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N scale Canada layout

William’s been in touch with his N scale Canada layout.

I love the way he picked his theme, era and scale:

“Hi Al,

Thank you so much for persisting with these posts. It has helped me to see what others are doing, how they are doing it but mostly you have encouraged me to carry on (albeit very slowly).

I just turned 80 in a few weeks ago and looking at the pix on this machine I got your book and started on my layout over seven years ago! Sigh!

As your book highlights planning is important; but before you plan you need to know what you want to do, and for a first layout, that is hard (or was for me anyway).

What I decided I wanted was a cross section of Canada in my younger years and to convey a sense of space.

I just measured my total layout (not all shown here) and it comes to 137.5 square feet which I work out to be 81 acres.

So I knew at the start O or HO scale would not work for me. I looked at Z scale and decided it was (a) expensive and (b) hard to find CP and CNR running stock in Z. So N scale it had to be.

I also decided my time period, which maxes out before the formation of VIA rail which was in 1977.

But I am not much of a purist, so if you notice that some car looks like a 1978 Monte Carlo, please forgive me.

So the next step was to grab space. There was a room we used as a store room at the foot of the basement stairs. I built shelves along the back wall for some stuff. The rest went (in many trips) to the Goodwill or the Sally Ann.

The door opened inwards, taking up valuable space. I replaced the door with a sliding door, but that involved moving the doorway about 8 inches. Then I tiled the floor ( but I still haven’ grouted it).

The layout sits on blue construction foam or white foam scrap which in turn sits on 1/2 inch ply.

The right hand edge of the layout folds down to allow access to the closet and one set of shelves is reserved for panels (mostly old floor tiles) which hold shopping centres, car dealers etc. when the folding part is in the down position.

Electrically the layout is a bit different. For the track power there is no common ground. The layout is powered by multiple little plug-in transformers which drive 3 Bachman controllers and 4 DC controllers I got off ebay for a couple of bucks each.

The layout is blocked into multiple sections and no adjacent sections share a controller so there is no possibility of a short. (This is a bit like the old electric shaver outlets in bathrooms.)

It was my early intent to automate the running of the layout. To this end I bought two banks of DC DPDT relays. They are still sitting in their packaging.

Surprisingly my 81 acres supports four towns – Knocnarea in the tourist area by Lake Notalotawata, HillTop Village, the town of Yester and Smogton City(to be constructed).

Each town has its own railway station. As well as Knocnarea, Union, Yester and HillTop stations, the area is served by Yester-Smogton Regional airport (YSR) which has barely a one thousand foot runway (the planes are 1:200 SCALE).

Night landings are prohibited – I am still in the process of installing the runway lights and caution must be exercised departing YSR on runway 19 as an immediate right turn is required to avoid entering the closet.

William”

A huge big thanks to William for sharing his N scale Canada layout.

(It made me think of Fred’s: N scale Canadian layout.

I love the way he bought the Beginner’s Guide 7 years ago, and just made that start.

One of the many wonderful things about this hobby is that you go at your own pace, and that’s where a lot of the enjoyment is I think.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if William has inspired you to get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

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

You can download this building here.

Model train decals

Chuck’s been back in touch with his model train decals.

He really enjoys painting and decaling his locos – and why not?

The great thing about this hobby is there are so many sides to it.

If running trains is your thing, then great.

And the same goes for painting your locos and adding decals:

“Hi Alastair;

I decided to attach a few more pictures of pieces that I painted and decaled.

In the last post, one reader asked what paint I used. Actually, I use several kinds.

I use Tamiya, Polly scale, Tru-scale, and others.

Polly scale is my favorite and is long out of business but can be had for up to 30 or 40 dollars for each bottle on eBay.

As far as decals I use North East (also long out of business) Microscale, and K 4 pacific. All being water slide decals.

I still enjoy doing this part of the hobby and will probably continue to do so.

Thank you for all you do and thank you to all the readers and contributors, this is a great hobby.

Chuck”

Fruit Growers Express Norfolk & Western # 295624, Built by Model Diecasting, painted by me.

And now on to Jim:

“My Layout is now 12 years old, it’s mostly automated and is shaped like a giant number 9.

It has a 26 exit turntable, 14ft 9 platform terminus station, a smaller station and one large goods yard with digital working cranes.

I have last added a Viessmann windmill with slowly turning sails.

I think the layout is now finished as I just opperate trains now which is great fun.

Jim”

A big thanks to Jim for sharing his model train decals, and to Chuck too.

That’s all for today folks – but please do keep ’em coming.

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

Best

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Model railroad tools

Today we hear from Old Taz again, who shares his model railroad tools.

But that’s not all he shares – it just goes to show what an amazing lot you all are:

(This entire post is all from Old Taz.)

“Hi Al and all you Model Train enthusiasts.

This hobby is the greatest and the people that are in it are top notch. 1.you don’t have to stay inside the lines. We’ll get to two and more later.

It’s been a tough as I lost my son in December. Al you and all of your subscribers have helped me through this by having something to get up and look at each morning.

I’ve got some tips and hints that I’d like to pass on to all of you. Because of my neuropathy in my leg’s hands and arms. It takes me a little longer and I’ve had to adapt some tools to make it easier.

I’ve got a list here someplace if I can find it again.

I make sanding boards by gluing sandpaper to different size pieces of Masonite, that way they’re flat and can be used over and over again.

I found that if I put a couple B-B’s In my paint bottles when you shake it up it seems to help mix the paint. I usually thin the paint just a little bit my own preferences.

I made-up a tray that hooks to the side of my track in several places. The Tray was made out of an old broiler pan. I used some old shelf hooks fastened to the pan and they hook on my table in certain places to go along with that I made-up a light stand to work on the table in the same manner.

I use tweezers and forceps a lot more now. because of the loss of nerves in my fingers. If you cut the lock out, they make good plyers. I’ve ground down some of the forceps to make different tools.

One tool is to hold a screw when you try to get them started. A lot of screws are not magnetic and don’t stick to the screwdriver. You can buy these cheap forceps online, watch to see that the finger holes are large enough I’ve had to split them to make them larger.

In the picture left to right tweezers were bent to hold some couplers, the next item are stitch removers and if you get the right ones like this pair, they cut fine wire paper skin anything else that gets in its way.

The next one is a small forcep with holes to fit screws so that you can hold them and still turn them notice it’s shaved down so that it was thinner. The last one is the exacto blade and that was made to pull track connectors into place.

I’ve made-up light checkers so that you can check the light before you install it and know which side to put the Resistor on, I also have made-up a continuity checker with the light instead of a meter so I don’t have to take my eyes off of what I’m checking to see if the meters jumping or not.

I’ve made-up small 12 Volt Transformers that I can hook into my layout without turning on the main Transformers, to check out lighting separately. I have 110 outlets around my layout so that you do not have to have extension cords stretched across the floor.

I’ve made-up 12 Volt speed control to be used on the bench when I take like the racetrack off to be worked on the bench. And there will be more to be worked on the bench. she

I, like some of you, take a lot of medicines so I have bottles coming out of my ears. In some of the pictures you’ll see how I use them to hold tools so they’re not laying on the bench. For me it’s hard to pick a tool up that’s laying down on the bench. Sometimes I need a tool to pick a tool up.

I found a three-wheeler Walker online which makes it easier for me to get around my layout. It turns on a shorter circumference and is a little narrower than most 4 Wheelers.

I’ve turned my automobile creeper into a train creeper that keeps part of my body elevated when I work under the table. Easier on the neck and arms.

When I’m building something that has to be held in place while the glue dries, I use modeling clay in little piles on my workbench to hold the work while the glue dries.

I know there’s a lot of you out there that started with DC and I’ve switched over to DCC. So now what are we going to do with all these engines that are DC. We’re going to want to change them over to DCC. well just as a warning not all of these engines can be switched over to DCC.

Some of them do not have room for the decoder Which means you’re going to have to take some of the weight out of the engine to get the decoder in. This can be a chore on some engines. The motor needs to be insulated from any metal parts on the frame work of the motor. I have used Scotch tape or that clear wrapping tape to insulate the motors.

If you’re going to take some of the weight out to make room for the decoder, make sure you take the engine completely apart so that none of the grindings get in motor. Speaking from experience.

Now I’m trying my hand with DCC and sound, wish me luck I think I’m going to need it.

I hope that some of these tips will help.

Thanks again for being there in the morning gives me something to look forward to.

I have done something this year – I tore up and replaced all my main line track.

Robert my son had been collecting Bachmann track for quite a while, to set up his layout. he lived in an apartment so it was hard for him to set up anything permanent.

He had been after me for a long time to replace my track, that I had laid 10 years ago when I had no idea what I was doing, (still don’t) And I’ve have had trouble with it ever since.

I took what he had gathered and bought some more to replace all my main line track. I don’t think I’ll ever do that again! all my switches were junk that I had picked up and rebuilt (cheapy cheapy).

I’m still working out little problems here and there.

Do I want to power the frogs or do I not want to power the frogs. I also built a little piece to go on my mantle, which so far is staying there.

This was made out of a shield that goes over fluorescent lights so if they shatter.

At one time I was going to use these display purposes on the wall. But after building this little display that’s went out the window. Too much work and You have to glue them down to make them stay on the track. that one went down the drain!

In some of the pictures you will see that I do not like empty flat cars.

OLDTAZ”