an anglepoise on the high desk for writing up the log and Rule 55 signatures was usual.  
 

The ‘warm’ lights are ideal for representing the glow of filament bulbs, but fluorescent tube lighting and more modern tungsten or led lighting is better represented by ‘cool’ lights.  The room’s internal painting has an effect in distributing and diffusing the light as well.  
 

As supplied, they are way too bright, as are most model railway lights for that matter.  For a steam age layout I use the rule of thumb that, unless you have to look closely to see if these lights are on under the layout’s ‘normal daylight’ lighting, they are too bright.  I sometimes dim the layout lighting and turn them on to evoke dull rainy weather or dawn/dusk twilight. 

[Ron Ron Ron]

A bit more expensive than DIY with cheaply available components.

Bachmann sell the Woodlands Scenics “ Just Plug” lighting system.

 

There are loads of different items in the range, but they do sell a ready to go set which will light a few buildings, complete with a control box, with dimmer controls for each output..

 

https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/product/lights-and-hub-set---warm-white/wjp5700

 

https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/JustPlugLightingSystem

 

https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/category/scenery-landscape/woodland_scenics/just-plug-lighting-system?page=1&sortby=5&numper=100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited June 16, 2021 by Ron Ron Ron

[Suffolk Dave]

Thanks for the replies everyone. You've given me quite an insight into running LEDs and clearly I have several options ahead of me. 

[d00m]

On 15/06/2021 at 15:50, Ron Ron Ron said:

A bit more expensive than DIY with cheaply available components.

Bachmann sell the Woodlands Scenics “ Just Plug” lighting system.

 

There are loads of different items in the range, but they do sell a ready to go set which will light a few buildings, complete with a control box, with dimmer controls for each output..

 

https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/product/lights-and-hub-set---warm-white/wjp5700

 

https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/JustPlugLightingSystem

 

https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/category/scenery-landscape/woodland_scenics/just-plug-lighting-system?page=1&sortby=5&numper=100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Have you got this system? If you do, how is it? That light hub looks very reasonably priced if the four dimmable outputs have decent current handling.

[Sir TophamHatt]

On 18/06/2021 at 06:23, Suffolk Dave said:

Thanks for the replies everyone. You've given me quite an insight into running LEDs and clearly I have several options ahead of me. 

How did you get on?

[Suffolk Dave]

1 hour ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

How did you get on?

Your question is rather timely!

 

After consulting the helpful folk here I went off to find a supplier of LEDS. I found and contacted Kyteslights and after and a telephone call secured what I needed - usual caveat, no connection other than a customer.

 

The chap at Kytelights told me that if I ran 3v LEDs from a 3v transformer then I wouldn't need to include a resistor in the circuit; the logic being that resistors are required when running at a higher voltage than the LEDs are rated at. So, I ordered some 3v lights and 3v system that includes the power unit and a board to distribute a goodly number of LEDs - more than I'm likely to need on my shunting plank. 

 

They arrived the following day (not bad service, eh?) and I found the lights also included resistors to use if required. 

 

Here's some work in progress photos...