~ Out of Touch Re. Layout Bench Lighting ~

[MarkInLA]

Hi again.
As I can feel my 'shelfie' growing nearer, is standard 110 V florescent lighting, say two 4' single sockets, one over each 8-10' leg of L, open grid shelves, some 50-52" high at valley bottom, lighting mounted on 8'+ high ceiling or top of wall OK for my small standard gauge switching-switchback ??
Or, are the newer, cold running types, halogen/salt (is it ?), other, the better way to go for best sunlit 'daytime look'/heat/juice usage ?
One thing I could be incorrect about is: Standard AC incandescent analog lighting can be dimmed to depict dusk [my fav time in real/sun almost gone,
lights starting to come on throughout the city], or rainy/snowy environs, whereas the new stuff can not be dimmed..Yes ? No ?
Finally: The Pasadena MRRC has/had dim-able incand red, yellow, blue (or green), and clear, filament bulbs running all around the ceiling of this huge club...
The logic: Black is the absence of color. White is all colors..(electronics lab-wise)..That's always been my assumption...
So, what is going down in them thar hills, state of the art, layout-lighting-wise ? And, does florescent have an annoying hum ?
   
Thanks

PS.
If there is a discussion already somewhere about this, please save yourself the composing work and juz gimme da dope where 'tis at...     

[learmoia]

Wow a post that doesn't mention the Ellis Act!.... 

Use LED strip lights.. or LED Shop lights seems to be the way to go.. run quiet, and cool (temp)..
Make sure to get 5000k plus 'color'

Halogen lights were the ones that were prone to start house fires because the bulb got so hot right?

[MarkInLA]

OK ! You win !!... Ellis Act !! 

[nickelplate759]

I concur on getting LED strip lights. 

Regarding color, 5000k - 6000k is usually suggested to approximate the color of daylight.  2700k approximates regular incandescent light bulbs. 3500k or so approximates Halogen bulbs.  I find color temperature to be very subjective, and on the less expensive lights I don't find the color temperature rating to be all that accurate.  if you can, try a few different colors and see what you like.  I like 3500k to 4000k myself.

The other thing to look at is the "CRI" - Color Rendering Index.  Perfect (as in the Sun) is 100.  Incandescent bulbs of most sorts are also pretty close to 100, but the color-corrected incandescent bulbs (the ones with a bluish tint to the glass) are most definitely NOT.      Anything less than 80 CRI is pretty terrible and you probably won't like it.  Anything over 90 is really good (but hard to find in inexpensive lights).

[learmoia]

OK ! You win !!... Ellis Act !! 

Ok, I'll give that a +1.

[peteski]

LEDs are the way to go.  Not only for daylight illumination, but for effects like night or sunset, sunrise.

You can buy RGB (red/green/blue) LED strips with a controller box which can produce pretty much any color you want (and likely at any brightness).  That way you can have your daytime, nighttime, sunset/sunrise operations.

LEDs are also very efficient, and run cool.  If you look at lighting section in any hardware or home-improvement stores, LED lighting is where it's at.

Here is an example of RGB+W (white) strip:
https://www.ledsupply.com/led-strips/rgbw-color-changing-24v-led-strip-lights

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Get yourself some of these, use some double sided foam tape to adhere them, and party on.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HBT3BVM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[MarkInLA]

Much thanks for so much thorough info on lighting !
Was surprised..I didn't think it would be so pro-LED..I know foam tape is advised for mounting..I wonder if Velcro would work as well..
Anyway, I'm nowhere near this yet. But at least I know the established state of the art..

[Mark5]

Yeah LED, but be careful. The ones Ed pointed to will get you light that looks like ... shop light (not daylight).

Everyone has different preferences here, but personally whatever I end up with has gotta give me at least something close to a daylight spectrum.

If possible, take em for a "test drive" somewhere (I know, it's getting harder and harder to do this these days  ).

Mark

[boisecity]

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I'm using LEDs on my layout.  Also using an aluminum support strip which includes a plastic diffuser (helps prevent spots of light on the rails).  The LED strips come with 3M backing tape and are easily attached to the aluminum strips.  I attached the aluminum strip the back of the valance with hot glue.

JohnF

[davefoxx]

Yeah LED, but be careful. The ones Ed pointed to will get you light that looks like ... shop light (not daylight).

Everyone has different preferences here, but personally whatever I end up with has gotta give me at least something close to a daylight spectrum.

If possible, take em for a "test drive" somewhere (I know, it's getting harder and harder to do this these days  ).

Mark

I respectfully disagree that Ed's suggestion for Barrina 6500K (Super Bright White) LED lights gives off light that looks like shop lights, as I am using the same light fixtures myself and am very pleased.  YMMV.

DFF

[Mark5]

I respectfully disagree that Ed's suggestion for Barrina 6500K (Super Bright White) LED lights gives off light that looks like shop lights, as I am using the same light fixtures myself and am very pleased.  YMMV.

DFF

I have seen the lighting (in photos) for your fine layout - it is good that we can respectfully disagree. 

[davefoxx]

I have seen the lighting (in photos) for your fine layout - it is good that we can respectfully disagree. 

That's probably my fabulous photography skills on a cell phone rather than the actual lighting. 

DFF

[Mark5]

Fair enough! If and when this Covid thing blows over, maybe I can coerce Ed into providing me with a "test drive". 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Fair enough! If and when this Covid thing blows over, maybe I can coerce Ed into providing me with a "test drive". 

I'm getting my second dose next week!