Model railroad layouts plans

Don’s been back in touch with his Atlas flex track layout.

I remembered him from his last post because of he sent in some real pearls of wisdom.

You can see his last post here.

Now here’s his update:

“I should bring people up to date.

I had built a layout in a 15×15 ft room in our condo. I tried to use parts of the layout I had started in the basement of our house before we moved into our condo.

To make it fit I had three access lifts. It also covered the window. I lived with it for two years until my wife decided that we needed hardwood floors.

I took it apart and was able to save about 30% of the layout. These parts I mounted on casters so the installers could put in the floor.

It has three features: no lift outs, a window view, and two levels.

The first photos show the new loop on the southwest wall.

It is covered with cork 4×8 sheets from Ebay. There will be a similar loop 20 inches above. The base has odd angles to allow a drop in turntable. I used graph paper to get the proper oddball angles. Templates were then used to set the chop saw.

The next photos show what was saved from the old layout. The upper level is supported by 12 ft 1×4 L girders. The track of the old layout was glued down and could not be saved. I was able to cut it out because the plaster cloth did not stick to the base. I then glued luan plywood to the base.

The layout uses the new Walthers code 83 turnouts and Atlas flex track and rail joiners. Peco rail joiners didn’t work with Atlas track.

I used #20 nails to mount the track. I used #O Brass screws for the turnouts and in the helix.

The helix is 5 ft with a 27 inch radius track. The base spline is 1/2 inch plywood. The grade was determined using adjustable lag screws as shown. The spacing was set with spacers.

I took 1×4 by 8 ft boards and ran them through a table saw to make it the proper width. The chop saw was used to make 3 inch spacers.

By cutting only one edge it was easy to determine the top edge. If you decide to make two smaller cuts, paint the top and bottom cuts so you will know the orientation after the chop saw.

This made 32 spacers per board and I cut seven identical boards. The upper levels were luan.

This helix goes from staging to the main level. A second helix will go to the upper level

The window will be clear other than bridges. The new staging yard will have nine tracks. 1/2 inch Copper tape was used extensively.

Don”

Track was connected with copper wire. 16 gauge wire was soldered and fed under the layout and connected to the 14 gauge bus with Quick splices (suitcase connectors). This cuts down on many under table connections. Post It was used to keep track of polarity.

A big thanks to Don for sharing his Atlas flex track layout.

I always get mails when I show a layout like this, asking, “Why show a half finished layout?”

Well, for me, it’s all about making a start and getting stuck in. Because without that, there are no layouts, and worse, there’s no fun either.

And besides, you can see Don’s ‘finished’ layout in his last post.

Don’t forget to revisit it, you can find it here. There’s some solid advice and great pics before the big move.

Here’s a pic of it too:

Here’s another Atlas flextrack too: Atlas HO Flex track.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you poke boredom in the eye, 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 back in touch with another instalment on his KATO Unitrack system:

“Good evening, Alistair

I check my mail every day to see what you’ve posted. Thanks so much.

I enjoyed sending you may first post to you a while back, and here’s another one.

As I’ve shared with my Bermuda Railway friends on Facebook, I’ve embarked on a new adventure, which I call “BDA3.0.’’

I’ve written you before about BDA1.0 (kit bashing rolling stock with Shapeways models and Tomytec chassis) and BDA 2.0 – the desktop layout called “2-1/2 acres.).

I’d been planning to add a fiddle yard to 2-1/2 acres while building some structures for a diorama of Front Street, Hamilton, but I changed my mind.

The fiddle yard will have to wait for a 32” x 72” desktop layout of Hamilton.

I decided to try out the KATO Unitrack system by tracing a .pdf graphic of their components using the CAD software from my architectural practice.

This is the original design, which as only 32” x 64” showing the track adapted to a compressed version of Front Street based on Bermuda’s GIS files that are publicly available.

I followed Kaustav Chatterjee’s advice about adapting a real setting to a model that he posted a while back.

I printed the layout on 11 x 17 paper, and pieced it together.

Here’s my paper composite laid out on the dining room table.

I bought some Gatorboard for my base instead of going with plywood and styrofoam, because I intend this layout to be a desktop one, too. Gatorboard is totally flat, and very light.

It has a plastic coating instead of paper, so it stands up to water and glue.

Here’s the end result just before I started nailing the Unitrack to the board.

I got some advice from a thread that Unitrack comes with holes on the underside of each piece that can be drilled out to allow for doing traditional track laying.

Gatorboard hold the nails well enough, but the advantage over plywood is the nails can be pulled up easily without damaging the track.

Next are photos of the first of a number of scratch build projects that I’m doing that will result in a diorama emulating Hamilton Bermuda.

It will show the railway line that ran down Front Street and then went into a tunnel under what is now the Queen Elizabeth Park.

This is the fourth scratch built structure I’ve made based on this theme.

The others show up in the video and photos I sent a year ago.

The structure I chose to start with is the Perot Post Office, which is famous because the Postmaster created Bermuda postage stamps – one of only two instances in the history of the Empire.

The drawing is the result of taking photos on site this last November and combining them with GIS parcel information available from the Bermudian government.

I’ll be doing more structures as time allows.

The model is done with Bristol board which has a thickness of about 1 mm, which translates into about 6 inches in N-scale.

The posts in the model are 6 x 6 in scale, then. The tolerance for the build is about 1/2 mm, which is the result of the board, the thickness of the pencil point, and the knife.

I learned a lot during this two week build. I need to get a knife with a finer point to cut cricles, and I need to control my glueing to minimize residue. I need to buy new gesso (the jar I used is more than a year old).

Same deal with some acrylic paint that I wasn’t able to scrape it off when I was too impatient for the art store to open. Net result is a facade that’s lumpy.

The windows, shutters, and doors are colored and ink jet printed. I did the railings by printing on translucent address labels.

I’ll be tackling the build for the stairs when I take on the next structure. I have an idea how I can do it with paper thinner than the Bristol that’s cut and folded.

Here are the BDA1.0 builds on the BDA3.0 layout. They run great.

Next step will be to create the roads my using corrugated cardboard.

After that, I’ll start building another trestle using the jig I created for the one on 2-1/2 acres.

Best

John”

A big thanks to John for his KATO Unitrack system railway update.

His last post is here – the pic below also links to it.

I do love seeing how you all create your layouts. There are so many different approaches – there’s no right or wrong way.

Do you know what I also love? People making a start!

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you decide you’re not missing out on any more fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Bill’s been in touch again with a step-by-step on how to a make a cliff face:

“Hello Al,

I’m sending in a link to the follow up video that showed how I made the cliffs on my O/ON30 layout.

This one shows how I color the cliffs and also shows scenery starting on this piece .

Thanks for all your continued support of the hobby!

I still cannot thank you enough for your blog as it got me out of the chair and back to modeling!

Cheers

Bill in Virginia”

A huge big thank you to Bill. His cliff face looks amazing, can’t wait to see more.

If you missed his last post, it’s here.

Now on to Roger who has been doing some scratch building:

“Allister,

Here’s an N scale model of the Bitch Creek bridge in Idaho that I’m working on

Really enjoy your web site

Roger”

Now on to Joe who has built a wind turbine for his N scale:

“Dear Alistair

Wind Turbine For N-Gauge Layout

Here are the steps to build a wind turbine for an N-Gauge layout.

I recently needed to change the brush head on my Oral-B toothbrush.

Having done so, and as a true model railroad fan, I wondered what use I might find for the old head.

As I stood the old head on the counter, the idea came to me – a wind turbine.

After some thought, here is what I came up with.

First, remove the bristles from the head with a sharp cutter.

If you can’t get really close, finish off what is left with sandpaper or a file.

Next, draw and cut out from very thin styrene or cardboard, one blade.

After trimming it to the shape you like, trace it and cut out 2 more blades.

Twist each blade to give it some propeller shape.

Glue the blades to the brush head.

Cover where the blades are glued with a button or something similar, and paint it white.

Add a hatch or door to the front (for “access”) and a “window” to cover a hole.

I put a small hatch door on the top too.

Also maybe some decals (to cover brand name, etc).

I mounted it on a concrete base (small square of styrofoam painted grey).

I then scratch-built and painted a small maintenance shack next to it (on the right in photo).

Other options – fence it in, use different or no base, etc

Joe”

A big thanks to Joe, Roger and Hall of fame member, Bill.

I have to say, Bill really did make my day by saying:

“I still cannot thank you enough for your blog as it got me out of the chair and back to modeling!”

If the blog has prodded you back into the hobby, I’d love to hear from you.

That’s all for today friends.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you leap out of your chair and start on your layout – just like Bill, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.