Model railroad layouts plans

Tom’s been back in touch, adding to the kato track plans HO scale on the blog:

“Alastair, thanks for your awesome blog, it’s neat to hear from model railroaders all over the world.

My name is Tom and I live in Colorado, USA. I live near Durango, Colorado, which is home to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

I haven’t posted in a long time so this is ‘catch up’!

I started model railroading as a child and have been doing that off and on since then. Now that I am retired I have more time for the hobby. My new layout is in a spare bedroom in my house, which measures 10′ x 13′ (3.048 meters x 3.9624 meters).

The layout has two lift-out bridges at the entry door to ease access. Those were detailed on earlier posts, as was benchwork.

I am modeling two railroads, The ‘Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe’ and the ‘Denver and Rio Grande Western’.

The location for these on my layout is Castle Rock, Colorado (with great liberties on my part!) This is one of some of the places in Colorado where both these railroads went through the same town. The era is mid 1950’s, as diesel was replacing steam. It is a switching layout.

To design my layout I used CAD software from AnyRail.com, which takes alot of guess work and measuring out of designing a layout. AnyRail has a library of many different brands of track.

I also use software by Trainplayer.com which runs trains on the Anyrail layout plan. This software catches any place where there is a track problem with the layout design.

This is my layout design done in AnyRail. I started constructing this layout 4 years ago and spent 6 months prior doing the design.

I am using Kato Unitrack HO scale, which is nice to work with and trains run well on it. I am using DCC by Digitrax for the layout. I am using electric turnouts and found turnout controls that I like better than the Kato controls.

The Kato ones stick out too far for the close quarters of my layout, these ones I use are made by RPC electronics and are mounted flush with the facia. They are specifically for Kato brand turnouts.

For securing wiring underneath the layout I use plastic 1/2′′ pipe brackets, fastened with only one screw so they can easily be opened to slip wires into. I use this mechanic’s creeper chair to do the work underneath the layout.

For connecting wires I went with a very easy to use and simple connectors which are CirKits SPL-62 Multiple Terminal Blocks, which are push in cable connectors. (wire stripping required).

I have completed a lot since my posts a long time ago. I will cover some of them here and other’s later. Here are some views of what I have accomplishes over that past four years.

The roundhouse was fun to build and do a nice interior. The boiler house that services the roundhouse and Allied Rebuilders with heat, steam, and compressed air is next to the roundhouse. A Santa Fe Doodlebug is sitting on the turntable.

One of the neat lighting features flashes like a welder is at work in one of the pits. I got that led from Evan Designs in Fort Collins, Colorado

There are workbenches and equipment the train mechanics use to maintain the locomotives.

Kato track plans HO scale

Allied Rail Rebuilders interior work

Allied Rail Rebuilders

Allied Rebuilders at night

Creeper for Model Railroad work

Cirkits wire connector

Front of Roundhouse

Overhead view of layout

Peak into Allied Rebuilders

Peek into Allied Rebuilder’s break room

Peek into Allied Rebuilder’s office

Pipe Clamp Wire Hanger opened

Roundhouse daytime at doors

Roundhouse night pic

Turnout controls & Turntable controller

Allied Rail Rebuilders sits close to the roundhouse. They do a variety of work, services the new diesel locomotives as well as rolling stock. It is outfitted inside with an overhead crane and all the shop equipment needed.

There is an office building that house offices for the Roundhouse, Allied Rail Rebuilders and the Yard. Fully completed interior. Video shows the Doodlebug being turned around and exiting the turntable.

Tom”

A big thanks to Tom for adding to the Kato track plans ho scale on the blog. I can’t wait to see his next update – I do love 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 store.

They are great fun to make and great value too.

Scot’s been in touch with some very clever On30 modules modules.

I love how not having the space hasn’t stopped him enjoying this hobby. And best of all, his modules will be able to travel with him:

“Hi Al!

You featured my HO layout “Warwick and Western” a few years back. Well, things have changed for me.

My wife and I have bought a fifth wheel camper and parked it near the grandkids. Needless to say there is no room for a layout here!

I do, however, build some of my craftsman structures outdoors under the trees. Anyway, on with the story!

I could not stand not having a place for the layout. I finally came up with the current plan. I rent a climate-controlled 10’x20’ storage building at a local storage facility down the road from the camper. I provide my own power for lighting and such via a portable rechargeable off-grid battery pack. It is actually a great setup to work in!

I am building my layout in large modules on rolling frames that also serve as storage for kits and materials. I will ultimately fit five of these modules together to make a single 10’x20’ layout that can be easily transported in a small truck or trailer.

I have just finished (mostly) my first module. It measures 31”x128”. The entire layout is called Crypto Falls.

This first module features the coal mining community of “Casper”. I am now beginning my second module of the same dimensions which will be fitted back-to-back with Casper and will allow continuous running as well as many more operational scenarios.

The second module -“Ethereum Springs”- will feature a wharf and carfloat area.

My layout is freelance and is completely dead-rail. I have seven dead-rail locomotives that will each run in excess of two hours per charge. Plenty of running time for an operating session.

I have documented every bit of my building experience as well as a few operating sessions on my YouTube channel. Interested viewers can see much more details and the full layout plan on that channel if they wish to check it out.

Thank you! I have enjoyed your emails for many years and hope to continue for years to come! Cheers!

Scot Rains AKA Scot.Trains”

A big thanks to Scot for sharing his on30 modules modules – I so can’t wait to see this one grow.

I absolutely love how Scot has done this, it just goes to show where there’s a will, there’s a way.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if Scot has inspired you, 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 store.

They are great fun to make and great value too.

Joe’s been back in touch – this time he’s added some HO scale floodlights to his layout:

“Hi Alastair; I havent sent any updates in a while as there have not been many changes.

I don’t want to say the layout is complete; it will never be but eventually, you have time to just sit back and enjoy “running trains”.

For a couple of years, I have wanted to install some floodlights in the engine maintenance yard. It finally happened!

“Fresh out of the box” I found this on Ebay in excellent condition but the lights didn’t work.

While I was at it, I weathered the tower.

Installed!

Again Al, thanks Al for all the great layouts you post.

Joe”

A big thanks to Joe – you can see more of his superb layout, right from the very start, here: Joe’s 12×8 HO scale.

Now on to Ken.

You’ll remember him from his layout – well, he’s had some fun with ai and made this vid which made me smile:

“Hey Al,

Most of your readers say they’ve been busy working on their layouts, and you post some fabulous photos every day.

Well my layout is complete (except to clean it), so the next step for me logically would be to create a video of it.

But I didn’t want a typical video of my trains running, although that’s why we really build layouts.

I wanted one that captured the true “fictional” essence of my layout, and all the magic that happens within my imagination, including my trains running.

I read a while ago that Eric White (Editor of Model Railroader) magazine, said that AI was a “no-no” when it comes to enhancing photos of your layout. I totally agree. You could easily say it’s disingenuous to post a photo of your layout when it’s actually not your layout.

Not to worry here because all of the photos of my layout here are actual photos.

I wondered how I could use AI to enhance the video of my model railroad layout to make it more fun for viewers to watch.

So, just as in the movie “Night at the Museum” when all the exhibits came to life after midnight, I decided to use AI to turn my scenes into living clips. I believe it created something interesting that would grab your attention.

So, I created somewhere around 75 short video clips of scenes from photos in my layout that I used in my montage. The downside was that the video turned out to be 31 minutes long. Yikes!

But I hope you find it amusing, and in some cases somewhat comical. See if you can spot the young unlicensed driver crossing the tracks, or a parked car having a blowout surprising a young lad who is trying to swoon his gal.

Or a cabin in the woods with some uninvited guests.Can anyone yell “Cannonball” while jumping in the pool?

Or, who can spot a couple of very dejected aliens who just crashed their flying saucer into the hillside in which they have to report back to their leader?

In my previous video a few people said they couldn’t spot Bigfoot. Well, Bigfoot will be hard to miss here. It represents my version of the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot clip that has captured the imagination of many for generations.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I enjoyed making it. As always, if you do give it a like.

Thanks Al,

Ken”

A big thanks to Ken – if you’re not a fan of ai, you can see Ken’s actual pics here.

Thanks to Joe too for sharing his HO scale floodlights pics.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you press the fun button and get started, 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 store.

They are great fun to make and great value too.