Model railroad layouts plans

Bill’s been in touch with his HO scale switching layout.

Well, I say, HO scale, but he’s also playing with his others too, as you’ll see:

“Hello Al,

I’ve been busy still working on scenery for my small O/On30 layout (4-1/2 X 14 feet) but took some time to make sure my other two layouts were cleaned and running.

I know we all have opinions on track cleaning and there is no one best method. The best method is what works for each modeler.

I used No Ox IDA Special last summer and now a year later I just have given the tracks a lite wipe down and I continue to have great results with very good electrical conductivity.

Having given everything a lite wipe I decided it would be fun to run all three layouts. I had great fun watching all three layouts perform very well and enjoyed cool sips of lemonade as I sat back and watched and videoed.

In addition to the O/On30 I have the 4 X 16 foot HO scale switching layout and the 3 X 15 N Scale layout.

Each layout has different themes and scenery to keep it interesting. Each layout is mounted on castors so each are movable in my garage.

I’ve attached video of my afternoon of multi scale running. I will do this once in a while in my one man empire and enjoy the fruits of my fun filled labor.

All the Best

Bill in Virginia”

A big thanks to Bill for sharing his HO scale switching layout. You can see his last post here, which is just as impressive.

Bill’s post also reminded me of this one:

HO switching layouts.

Now let’s move on to George – who also mentions Bill in his missive.

And as his post is on turnouts, it makes sense to follow Bill’s switching layout with it:

“Hi Al,

This is a rudimentary wiring diagram to show how I powered my turnouts.

One must install the microswitch so that when the servo arm turns to turnout it hits the switch lever and the light, then turns from green to red.

The tester mounts on your panel or if you have a very thin facia only the dial can show. This is the way I did it.

There are many ways to skin the cat but this is a very strong turnout method- guaranteed point throw which I will use from now on. Puny solenoids and expensive tortoise motors that do not work when you need top mounted gear are out.

This is cost effective and I hope long lasting.

For all you computer guys hooking up Arduino and other gizmos for computer and DCC operations is a can do and you eliminate the tester but substitute other stuff.

The main point is a $2.50 servo with metal gears, driven by a 4.5 V source is the best motor to turn any gage turnout.

I mentioned in a response that I was toying with a box on top and next to the turnout that housed the servo and a small green/red light.

I really don’t want to go under and do the tortoise dance- more like torture trick- and I can mentally accept the box on the layout which could look like an electric cabinet.

You young-uns can go below and do the torture trick which is the preferred method and this scheme is no harder than a tortoise, cobalt or other hidden motor and when your layout demands no ugly contraption below the impact on top aint so bad.

Real clever guys, like Bill of Virginia, can remotely locate the servo in a house, hide the push wire, and really blow the minds of the gentry. You have some power to play with.

Servo mounted vertically on an S scale defective turnout – The turnout behind it was defective too. I put a kink in the rod to take up a little mismatch between servo throw and point throw but it works like a charm.

Tester on the left, servo on the right.

George”

That’s all for today folks. A big thanks to Bill and George.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you decide to join in on the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Greg’s been back in touch again, this time sharing pics of his Yellowstone steam locomotive:

“Hello again Al,

Wanted to share some more from the layout. Another great piece of “history” from the layout is a result of our anniversary trip last summer to Northern Minnesota area and my discovery of the DM&IR 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone steam locomotive.

Our trip included several train trips over the few days we were there including one on the North shore scenic railroad and a visit to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth,MN.

It was here I learned about, and saw DM&IR 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone steam locomotive #227. The museum has this giant on display and in beautiful condition. This sparked a huge need to bring this memory to our layout.

The project would a lot of work, but the end result, as you can see, was well worth the effort.

I was very lucky to even find one of these locomotives for sale. When I got it it needed a few minor repairs from shipping. Then began the process of bringing this plan black locomotive to life.

I painted it to match the real one we had seen and been in the cab of on our trip. The detail painting of hoses and valves brought out so much life.

Next step, it needed a long train of ore cars and a caboose to pull it, helping bring it all to life on our layout. This part involved repainting and redecal of 36 ore cars as well as custom painting a caboose to bring up the backside.

The end result is a beautiful train, and a living memory of our trip, and a piece of history that will live on (in HO scale) for many years to come.

Here are some pictures of this project as well as a link to a video of this train in action.

Thanks Al!”

A huge big thanks to Greg for sharing his Yellowstone steam locomotive, it does look rather fun.

You can see Greg’s previous post on his HO scale diesel locomotives here.

And it reminded me of Lawrence’s too: Steam HO scale.

That’s all for today 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 Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

John’s been in touch with his model train shelf layout which he made in a day! (Well, nearly.)

“Hello Al,

Yesterday I decided to build a layout, a budget micro layout that I call “No Excuses”.

I began at 8:50 in the morning and was running a locomotive on it before noon.

At 7:00 pm I was getting tired and still had two more things to do to it before I would say “It is finished”.

I am now working on the last couple of structures and may build an extra.

Of course it is a little shunting layout and it is only 5 inches wide and 52 inches long but…

One response especially tickled me, the responder said that I had built more in one day than he had in almost 60 years

The second hour of work.

This type of micro layout is generally known as a tuning fork. Inexpensive to build and a great little shunting puzzle.

It took me two hours to get the backscene squared away. This is wrapping paper glued to Masonite hardboard.

At this point I had four hours into the project.

Because my layout is extremely narrow, all the structures needed to be flats.

You may recognize some of them. Some were fully scratched from card. Most took about an hour to “get right”.

This bridge was the most labor (labour?) intensive part of the project, four hours!

Looking at the layout this morning, two days after I started, I decided to add scenery to the fiddle area.

There are a few other details that I would like to “finish” like maybe adding some fascia but the project is essentially done.

If one has never built any kind of model railroad I hope that this might inspire them to make a start.

All the best,

John”

A huge big thank you to John for sharing his model train shelf layout. I do like it when I see any of the printable buildings on a layout.

Another one that springs to mind is, John from Canada’s shelf layout.

And this one:

HOn3 Brass K 37.

You all probably know what I’m going to say – this hobby is all about making a start, and what a way to dip your toe into the water.

If it’s been a few decades since you’ve played with trains, why not try a simple layout like John’s? Then just throw in the some scenery if you find yourself having fun.

A layout hasn’t got to be the size of the room you’re in, and it doesn’t have to consume every waking hour either. But in the same light, it’s nice to have one when you have the urge to lose yourself for a few hours.

Of course I’m biased, but when something makes you lose track of time, it’s something you should pursue. Because when time stops, and you find yourself wishing there was a few more hours in the evening so you could carry on, you’re on to good thing.

I suspect most people who potter on their layouts experience the same – time just disappears. And as we all know, this only happens when you’re having fun.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you grab the bull by the horns, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

And there’s the Silly Discount bundle too.