Lighting an oil refinery

[carmelmodelrr]

Several years ago I built Walthers’ oil refinery.  It was one of my first projects and it came out well.  That was several years ago—before the availability of LEDs.  When I look at night time photos of actual refineries, they practically glow with lights everywhere on the structures and piping.
  Has anyone tried to replicate these lights on their refinery?  If so, how did you do it?  What lights did you use—and how did you disguise the wiring?

Carmelmodelrr
Richard Wroblewski

[dnhouston]

This is exactly the issue I am contemplating on the refinery project I am currently working on

[C855B]

There are (or were) some stunning pics on TRW of such a project, and - heaven help me - I am unable to find them with search tools both TRW and external. @carlso apparently had images of his refinery a few years ago, but the links are all dead now. Maybe he'll check in here and refresh us.

[TLOC]

I don’t remember if you use FaceBook or not?  But bring up the name Chris Grote he does refineries as his modeling and he lights them with LEDS and uses mirror. The images are super.

I am experimenting and using Fiber Optics from Dwarvin Enterprises for almost 2 years. I can nick the fiber optic tubes to create a “light” at that nick. I am lighting my conveyors and pipe racks that way.

TomO

[Loren Perry]

About ten years ago, I built three N-scale Walthers North Island Refinery kits with LED lights and they work fine. They're currently on my layout and have worked well since I built them. I used inexpensive strings of yellow LED's (sold as Fairy Lights) purchased at a craft shop ten years ago and drilled small holes in the plastic towers above each platform to allow the LED's to project their light from. They're actually mounted inside each tower and don't stick out. No wiring is visible outside the models. The small holes are not easily noticed during daylight and just blend into the other details.

More yellow LED's were mounted inside the large piping manifold structures. This was before the ultra small Micro-LED's were available. In addition to the yellow tower lights, I used white LED's for the storage tanks, signs, loading platforms and other areas and the variety looks very realistic at night. The three Walthers kits plus some storage tanks, outbuildings, piping, and other items make up my entire refinery. About 125 LED's were used in all. The effect is completely convincing and closely resembles a real refinery located a few miles from my home.

I have some good photos, but I can't remember how to post them here, sorry.

[MK]

My memory is not as good as it once was but didn't @peteski posted a picture of a night time refinery that either he or someone built?  It was all nicely lit up.  I'm pretty sure it was Peteski (watch, I'll be proven wrong.).

[carlso]

Thanks Mike for remembering my refinery, that means a lot to me. Yes, I had posted pictures a few years ago. I'll include 3 of my latest images.............



Just a little closer shot............


Here is a shot of the new coker unit under construction, testing where I wanted to place the lights. It is installed in the 2 above images.


Here is a daylight shot for comparison...


There are many excellent refineries in N scale out there so, if you can, look at them as well. I would like to say that I experimented with fiber optics and in fact there is one of the columns that has them. Not near bright enough, for me.

I used 0402, pre-wired LED's that are 3v and they are powered by a regulated 3v power source. I have approx 150-200 LED's in the entire scene and used 3 power transformers.
I attached the LED's to the outside of the process units and under the pipeways. Never attempted to drill holes to mount the bulb in. The wires are so small that I just wrapped them around to the backside of each unit, and I used brass rods as pipes on top of the pipeways and attached the leads to them and then painted them white and then connected to my buss. I used sunny white, I think that is correct, on the process units inside the plant and warm whites on some poles in other areas of the plant. This scene still exists on our club layout in Las Cruces.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Thanks for looking and stay well,
Carl

[C855B]

You're welcome, Carl, and thank you! Great work, the night shots really pop!

[basementcalling]

I keep watching the night photos expecting to see a flare burn off some waste product. 

Excellent modeling.

[carlso]

Peter,

Yes, every refinery has a flare to burn off gases when a unit f**ts. I have one on the backside of the plant. To make it flare is my next addition.

Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated.

Carl

[peteski]

My memory is not as good as it once was but didn't @peteski posted a picture of a night time refinery that either he or someone built?  It was all nicely lit up.  I'm pretty sure it was Peteski (watch, I'll be proven wrong.).

 I did a lit carnival (and animated) module - as already mentioned, Carl built that awesome lit refinery.

[MK]

Yes, those were the pictures (from Carl)!  Told you my memory was shot (but I did remember the pictures!). 

Peteski, your carnival module has as many lights so that threw me off. 

[carlso]

Peter,

Above I said my next project was to attempt a realistic refinery flare. Here is my version of one that just flared up. Seems the Alky plant farted and fell by the wayside and caused all kinds of problems.



All of the lighting in this module are LED's of various sizes and colors. The flame actually has some pulsation that does not show in a still

Thanks for the appreciated comment.

Be well,
Carl

[peteski]

That looks awesome Carl - the flame looks very realistic.

[randgust]

wait...what?

How did you do that?  What is that flame made of?

We've got a medium-sized refinery here with a flare in the middle of the river, and when the refinery "F---S" it lights up the entire valley

https://ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com/www.timesobserver.com/images/2019/03/19232818/3-18-flareDF-740x840.jpg

The other thing is does is create a rather interesting low-frequency rumble when it goes off.