Each unit draws a certain amperage. Add up the amperage of the units, it should not exceed the circuit breaker amperage rating in the main panel box. Need more lights add another circuit break and wire more lights.

I'm sure I'll get attacked by the electrical net nannies on this answer like I did with the resistance soldering unit.

See I'm not a qualified electrician nor am I certified.

Bernd

....to be "safe" you shouldn't load any circuit more than 80% of the stated rating, in other words, for a 15A circuit, it shouldn't be more than 12A of load.  15A circuits should use 14-2, 20A need 12-2 wire.

Now a "nanny" would say you can't have more than a certain number of lights on one circuit regardless of load.  To me that's a load of bunk because I guarantee you there are countless number of fixtures on one circuit even though it's not overloaded!

Ken L.

Where P = power in watts, I = Amperage  and  E = volts.  Knowing any two of the values allows you to solve for the third.    For the purposes of figuring out lighting loads though things are pretty simple. A 20 amp breaker will accommodate 2400 watts worth of lighting theoretically.  120 volts X 20 amps = 2400 watts. Of course going by the "safe" rating already stated, you would  only load the circuit to 80% which means you have 1,920 watts available but you could theoretically light up to sixty 40 watt light bulbs before the breaker would trip. Assuming of course there aren't other load sources in the house on the same breaker.

I'm not any type of certified electrician either and there are electrical codes that need to be followed but it's not rocket science or some type of mysterious voodoo. It's just basic electronics.  I learned the "power equation" at the same time I learned Ohms law back when I was eight years old and studying for my amateur radio license. Like so may things, people who are "licensed" or "certified" in something usually will try to make it sound more complicated than it really is.

Michael

I used slim T4 linkable fluorescent lights. When I was deciding what lights to use, I was concerned about the safety of wiring up my own lights and connecting them to my valance, or having any wiring connections on the valance that were homemade. The T4 lights link easily with any variety of wires and direct connection adapters. As a bonus they are very low profile. My 34 inch lights use 24 watts, the instructions said you can link up to ten fixtures together.

I bought some off eBay and some from CyeLite.com.

More info at my blog.

Greg Amer

The Industrial Lead

I haven't used them myself, but you might consider LED lighting.  Morris Smith is using them on his layout.  They come in a 16.4 ft roll and cost about $1.00 per foot.  They are low voltage and take very little power.

Here's the information:

Here's a picture of the LEDs in place on the layout:

And another picture:

Here is a picture with all of the room lights off and the layout LED lights on.  They have practically no shadow, are very low heat, easy to mount, easy to wire, and last a lifetime.

Rick

I purchased a number of T8 fluorescent channel striplights from Home Depot.  For my purposes, I got 48" single-bulb units, and installed them surface-mount on the ceiling.

These take some wiring work, and if you're not used to it, hire an electrician.  But basically, you open them up, punch out one (or more) of the 1/2" knock-outs, and run a piece of conduit up the first one.  Each pulls about 32 watts, and needs a hot, neutral, and ground wiring run thru it.

Then, you can string them together, using chase nipples to bolt them together end-to-end (again, removing the 1/2" knock-outs at each end first).  The chase nipples are required by code, so that you have a smooth surface when pulling wiring thru the channels.  Nicks in 120v wiring can lead to shocks.

For wiring connections, I just pulled a single set of the 3 wires thru all the channels, then used 3M suitcase connectors (use the right size !!), to attach the 18 gauge leads from each unit to the 14 or 12 gauge buss wires I pulled.

The more I see and hear about the LED strips, the more appealing they sound.  I might just have to give them a try.

I used a bunch of the flexible LED strips (from eBay, about $15 for 15' or something like that).  I used 2-3 passes of the strips from about 12" above a hidden portion, and the intensity matched the full T8-strips in the nearby visible areas.  I used warm-whites... and even the color nearly matches (I'm using 85 CRI 3000k T8s in the fluorescents).

I like 'em - worked well for that purpose.

My journey through lighting for my layout: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/6746

If you are interested in LEDs then investigate the difference between 3528 and 5050 types. Also take note of the spacing between LEDs.

Unfortunately, the way my train room is laid out, I don't think I'll be able to install an upper valance as I'd like to for my lighting.  Instead I fear I'll have to settle with directional spots or can lights.  I'm wondering if anyone else out there has had success with lighting their train room with these height restrictions

• From floor to bottom of joists: 80"
• From floor to subfloor (ceiling): 90"
• From floor to window sills: 60"

The lower level will definitely utilize LED strips as these throw the best looking light for the money.