Lighting the layout For most model railway enthusiasts, lighting a model railway room means simply switching on the mains switch and either a 1OOwatt or 15Owatt light bulb springs to life. To my mind, the layout at this stage, looks dull and lifeless. Why not think about the railway layout as a theatrical stage, and when lit up properly, will bring it to life. There are two ways of going about lighting a layout room. First, if you just want to light the layout for viewing only with no thoughts about possible photographs at a later date, other than Black & White, then placing 6Owatt spot lights at various intervals around the room and disregarding the main light overhead, works very well. - Secondly, the use of FLUORESCENT DAYLIGHT TUBES can be used to great effect. (More on these later) SPOT LIGHTS FOR EFFECT If you place one spot light in each corner of the room where the layout is housed, and a further one in the middle of these walls, once the lights are switched on, you will notice that the focus of attention has shifted to the layout and not the surrounding area's. Make sure also that you put each spot light on a separate switch. To create a night time effect you could replace two of the corner bulbs with blue bulbs, not daylight type. Now let us consider lighting the layout for a natural light source and also be able to photograph the layout in colour, without the need for any studio lighting what so ever. When I first started to build a railway in its own environment, I started to think about lighting it properly, to show it off if you like. So, I mounted spot lights at various locations. These spot lights whilst pleasing to the eye, under normal viewing conditions were in fact, useless when it came for me to photograph the layout. I had to fit a blue filter to the camera (8OB or 8OA -- Daylight Film -- 1OO ISO ) The time exposures were far too long and reciprocity failure was I think, creeping in. So I looked around for some other way to photograph the layout without resorting to my 1OOO watt and 5OO watt flood lights I had used when I was a professional photographer. These 1OOO and 5OO watt lamps I might add when used with either 8OA or 8OB blue filter gave excellent results, for print film, and even better results if using a tungsten slide film, as no filters are required. The trouble of trying to get the flood lights at the right height and in the right place, to eliminate most of the shadows, warranted a change to something simple. My layout room was not designed to place tripods behind as well as in front of the layout, so photofloods couldn't be used. I did consider using booms attached to the tripods, but even then, I would have had a hard job getting them into the right place. FLUORESCENT DAYLIGHT TUBES I found what I was looking for in the form of FLUORESCENT DAYLIGHT TUBES, these tubes are rated at 55OO degrees Kelvin and are perfect match for colour photography, when using daylight type slide or print film. A little explanation on colour temperature verses colour prints, or for that matter colour slides. Light is measured in degrees Kelvin, and at around mid-day outside, is roughly 55OO degrees Kelvin. These tubes come in 4' 5' and 6' lengths, and are only a little bit more expensive than normal household fluorescent tubes, and as they match daylight temperature, no filters i.e. 8OA or 8OB are required. Unfortunately, Household fluorescent tubes cannot be used because they give a greenish cast to slide or colour prints. You can buy a filter for use using the tubes, but I wouldn't recommend it. Anyway, - I purchased one to try it out on a daylight slide film. I rigged it up in the railway room, switched off the other lights and with just the one daylight tube, used a full 24 exposure film up, trying out various combinations of exposure times, and also using a mirror to reflect the light. When the slide film came back to me, I was amazed at the colours, they were almost the exact colours on the layout. As I had kept a record of the exposure times and the shots I took, I found that the best results with just the one tube was f5.6 Okay, as f22 or better was needed, all I needed were more tubes, so off I went and purchased seven more 5' daylight tubes, and fitted the lot to my ceiling at 18" intervals. The next day I bought two films, one print and the other slide. On getting home I first of all loaded the print film up so I could develop and print my own colour, I switched on all eight tubes and photographed all aspects of the layout at f22 - f32. When the prints were finally out of the fix, washed and dried, I must say, I was very pleased with the results. The slide film was used, sent away, and on return was also very good. Oh yes, I still use the spot lights for normal running of trains, as the effects are great, but, off they go when I need some photographs. These Daylight Fluorescent Tubes are also kinder to the eyes for working on the layout, I have just the one 5' tube switched on most of the time I am working on the layout. Apart from anything else, it is a natural light and the colours on the layout look right. Even if you use the spot lights, they are giving off a yellowish light and although your eyes get used to it, you cannot take any photographs with them on without filters, you would have a colour cast. There is one point about the fluorescent tubes, and that is to keep them clean, as they collect dust, the colour temperature of 55OO degrees. Kelvin shifts a little, although you might not notice this, the camera will. I tend to clean mine just before a photo session, to make sure all will be well.
Excellent post! I have printed this out and will pass it on to others who are in the midst of building their layout. And also, keep it for my own personal use. Don't be surprised if your post gets bounced where hardly anyone will see it, since you talk about photography. Since this is also layout lighting it should remain here.
Thanks rsn48, glad it was of some use, I have had this lighting now for about 9 years. cheers Paul http://www.badger-creek.co.uk
Great information Paul. Lighting is so important. I have tried various means including the daylight flourescent tubes. After much experimenting my layout now has 110 40 watt bulbs. I found using more low wattage bulbs better that fewer higher wattage bulbs. I grouped them so I can use dimmers. These bulbs are mounted about 18 inches above the layout surface. In addition, I have 20 blue bulbs mounted at ceiling level. They help to diminish the yellow effect of the incanescent lights. With just the blue lights on it creates a moonlight effect. The dimmers allow full sun or the effect of cloud cover. The layout looks different under different lighting levels. I plan to add daylight flourescent tubes at the ceiling level too to complement the incandescent bulbs. Now for photography I had great difficulty with the yellow shift as you describe Paul. I now use a 80 a blue filter and use two 500 watt halogen bulbs mounted on a tripod for lighting the subject for photographing. The tripod allows me to have the light bar as high as 7ft. and as low as 3ft. I bought the tripod and lamps for $29.98 at Canadian Tire. The are sold in the work lighting section. What a difference this has made. I am sure I will continue experimenting and will look forward to more posts like your Paul. [ 10 February 2001: Message edited by: Robin Matthysen ]
Don't forget that you can get very good photographs with just halogen lights and print films, because the photos are corrected during the printing process. The negative does not have the right colors but the print has. Also, you can use the same halogens lights with tungsten slide films and yet get perfect pictures. If you doubt about that, look at the SOW pictures on the train'ternet site listed below. They all have been taken with ordinary halogen lights and Ektachrome tungsten films. You may also be interested by the "Model Photography" section on the same web site. Jean-Louis Simonet Visit traiN'ternet: http://www.trainternet.org/
Has anyone tried the GE 6500K ultra daylte bulbs? I bought some of these for the lighting in the office I work in. I think we had the 3500K bulbs in there to begin with, these 6500K bulbs are noticeably bluer and appear to be brighter too. Unfortunately no body but myself seems to like them, so maby I will be able to bring them home to use . Mike
Thanks Paul, great tips! I too will pass this post on to fellow modelers, one of which is just at the beginning stage of reconstruction. Mountain Valley II is well underway. Photos will be available soon on my web site.
Thanks Sajay, look forward to seeing some photo's soon. My website has an article I wrote on Model Railroad Photography, I have used both Tungsten lighting and Flourescent daylight tubes, it's your personal choice which ever you want to use. Excellent results can be got from both. http://www.badger-creek.co.uk [ 10 February 2001: Message edited by: Paul Templar ]
I just scoped out your site; I liked it. It also occurred to me that if you played your harmonica to troops in England during the war, there is a very small chance my father heard you. Many Canadians were stationed there, often for long periods of time, before being shipped into battle: in my fathers case, Italy. I find railroading interesting, particularly in Canada, as the herculian task of preparing, sending, equiping, and supporting the war effort was astounding during the War Years.
I got track lighting on my layout. to add to the life of it and also i have just the normal viewing lighting for the room itself (basement). but I done a couple different things to my layout to enhance the effect of night running..... I went and bought some dark blue cloth form a fabric store and tacked it to the corners of my back drop. Then with clear bulbs from old Christmas light set I took and went to a auto body shop to see if I could get transparent dark blue paint and painted each clear bulb. All the bulb sockets were then cut from the continous string of lights and rewired to different lenghts. And small holes were then punched into the blue cloth just so the tip of the bulb would show through to add the "stars effect" and on the up side of the cloth I attached a black piece of heavey cloth so that the light from these bulbs wouldn't show through my sky line to ruin the effect. And wired it up to an auxilary 12 volt DC power pack to power the lights. Then "hung" it to the ceiling, and ran my wires down behind the back drop to hide them, till they were under the bottom level of my layout so I could access the wires to connect them to the power pack. Once the whole thing was "hung" I then took a light spray of white on different parts to do the clouds and to add to the effect. In the futherest corner away from anyone viewing my layout I placed a quarter sized clearish yellow image to light with clear bulbs to act as the moon and after it was all done I turned off all the lights on the layout and the room lights and flipped the switch to put power in my now active moonlight night sky and now I have "The B&O Cumberland to Connelsville at night"...... Let me know what you think guys... [ 11 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ] [ 11 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Paul, Nice looking web site - and a fine model RR as well. Can I assume all the photo's are taken with the 5500K tubes? It does give a nice 'overcast' day sort of lighting. I have always been of the opinion that if you don't notice the lighting, then the lighting is good. edit - OK execpt the night photos. I don't suspect you used 5500K tubes for those Cheers [ 12 March 2001: Message edited by: yankinoz ]
Hi Rob, Thanks for the remarks, yes, all my photo's are indeed taken with the Flourescent Daylight tubes, plus bounce flash for effect and sparkle. Here's one taken recently. Workers on the way home.
