Monorail Lighting Fixtures

by Giorgina Devereaux

Monorail lighting is available as a kit that includes light fixtures, a set of rails, and connectors. 

A monorail (sometimes referred to as “rail”) is one metallic track that includes adjustable and interchangeable lighting fixtures.  A monorail generally comes in 4, 6, or 8 foot lengths that may be cut or joined together to form the required length. 

Since the rail is bendable by hand, you can bend it around any gently curved surface to form striking contour patterns.  Its flexibility allows for it to be adjusted horizontally and vertically, and can also be mounted on the ceiling, wall, or both.  It can be cut to fit the area you want to put it in, and you can use different monorail lighting heads with the monorail lighting kit. 
 

Since most monorail lighting systems are low voltage, one of the limitations is that the combined total wattage of all the fixtures is 300 watts (at 12 volts or 600 watts at 24 volts). 

The advantage of low voltage power is that it may be safely carried through uninsulated surfaces. 

You can opt for 150 watts, 300 watts, or 600 watts.  Since the fixtures average 50 watts, you can fit 6 lamps onto one 300 watt system.  A “lamp” is another word for light bulb. 

The intensity and beam spread of monorail lamps can be varied in order to more precisely control the manner in which the light hits the target surface. 
 

A transformer is needed, but it can either be remote or surface mounted.  A surface mount transformer housed in finished enclosures is designed to be directly attached to a power junction box in the ceiling. 

These are more common than remote transformers because of ease of installation. 

A remote mount transformer is housed in unfinished fire code housings designed for mounting in remote locations away from the monorail system (i.e. near a closet or within a wall).  These offer a clean look, but are normally used in new construction projects because of accessibility to the areas behind the walls. 

A powerfeed carries power from the transformer or power source to the rail.  These components are usually designed to look like a standoff.  A standoff is hardware used to physically support systems that are closely mounted to a flat ceiling. 
 

A rigid standoff can be used to drop the light from the ceiling, which allows you to bring it as close as you need it. 

With the use of special hardware, rigid supports can be used to mount monorail systems to vaulted ceilings. 

An adjustable standoff is a vertical support consisting of thin aircraft cable that is attached to the ceiling and the rail.  These are generally used for irregular ceilings or in instances where the monorail lighting system needs to be suspended a large distance from the ceiling. 

The ability to take apart and reassemble the monorail lighting kit, with each rail at a unique angle allows for building unique solutions with great ease.  Arranging monorail lighting only takes a moment and this lighting system is one of the most versatile lighting options available since it may be used for a wide variety of rooms and custom configured to your personal preference. 

Monorail lighting fixtures are available in the following: 

• Chandeliers

• Pendants

• Track heads

• Spotlight heads

Monorail lighting kits are available in:

• Three-light

• Four-light

• Five-light

• Six-light

• Eight-light

Monorail lighting is available in the following finishes:

• Antique bronze

• Antique nickel

• Brushed nickel

• Chrome

• Oil rubbed bronze

• Platinum

• Polished steel

• Satin nickel

Monorail lighting fixtures may be used in the following areas:

• Countertop or bar lighting in a kitchen

• Dining room

• Family room

• Living room

• Loft

• Office

• Recreation room

• To highlight artwork

• To provide additional light

With monorail lighting, you have a large selection of attachable monorail chandeliers, heads, and pendants.  Its sleek, contemporary design and energy efficient task and accent lighting makes it a very attractive choice for the home.