RMC layout article

If you want to read how I built my home layout, Railroad Model Craftsman published my article in the October 2015 issue and it's titled Modeling AT&SF's Surf Line in Germany

If you didn't read it, dig the copy out of your magazine stash or get a back issue from White River Productions.

The article has 11 pages and a detailled track plan. The issue is worth its money because it is loaded with more great articles.

Reworked Lighting and Upper Valence

Some time back, after I had installed and painted my backdro,p I also installed lighting on the ceiling all along the layout.

The layout room has an overall height of 2,50 meters (aprox. 8 feet and something) To get the layout framed in conveniently I had to install a valance extending down roughly 60 cm (2 feet). 

The ceiling is poured concrete and drilling holes into it was a real pain. Also working overhead to screw the light fixtures and valance supports is very tedious. Finally I didn't like the idea of such a deep valance and also the lighting was a bit too far away from the actual layout base.

When I visited my friend Pit Karges' HOn3 Lodores & Silvertown layout, I immediately liked the idea to attach the brackets lower on the wall. This was no big deal because I had glued my backdrop flat against the walls. I screwed the brackets through the backdrop to the brick wall underneath.

I used 38 cm long brackets on the wider and 28 cm on the narrower parts of the layout

The brackets extend as far out as the edge of the layout. The valance fascia boards will be 20cm. This leaves a viewing window of at least 60 cm.

On the picture above you see the difference between the ceiling and the future height of the valance.

The backdrop on the center peninsula is 3mm MDF with no support underneath where I have to attach the brackets

 I drilled 8mm holes into the backdrop and inserted drywall dowels.

The screw is tightened until the end of the dowel is spread against the back of the board. These work very well for all kinds of hollow core supports including plasterboard. 

In the process of reworking the layout lighting I will leave 3 fluorescent lights attached to the ceiling for general room lighting. So I only need to illuminate the layout when I'm running trains and by this save some electricity.

I will use the area above the valance as additional storage.

Stay tuned for the final work session on the valance and fascia.

Layout lighting: Day and Night

My layout room has a solid poured concrete ceiling, so drilling holes for all my lights would have been quite a chore. To minimize drilling, I fixed 7 foot long 1 x 2's with three screws to the ceiling. Attaching the lights to these went very easy.

The light supports also serve as a base for attaching the valance all around the layout.

Where the valance sheets meet I screwed brackets to the 1x2's to give it more strength.

The lights are all turned on and off with the main light switch of the room.
Operation on the Surf Line was Passenger trains by day and Freight trains during the night. To achieve a realistic operating feeling I also installed blue rope lights next to the normal layout lighting. 

This is the same view as above with the blue lights on. These are not the Northern Lights but obviously my camera caught the red color that comes from the blue light rope. This is not so obvious in reality.

The night lighting was not planned in the beginning, but now I absolutely need to install interior lights in all of my buildings, streetlights and everywhere lights are to be found at night. Not to forget the lighted passenger cars.