Model railroad layouts plans

Alan has been in touch with his Kato track N scale layout:

“Alastair, this is my first submittal to your great website. I have been enjoying reading all of your stories and helpful hints for the last 2 years and look forward to opening them every morning.

I am new to railroad modeling even though I have enjoyed a great Lionel set (vintage 1950) passed down from my grandfather for many years. I retired in 2024 and decided that I wanted to build a train layout in my retirement. The initial key decisions were as follows:

1. Location and Size- I spoke with my wife to determine her level of support in building the layout. She supported the idea. Our house really did not have an available room or large garage like so many of your readers are so fortunate to have.

I had to get creative to find a location where I could get as large of a layout as possible. I settled on the upstairs loft. The loft has a granite counter across the entire width functioning like an office so no longer needed except just a computer station. I settled on a U-shaped layout with dimensions of 9 feet by 7 feet.

2. Access- the layout would fill the corner of the loft. Access was going to be a challenge if the layout was stationary. I designed the layout on wheels (5 inch polyethylene wheels that roll well on carpet) to allow access to all sides during construction or to reach train derailments.

The framework had to be built downstairs and carried up a narrow staircase so I built the framework in 3 pieces and bolted it together. The framework was partially supported on short wheeled legs on the granite counter and when pulled away from the counter, it has two fold down legs for stability.

3. Scale- Initially I had wanted to go with HO scale, however after much thought about the layout size I selected N scale as it provided many more design options. So far my eyesight is pretty good even at 68 years old.

4. Theme- Don’t have an era quite yet (that may come in future submittals). Wanted to have the ability to run 4 trains minimum at one time and showcase several bridges (retired civil engineer that designed highways) for interest and beauty.

5. Grades- the outer mainline double track is limited to 1%. The second level and third level loops had to use some 4%. I know many of you are cringing right now, but it was the only way to get to 3 levels without a helix. I think it will be fine and have gathered multiple locomotives for each train to assist in achieving these grades.

Enclosed are several pictures of my progress after 6 months of part time effort. Also enclosed the track design, however I have made changes during construction to fit the bridges that I constructed.

On completing the wiring I found a locomotive easily negotiated the 4% grade. It also allowed me to spot a dip in one of the viaducts that needs adjustment. I will be testing the tracks and making adjustments before moving onto next phases.

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This video shows the Test Run for the 4% grade.

I want to run trains for a while before adding the yard, the towns and scenery. Be easy on me, but I welcome your comments as I am learning everyday.

Alan
Ventura California”

A big thanks to Alan for sharing his Kato track N scale layout. I really enjoy seeing a layout from the very start.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.

Tom’s been in touch with an update on his HO scale farm layout:

“Alastair, Thanks for running this very valuable blog. Such a great variety from so many users is awesome.

I am in my third year of my current layout with lots of work yet to be done.

I have added an unusual scene to my layout that I want to share. I had a corner of the layout to fill and decided to do something that comes from my roots sort of.

I grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, Lancaster County to be specific. That area is known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country due to the prevalence of the Amish culture.

They are predominantly farmers but also are involved in many areas of skill. So I decided to incorporate an Amish farm on my layout to have a bit of 'home' from my past. I live in Colorado but have a lot of family in Pennsylvania.

Two very unique things about the Amish culture is a ban on any vehicles, including tractors, and a ban on using electricity. Their method of transportation is primarily the horse and buggy. Their farm equipment is horse-powered as well.

So the farm on my layout reflects their culture and honors them in this way. I am including the back story I wrote for each scene. The names are authentic to their bible-based culture. Enlarging the pictures will enable the viewer to see more detail.

Backstory for a day on the Stolzfus Amish Family Farm, on the outskirts of Castle Rock, Colorado..circa fall 1955. First Amish farm community in Colorado (not really)!

Today is a special day for the Stoltzfus family, Mr. & Mrs. Stoltzfus, Daniel and Sarah, are having a baby. So since it is harvest time and much to do on the farm, Amish neighbors have
come to the Stoltzfus farm to help out for the day.

The Yoder family just arrived, Mrs. Yoder and the Yoder children are waving goodbye to her husband, who is going to the store, in the buggy, for some much needed supplies. Mrs. Yoder is a mid wife and is expecting to be delivering a baby in about three hours. Daniel and Sarah have two names picked, Abigail if it's a girl, and Samuel if it's a boy.

The Stoltzfus grandparents are calmly sitting on the porch as all the excitement goes on around them. The expecting mother's grandfather is sitting on the back porch where it is nicely quiet.

Mrs. Lapp, whose farm is next to the Stoltzfus farm, has helped the daughters do the family's laundry and is now hanging it up on the wash lines. The young Stoltzfus son Abel is playing catch with their dog which seems to be having more fun tugging on the bed sheet hanging on the wash line!

Mr. Lapp is taking a look at a railing on the white fence that came loose, he will go back to the
tool shed to get what he needs to do the repair.

The unseen oldest Stoltzfus daughter, Martha, is busy putting the braided oval rugs back in rooms she took them from. She had them on the wash lines early in this morning, beating the dust and dirt from them.

About two years ago the barn, the milking shed and tool shed burned severely enough that the remaining standing structure parts had to be torn down. Fortunately the local fire department had kept the fire from spreading to the house, and interesting enough, the corn crib!

A week later there were two days of “Barn Raising” in which many in the Amish community came to the Stolzfus farm and put up a new barn, and a new milking shed and tool shed. On those two days seventy four able bodied men did the construction, the boys did the painting, and the women and girls handled the food to feed everyone.

Mr. Hochstetler is pushing the barn door open further so the oldest Stoltzfus son Abraham, who was recently married to his wife Hanna, can move the wagon and horse team out of the barn. The Amish community was worried for a few years about Abraham, wondering if he would join the church or choose a worldly life.

His Rumspringa ((meaning 'running around') time was pretty wild, indulging in such non-Amish things like drugs, alcohol, television, dancing and cars. But once he found Hanna, who did not stray during her Rumspringa time, and fell in love with her, he came back to the Amish way of life.

HO scale farm layout:

The Stallion horse has run to the fencing gate envious of the draft horse pulling the buggy, who gets to leave the farm! And the goat is taking notice!

In front of the milking shed, Rebekah Stoltzfus is hand feeding a young calf fresh milk that came from the calf's mother this morning. The young pony is inquisitive about the feeding,while the mare feeds on the delicious long grass, and the sheep like eating the short grass down to the roots. The high stone wall needs no fencing as it's height acts as a formidable barrier against livestock entertaining thoughts of escape!

Azariah, Daniel's oldest brother, is plowing the small field next to the drying corn field. The field he is plowing had grown potatoes which were recently harvested and stored in the cool basement of the barn. Those potatoes will feed the Stoltzfus family all winter, spring and early summer until the next potato crop begins producing.

The pumpkins in the pumpkin patch next to the corn crib will soon be ready for harvesting in time for Halloween.

Some neighbors are in the garden picking some vegetables for dinner, and some flowers for on the table.

Tomorrow most things on the Stoltzfus farm will be back to normal, except for mom and their new baby, both of whom will be taking it easy for awhile.

Tom”

A big thanks to Tom for sharing his HO scale farm layout update.

You can see his first post and track plan here: Kato unitrack HO scale.

Tom’s farm scene reminded me a lot of Peter’s layout:

HO scale farmhouse

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.

Brian’s been in touch with his HO tracks progress:

“Hi Alastair, I have finally completed all the track work on my layout, the last bit was the final leg on the bottom level of the “U” shape.

All the track, points and switch machines are working perfectly.

A very good friend (a British, an ‘O’ scale modeller who is also retired and lives in the same complex) got me motivated again and helped with me a great deal in all of the above.

Below, the track laid out making sure that the clearances worked out before fixing it in place.

Track leading to the yards and the engine facilities.

Making sure that the buildings fitted in the space allowed at the Pelican Bay dockside.

Another view showing the Pelican Bay area and buildings.

Closeup view of some of the soon to be built kits. Background buildings not complete.

The yards and engine terminal at the end of the bottom level.

The track work here did not go according to plan. Only after the track was fixed in place and I put the car repair shop in place, I discovered that there was not enough space next to it for a locomotive to pass it on the way to the turntable. “OOPS”

So after some serious thought on how to correct this, I had some spare pieces of track and laid it out as shown below. This will work I thought. Rip out the old piece and replace it with a new length of flex track. Problem solved.

Now to continue filling all the gaps under the track with sleepers.

While working on the track work in this area, we snapped some of the hand held controller mounting brackets as shown below. They were very flimsy at best.

A very good friend who happened to have a 3D printer said no problem, he will print a few new ones for me.
One of the 3D printed ones below.

Here it is shown mounted on the facia with one of my controllers.

One of the other controllers shown here.

The first scene below is an overall view of the new section with the track work. All HOn3.

The second scene is of a K27 2-8-2 narrow gauge locomotive running on the new section.

That’s all for now and need to get building and get the ground cover done.

Once again, Alastair keep up the excellent job you are doing for all us modellers around the world.

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna RSA”

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his HO tracks progress.

You can see more of brian in the Hall of Fame.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the big day when you spring into action, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.