I have had a good time installing solar powered lights in all of my buildings. All in all it has been a fun project. The layout looks very cool at night. The one problem I have had is blending the solar panels into my early 20th century railroad. So far I have incorporated the panels into the roofs of sheds or outside cellar doors. The outhouse next to my little depot looks like it has a solar powered flusher in it. Anyway I am having a heck of a time trying to hide these little 2 inch square solar panels in this vintage railroad. Do you guys have any ideas?
Obviously I used a different system than you did, but here is what I did. The system I use has a solar panel that is about six inches square, which powers three LED “floodlights” that has a fifteen foot cord that plugs into the back of the solar panel. Each floodlight has three LED’s attached to a little board. I removed two of the LED’s and ran some thin wire, so that each “floodlight” provides a light bulb to three structures. This way I have solar powered light in a total of nine structures for about $40. I do have to contend with buried wire.
See the post titled “**Solar Lights made Idiot Proof” in the “**Scratchbuilding and kitbashing” pages.
The only thing I can think of is to congregate them to one sunny spot that is out of the way. Hook them all up together to charge one battery pack and run your wires to the lights. You can use AA battery holders in series hooked up to the solar panels. You would only need to run a single wire to the solar lights in series.
Thankyou for the reply and food for thought. I don’t mind laying down more wire because I am going to make some route changes anyway this spring. I will just make a little solar farm in an out of way place on my back fence. Wiring them in series (DOH!) is a great idea! I knew I could count on you guys for help… [bow]
I don’t know who well it’d look for wood shake roofs but they make panneling to protect solar pannels on the roofs of real buildings, they can be cut down to size. Although theirs are better ideas.