Layout lighting.....

[LIRR]

Scenery related I suppose....

I’ve had inexpensive 4’ single-tube fluorescent 32W shop lights, arranged end-to-end, set back a few inches from and following the bench work edge over the layout for 20 years. One is dead, a few more seem to be failing. I bought a 4’ LED fixture to test, however it was much too bright. Then I bought 12’ LED rope light to try, nowhere near bright enough.

Any suggestions? I’m looking for an equivalent lighting level.

[Chris333]

You can put window screen over the one that is too bright.

[Maletrain]

I have converted some of my old fluorescent fixtures to LED by using special tubes that do not need the fluorescent ballasts.  You have to wire the "tombstone" contacts directly to house current on one end, only. 

Those LEDs come in 4 colors, 2700K, 4500K, 5500K and 6500K.  With only 1 bulb per fixture, you will have to pick the color you like best.

But, for others reading this, I will say that I tried putting one of each in an old 4-bulb fixture that I converted, and the resulting light is much nicer than any other indoor lighting I have experienced.  It is much more like outdoors. 

[ednadolski]

You can put window screen over the one that is too bright.

Many LEDs nowadays are dimmable -- check the packaging and/or the printing on your product.   You'd probably want to wire them into a dedicated circuit, that's what I've done with some of my track lighting LED floods.

Expect that fluorescent bulbs and/or ballasts will fail eventually -- some sooner than others.  Nothing like the life expectancy of LEDs.

Ed

[wazzou]

Not really relevant to the OP's post but some replies got me thinking of the 18" under cabinet flourescent fixture I have mounted to the top underside of my modeling workbench. 
It's got just one of those smaller diameter tubes in it but i've had it on for hours and hours each week for over twenty-five years and it still turns on every time, so far.
I've truly been amazed at its longevity.

[davefoxx]

I ripped out all of the fluorescent fixtures and haphazard wiring in my layout room and installed new LED light fixtures.  It’s hard to explain, but it took a while to get used to it.  I don’t know if it was the drastic change in brightness or that the overall lighting eliminated hotspots. Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Not really relevant to the OP's post but some replies got me thinking of the 18" under cabinet flourescent fixture I have mounted to the top underside of my modeling workbench. 
It's got just one of those smaller diameter tubes in it but i've had it on for hours and hours each week for over twenty-five years and it still turns on every time, so far.
I've truly been amazed at its longevity.

Bryan,

I’ve got a similar fixture over my computer area at my desk at work.  It’s on six days per week, and I haven’t changed a bulb since I moved into the office in 2008.  I don’t know how long that bulb has been in there, but the desk was purchased for another attorney in the early- to mid-1990s. 

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

These are ALL you're gonna need:

https://smile.amazon.com/Barrina-Integrated-Fixture-Utility-Electric/dp/B01HBT3BVM/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-p13n1_0?cv_ct_cx=led+6500k+light&dchild=1&keywords=led+6500k+light&pd_rd_i=B01HBT3BVM&pd_rd_r=582c41eb-adf1-42b7-9efc-6ee4e4c7d4a7&pd_rd_w=dm1Qq&pd_rd_wg=vKh5B&pf_rd_p=3413f109-870f-4dc1-a38d-b04dd22cbcc5&pf_rd_r=PBJBBZB4M19YRGFX9FBR&psc=1&qid=1600653793&sprefix=led+6500&sr=1-1-191b1ae3-0539-4250-ad39-b698e0b800f6

Light enough to be mounted with foam tape. Easy to be powered in a variety of ways and completely modular.

They're also available in different color temps but I like the 6500k ones I linked.

[BuddyBorders]

This is a timely post as I am looking at layout lighting ides myself. I'm intrigued with the flexible LED strips from SuperbrightLEDS.com that are 12 or 24VDC making them dimmable for night time operations. Has anyone gone that route?  There seem to be so many options but I'd like to get it right from the start as changing it out will be a serious bother once the layout is built.
Thank you,
Buddy

[TLOC]

I use the Barrina LEDs from Amazon similar to what Ed K. posted. Mine however are 5000c daylight. They work great for me. Bright but not too bright.

TomO

[davefoxx]

I use the Barrina LEDs from Amazon similar to what Ed K. posted. Mine however are 5000c daylight. They work great for me. Bright but not too bright.

TomO

At Ed's suggestion, I also installed Barrina LED lighting in my layout room over one year ago.  These fixtures are the only light fixtures in the room and replaced some god-awful fluorescent light fixtures with sketchy wiring.  I'm very satisfied and have had zero failures at this point.  I just ordered my third pack of these LED light fixtures, to put some lighting under my HO layout for the planned On30 layout to be built at seating height, which will leave me with a few spare light fixtures, in case of failure.  The good news is that the same fixtures are still available as of this date.

DFF

[peteski]

This is a timely post as I am looking at layout lighting ides myself. I'm intrigued with the flexible LED strips from SuperbrightLEDS.com that are 12 or 24VDC making them dimmable for night time operations. Has anyone gone that route?  There seem to be so many options but I'd like to get it right from the start as changing it out will be a serious bother once the layout is built.
Thank you,
Buddy

The last few posts did not answer your specific question. While I do not have the answer either I seem to recall, in the Layout section of the forum, that some of the layouts do use the LED strips for illumination.  See if you can browse that section to find those specific layouts.  Or hopefully the owners of those layouts will see your post here, and chime in.