Department store lighting

Department stores have big display windows that beg for lights and an active interior to add to the realism. I have two department stores about a block away from one another with mannequins and lighting. I added color to the flooring and walls of the displays, as well as a different color of lighting in each structure.

The easiest way to build the display window interior is by tracing the inside of the structure on a scrap piece of paper before you add the roof to the kit. As you do this, take note of the height of the bottom edge of the windows, as that will become the “floor level” of the display windows. The height of the display area is a little more flexible. You will need some extra height for your lighting, but not so much height that your wiring is visible in the windows of the floor above. You may want to black out those second-floor windows now, so they don’t become an issue later.

I used styrene to build the window boxes for my displays. It’s easy to cut, cheap, and assembles quickly with solvent. Remember to check your fit with the actual structure before you proceed with lighting and decorating. The fit should be close, but not tight. If you use light-emitting diodes (LEDs), you probably won’t need to replace a light, but you may later want to change out a scene in the display.

Design your scene before adding lights. In both department stores,

I painted the floor and walls as well as added some elements for the mannequins to use as props. I tried to highlight a new fashion line, so I painted similar and complementary colors on the mannequins. Check online images for inspiration for fashions in your modeled era.

One department store has warm LEDs that produce a softer, more yellow effect, mimicking incandescent lights. I used LEDs that came in a long strip on a reel. These lights are easily cut to length with increments marked on the tape. Once cut, they have the appropriate resistors and solder points in place. I wired them in series and added 12" feeders to connect to the accessory bus line under the layout.

In the other department store, I installed cool white LEDs in the display windows, imitating fluorescent lights. I used individual LEDs wired in a series. Make sure you have the proper resistors. Mine came with resistors attached. [Evan Designs, evandesigns.com, makes easy-to-use hobby LED kits. – Ed.]

Once the interior is installed in the structure, it’s important to check for light leaks. Depending on the fit of your interior within the structure, there may be areas where light will leak. Correcting this on the workbench is much easier than on the layout. – David Arrell