Progress Report 02/20/12

The CFLs on 16" Centers.  Also the 7 inch Valance

Looking from the aisle side of the layout.  Please excuse the mess.

I installed the sockets on 16 inch centers as shown.  I mounted the 7 inch valance with a 1 x 2 at the top and bottom.  I also added a 2-1/2 inch Masonite strip on the bottom to control light overflow into the aisles.  I have not painted the ceiling yet but it is white to begin with.  The lighting is set back from the front of the layout about six inches at the most.   The inside surface of the valance is painted white to reflect more light.

Light is fairly even across the whole scene and to my eyes appears bright enough to represent day light.  I think if I increased the center to center on the sockets I might loss some of the evenness of the lights.  It means about 30% more sockets and bulbs but it does look very nice.  If you feel the Masonite on the outside you can barely tell where the bulbs are so I don't think there is any safety issue with the bulbs being about 1-1/2 inches from the surface of the Masonite.  I could space the sockets a 1/2 inch more from the valance and insert a piece of 1/2 inch insulation in there with the foil side facing towards the layout.  This would insulate the Masonite and reflect additional light.  But may not be worth the trouble.