Model railroad layouts plans

Dana’s been in touch with his HO scale layout 5×14.

Like most of us, his layout grew and grew… but that’s all part of the fun:

“Hi,

Have enjoyed your site for years.

Anyway, thought I’d send a few photo’s of my new, currently under construcution layout, in HO scale.

I’m 80 years old so it’ll probably be my first and last layout. I am trying to do my best after obtaining many, many HO items these past years.

It started out as a 4×4 and soon went to 4×8.

This then went to a 5×8, then 5×10 and until I have now a 5×14 to work with. Funny how one always needs more space!

Instead of just doing one thing and then another I’ve decided to finish one end first and then the next section and so forth. It’s not correct but like the old saying goes,
“It’s my railroad and I’ll do what I want!”.

I’ve laid the outer main down and soldered the sections together. I tested it with a loco I have and everything worked fine.

Then I placed 2 inch and 4r inch risers, covered them with plaster cloth, thin coat of Plaster of Paris and painted that section brown.

I temporarily placed some buildings on it just for fun. They still need lighting and some detail work (people, interiors, cats and dogs, etc).

Even your buildings will get lighting after using poster board as supporting material. I’m even thinking of cutting out the windows and doors and installing Tichy items in their place.

I do my own decals to help keep costs down. I just finished a fleet of semi-trailers for a major carrier in the 50’s, Navajo Freight Lines.

I’ll be building a freight terminal to place them loading and in the yard. . I also stenciled a tee-shirt with my favorite railroad, The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.

I hope your readers can forgive an old man his mistakes as I go along with the build.

It’s such an enjoyment to spend time doing this.

If, by chance, you wish to publish this, please feel free to edit as you please.

Thanks,

Dana

So. California”

A big thanks to Dana for sharing his HO scale 5×14 layout.

There’s one particular line in his narrative that I absolutely love:

“It’s such an enjoyment to spend time doing this.”

That’s what it’s all about – otherwise what’s the point?

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you stop dreaming and start doing, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

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

“Al,

I enjoy seeing the info you share, but I have never shared my layout with you so here are some pics.

This is a 4×8 that has been in the works for 10 or so years.

I now have it in a loft that is 16×20 and I am building a new layout and this 4×8 will not work into it well at all, so I will be dismanteling it in the next few weeks to get started on the new one.

I thought I would share some of it with you.

Thanks,

Frank”

A big thanks to Frank.

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

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

Richard’s shared pics of his N scale railroad lumber yard:

“Al, I have thoroughly enjoyed your daily blog posts and have found quite a few useful tips for use on my layout.

Back in October I sent you a write-up on my modest N-scale railroad which you were kind enough to publish on your blog.

At that time I was hoping that I could somehow find a way to expand my layout (which is located in the smallest bedroom of my apartment).

I wanted to include a sawmill as well as a lumber yard. I only had room for a 3 foot by 4 foot extension which did not leave enough space for a stream or small river to float timber to the sawmill.

I decided to use flat bed tractor-trailers to transport the timber into the sawmill as well as to haul off the finished lumber to retail outlets and lumber yards.

I decided to use an N-scale sawmill kit from Walthers, but scratch built the structures for the lumber yard with the exception of the yard’s office building. I included a small picnic area nestled in among the evergreens so the workers could enjoy their lunch breaks.

I have included several photos in no particular order with some short notations.

Leo’s Lumber Yard with busy forklifts

Overall view of layout (at least as much as I could get into the photo). It gives a little perspective of what I could squeeze into that tiny room.

Engineer’s main control panel. I will be adding a secondary control panel to control the five turnouts added for the layout expansion. Still have a fair amount of wiring beneath the layout.

Church and graveyard in original section of layout.

Industrial section of layout. I built a TV and cell phone antenna tower to hide the seam between the two background panels.

HOBO shack (Notice the smart-ass kid sitting on the roof. *LOL*)

Forklifts busy moving lumber at sawmill.

Picnic area.

I placed my most commonly used tools into holders so I didn’t have to drag out tool boxes whenever I needed a screwdriver or a pair of pliers.

I hope you enjoy them.

Thank you for all you have done for the modeling community !!!!!

Kindest regards and stay healthy,

Richard (Dick)
Lexington Park, Maryland, USA”

A huge big thank to you, Dick for sharing his N scale railroad – a wonderful layout (I do love a layout with a theme).

And from a personal point of view, it’s fabulous seeing the printable buildings on a layout too. I counted 8 of them in this pic:

Lastly, we move on to Dave who has been busy with his ‘green screen’.

He’s actually added himself to his layout – have a look:

“Hi Al…

just a short video I have done with myself now on the platform reading my newspaper, what you might call Diddy Dave joining the layout.

Also later shown enjoying a beer outside the pub.. all adds a bit of fun to the hobby, this no doubt will lead to a few more of myself on the layout, always wanted to join in with the fun on there…LOL.

Regards 

Dave”

Thanks to Rich and Dave.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if creating your own model railroad is an itch you just have to scratch, the 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.