Model railroad layouts plans

I do enjoy seeing your model train layout ideas pop up in my inbox.

And Peter has been in touch with a theme that I don’t think I’ve seen before – a train museum!

I liked it for two reasons:

1) It’s a great theme to put lots of trains in a small space.

2) Layouts with a clear theme always seem to turn out well.

I know I’m always banging on about making a start, but coming in a close second has to be picking a model train theme.

Now let’s have a look at Peter’s layout:

“You have published a few of my layouts in the past….all H/O continental layouts etc..and decal application:

I thought I would have a go at some UK modelling…

The pictures are of a ‘Steam Museum’ I knocked together in a few weeks..

After purchasing some second stock from E-Bay..mostly DC with a few DCC loco’s..

The tanker wagons are ‘Roco’ European not UK….but they sort of fit in ok..

The engine shed, just home made..

The led lighting from E-Bay ‘China’..very cheap.

Regards

Peter, Liverpool.”

A big thanks to Peter.

Hope you enjoyed this one – your model train layout ideas always keep me entertained. There’s something about this hobby that gets deep under your skin – I got this from Ken that sums it up well:

“I don’t have any trains Al except a couple of used HO cars I bought at a 2nd hand store just because I could.

I’ve love trains since I was a kid in the 50’s growing up in a small town in lower Michigan with a freight line running through and a spur for the feed mill.

My brother and I walked the rails for miles in the summers. In 1960 we moved to another small down and our bedroom window was 50 feet from a DT&I line that ran a freight thru at nite around 2 am.

My brother would get a flash light out and give a couple of quick blinks to the engineer who the started doing the same. Some times we opened our curtains quietly and turned the room lights on so they could see us waving. Got the same from the cab. Made our nite and hopefully brightened up the crews nite.

When we both went to college, the line was torn out so our younger brothers missed out.

To this day, i have lived close enough to lines to hear the whistles and horns through the day and night. Always seems to be a comfort to me and a reminder of special days and nites.

Ken”

If you feel like Ken, and a tinkering with a layout is an itch you really want to scratch, my advice is pick a theme and make a start.

The start is everything.

Here’s Peter’s start:

Look what he ended up with! On quite a small space too.

That’s all for today folks.

And if today is the day you press the fun button to see what you can do, 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.

Henry has been in touch with some thoughts on model railroad details:

“Hello Alastair

Have you ever thought about what makes a layout stand out from the crowd?

To me there are two things, a layout that runs reliably that includes locomotives not stalling, no derailments and turnouts and signal systems that work.

To achieve this, planning is necessary before we even start building a layout. Care in laying the track, testing and more testing. Also setting minimum standards, like all metal wheels, all couplers at the correct height and so the list goes on.

The second thing that comes to mind is detail.

A little detail makes a HUGE difference. I include some photos of small detail scenes, some which are hidden inside buildings, but surprises a curious visitor who peers inside the building expecting to see empty spaces, and then discovers interior detail!

It does not have to cost much either, many of my detail scenes is created simply by how and where the figures are placed to tell a story.

Another area where a little detail makes a big difference is with roads. All roads show signs of wear and tear and their repairs.

When it comes to parking lots, why not add a handicapped parking bay? Or parking meters? Look to the real world for inspiration.

I include some photos of little detail scenes on my layout.

Regards

Henry”

A big thanks to Henry – I couldn’t agree with him more when it comes to model railroad details.

Some well placed figures on a layout bring it to life and give lots of seperate independant scenes.

Take Bill’s switching layout post for example – did you spot the moonshiners? They had me smiling from ear to ear.

And just to really hammer a point home on model railroad details, here’s Brian’s latest – two kit builds for his layout, but look at the detail he’s added.

“Hi Al,

two projects that I have been working on.

The Foss Launch Co is now 99% complete. Only lights and figures to be added until it is bedded onto the layout.

A reminder about the Launch Co that is is a waterfront building and is showing lots of wear and tear on it. Ageing – (Done on purpose)

Here it is on the wharf at the waterfront. (A few people mentioned way back that they saw this wharf at the back of the layout and wondered if it was ever going to be used) This is the one below.

Adding the details to it on by workbench.

All the bollards were cast by me in resin as I will need a lot of them along my vast waterfront

Some of the detail inside.

All the signage on this kit are dry transfers supplied in the kit.

Here is the second kit – a Water Tank and Tool shed. A plus/minus 40 year old kit. Built straight from the plans (very unusual for me not to kit bash it)

added the scribed siding around the tank.

Not an easy task to add shingles to a cone shaped roof. Peaked roof is easy.

Touching up the ‘individual’ planks on the shed

Getting the right colour on the roof shingles.

This is the most time consuming part of any kit – painting and weathering the details on the HO scale wharf.

Making sure that all the details look good in place before gluing them in down.

Overhead view showing the interior detail in place.

All the details have been weathered.

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna RSA”

A big thanks to Brian and Henry for sharing their model railroad details.

By they way, you can see Brian’s last post, his workshop build, here.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you decide to buy a ticket for the fun bus, the Beginner’s Guide is here. Come and join the fun.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

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