HO scale lighting

[Grumpy468]

So i was driving by the local refinery last night, and it looked really sharp all lit up. I would like to incorporate small lights in my refinery as i build it, may be easier to adapt them in place before it is all assembled?

I also want to add lights to the inside of all my buildings, that will be easy i have made provisions, added a second floor divider in my houses etc.

Where can i find specialty small lights for the refinery?  What has everyone been using in general for lighting.  I am not really looking for a plug and play system, i want something i can build and solder. I have 6 toggle switches and a large dc power supply already in place on my panel board.

[jonathan]

I use surface mount LEDs (SMD), soldered to magnet wire. They are great for building exteriors, vehicle headlights, skinny lampposts, and the like. I have also dabbled with brass lamp shades. I think they're from A-Line. Been a long time. Memory is cloudy on that.

If you wire the SMDs yourself, you can hide the resistors inside the structures or under the layout. 

If you flip through my layout photos, you'll see some examples.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Grumpy468]

Thank you Jonathan.

[jonathan]

DSC_0454 (2) by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

There are a half dozen SMDs around this structure.  Lights up the area well.

r,
JV

[Grumpy468]

SMD ??

[rich1998]

From a search for SMD components.

http://www.electronicsandyou.com/blog/smd-surface-mount-electronic-components-for-smt.html

Rich

[jward]

I'm loving that substation. Do you have powerlines coming into it?

[jonathan]

On my to do list... . R, jv

[plas man]

cheep lights (LED) from the £ pound/$ dollar shop - a string of xmas tree lights battery powered , about 3 - 4.5 volt .

[Grumpy468]

Here is the one i did.

[jward]

Nice. I need to build one. Those places always fascinated me. You don't see them modelled much. The power lines themselves could be easily scratchbuilt.

[Grumpy468]

I am going to use spandex thread for power lines throughout the entire layout

[Terry Toenges]

All I can say is "Wow!" You guys and these power stations and refineries.  Just to be able to figure that all out and build it is something else.

[Grumpy468]

Terry One of my biggest customers at work is the local refinery. I have taken so many pictures out there, to help me. I am lucky, i have a birds eye view of a real refinery. There are lots of little sub stations around here as well, so i hopped in the car and went for a drive, and took lots of pictures as well.

[OLDERTIMER]

Excelently done, like your work, Paul G