There’s a new place in the making on Gerry Leone’s Bona Vista HO scale layout! Watch as he plans and plots out the details of a small community he calls “Westcott”. Take a tour down our host’s imagined Main Street, as he evaluates which structures and subtle details are best suited for the space. Plus, you’ll even see insights for installing realistic interior illumination.
Want to explore one of Gerry’s previous city scenes? Be sure to watch “Turning Spaces into Places II, Part 1 – Out on the Town”…only on Trains.com!
Like watching all of your videos, learn so much and different ways to do nearly everything.
I wired most of the buildings on my layout too. Used a slightly different process. I purchased strips of LED’s from Amazon. You can cut out 3 LED off the strips and those 3 have their own limiting resistors. Then I make a PC board of old fashion process, masking tape for resist and drop them in Etchant. I have a disconnect for each building (so buildings can be moved) screw terminal for power and ground. If there are more than one floor, I add LED’s to all the floor and solder the wires to my disconnect. Use 28 gauge stranded wire from Jameco Electronics. On the disconnect some floors have different levels of light so add to the pc board a resistor for different brightness of lights for same building. Built a common light buss for the whole layout and made a variable power for all the lights.
Regarding your comments about Linn Westcott at around 45 seconds in. I would point out that one my personal model railroad heroes is Gerry Leone.
Mike — That’s VERY kind of you to say. Thank you. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m just another model railroader building a layout. Glad you like the videos.
Another great episode Gerry. Your “urban planning” is always inspirational. I would suggest as an alternative to your interior wiring that you simplify the task of lighting all your interiors by using Woodland Scenics “Just Plug” system of warm white lights, Port Sharing Devices, Light Hubs, Expansion Hubs and Power Supply. It makes lighting the interiors, and exteriors, of your structures incredibly simple!! Check out their website and YouTube videos. Looking forward to the next episode!
Thanks, Jeffery — I actually have purchased several of the nodes and plan to use them on other parts of the layout. In this case half of the buildings already had LEDs wired into them, so rather than rip out what was there and changing it, I just forged forward. But I’ll agree — it’s a great system!
Gerry are you saying Westcott Interiors has barely any interiors?
What’s next? That the Town Square is actually a rectangle?
All your videos and series are incredibly informative and entertaining. Keep up the great work. And, thanks!
Cheers,
Michael
Too funny, Michael. And now that I think about it, you’re right!
Love your content please keep it up!
Thanks, Robert! There are a bunch more episodes to come!
Very much enjoy watching your videos, Gerry. Your approach to building “places”, and the “spaces” in between, are inspiring. Thank you for sharing.
Interesting side note; when I was a kid – back in the mid 60’s – growing up in Cary IL there was a Frank’s Barber Shop in Crystal Lake, the next town over. Frank’s was a destination for kids like me as it was primarily a hobby shop, with a small room in the back where Frank cut hair. Frank had everything a young boy would want. Plastic model kits, slot cars and, of course, model trains. Whenever mom or dad went to Crystal Lake I would insist that they take me along and stop at Frank’s. And sometimes (heavy on the “sometimes”) they would.
And thank you, Michael. Speaking of Cary and Crystal Lake, I’m an old Illinois boy myself, although I grew up in the Chicago suburbs. But more important, did you realize that David Popp is from Crystal Lake? He did a neat series of videos here on Trains.com about planning out a railroad that included Crystal Lake. Check it out if you haven’t seen it already!