Night trains at Senca Street Station.

Keith, It is enjoyable to run lighted trains / layout in the dark. one of my fondest childhood hobby memories is running my lighted passenger set in the dark - recalling the headlight on the loco, look of the switch lanterns, controller bults, and accessory lights. Alfred

Dusk, with trolleys running and a storm rolling in:

Thanks!

I've been playing around with lighting on and off for a while, most recently trying a color-changing smart bulb, with mixed result. My  ultimate goal is to be able to trigger an automated sequence to change the lighting (for instance, to shift from daylight, through twilight, then into dusk, to full nighttime illumination).

Also, I just ordered the newly available BLI Thunder & Lightning set, which was the inspiration for the DIY alternative I cobbled together when the OEM set was unavailable. I was satisfied with what I put together with arduino components (and the 100 watt Fender Rumble Bass amp under the layout!), but the BLI set has a full audio thunderstorm sequence built in, so all I'll have to do is coordinate a lighting sequence to more fully simulate a storm rolling in!

[And FWIW, the arduino components in my DIY thunderstorm simulation won't be wasted, since I already plan to use them to recreate the Lionel Hot Air Balloon Ride accessory! Stay tuned . . . ]