Model railroad layouts plans

Rob’s been back in touch – this time he makes a signal gantry:

“Hi Al,

This time I am building a three-track signal gantry from scratch with styrene plastic in structural shapes.

I spent quite a bit of time watching UK cab ride videos and snapping photos of the screen as we passed interesting structures.

I finally started sketching up what I thought would be a good compromise between all the various designs I saw out on the railways and what would work both considering the strength of materials I had to work with and the shapes and sizes available.

You’ll notice the final form of what I have built is a bit fatter and thicker than what can be done full scale in steel. That is one of those compromises I mentioned.

It could have been to scale and I expect it would have supported itself, but it would have been fragile and I wanted it to be able to survive my clumsiness at least for a while.

I have done videos about scratch building the signal lamps before so I didn’t go into that part.

In order to prevent someone else from making the same mistake I made, when putting the wires in the cable trunking or conduit running through the gantry, put the resistors on later after you have pulled the wires through (Thank you Henry Best for that suggestion).

I used magnet wire to run all wires in the structure itself then soldered on extensions of regular hook-up wire to feed the conductors to my panel.

This video does not include the automation of the signals, which will come in a subsequent video if anyone is interested.

Rob”

And here’s the post where Rob scratch builds the lights for the signals.

A huge big thanks to Hall of Fame member, Rob.

His signal gantry looks spot on.

I do so enjoy looking at the scratch builds and creative solutions you lot all come up with.

Please do leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts.

That’s all for this time peeps.

Keep ’em coming.

If Rob has inspired you to make that all important start, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

David’s been in touch with his HO scale train layout.

His journey is one many of us will be familiar with.

“Al:

I thoroughly enjoy your blog; reading it is a part of my morning ritual.

I have learned a lot from your contributors. Thank you for all you do to promote our hobby. You provide a great service to all of us train buffs.

These photos are a long time coming. It has been a journey for me.

It started 63 years ago, when my dad bought me a Lionel 027 train set, featuring a steam engine and tender. As you might expect it had smoke pellets.

Over time he bought me a switch engine and operating accessories. Then him and Mom decided I deserved to have a nice layout.

He built a 16’ x 8’ double track layout with switch track allowing the trains to switch loops.

The main feature, however, was an L-shaped 2 track tunnel made from wood and screen frame stuffed with newspaper and covered in an old sheet, which Mom painted with earth colors and Dad installed red and green lights hooked up to a 2-way switch at the entry of the tunnel. I was the envy of the neighborhood.

In my thirties, a friend and train enthusiast encouraged me to unpack my 2 trains and set them up.

This began a 35-year adventure, which resulted in a 20’ x 30’ basement filled with 14 O-27 trains and a bouser trolley and a Lionel bumper car trolley. Oh yes, the layout was filled with operating accessories. For me, the fun of the hobby became modeling.

Operating the trains did not have the thrill I had when I was a child. I moved 8 times during this period, so my benchwork had to become portable.

I used standard 2” x 4” legs bolted to ½” plywood framed by 2” x 4” frames.

The key lesson from multiple teardowns and rebuilds was that getting the track work right was critical. As a result, I used a lot of half-straight track in my curves to avoid derailments.

When I turned 70, I realized that my railroad empire was no longer fun, because I did all the modeling and building that my basement allowed.

I ended up selling my collection to an eBay trader for about 45% of the collection’s original value. The only thing I retained was my original steam engine and tender, in memory of my dad. It did not take long for me to have “seller’s remorse.”

After giving the idea of starting a new layout, I decided to convert to HO scale. I think, the pictures tell the story of my new adventure.

I love the realism of the HO scale and the building and scenery options are far more extensive Than O-gauge.

What I have found is that I am spending more time and detail in creating the scenery for my layout.

I hope your readers enjoy the pictures.

Best Wishes,

Dave”

A huge big thank you to David for sharing his HO scale train layout – I did enjoy his narrative.

So many of us started this journey with a Christmas gift when we were young and full of wonder.

That’s all this time my friends.

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 Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Heather’s been back in touch with a HO layout update.

There is no stopping them, as you’ll read:

“Hi there it’s Heather & Jason here.

Well we are still at this house no word yet on what is going on so we got back to doing the HO layout.

We touched up some of the first stage then got onto the next part.

Jason has just added the table section B to A on the leg at the bottom so we can move over to there & finish off section A.

As you know we are not trying to do any special places just happy to go with a HO layout from our heads & love what we have done.

We are however still trying to work out some power problems & set up but we are working on it as it is all a learning stage for me in the wheelchair & Jason trying something for the first time.

We don’t know a darn thing about what we are doing but loving it as we go.

Jason was doing a section for power supply for the town so to speak & he could not get any braces in to hold it while glue set.

So I came up with the idea of using my crane to hold it & from there we came up with the idea of using it in the layout & after a bit of talking it over we came up with this.

I don’t think he did a bad job at it setting the crane up ect while I worked on the servo area.

We have a truck fuel area with the cars back at the servo itself we were going to put it behind but found we are not wide enough to do it that way.

When I was driving a rig myself jason’s father had his own trucking business when I met him need I say more.

Anyway I took it from the memory I had from being on the road & put our little twist to it as Jason wanted a cafe somewhere so we added it in here with an old carriage.

We don’t have a truck stop here I wanted because of lack of room, but we do have one up the road near KFC & they have toilet blocks there too.

Jason has his farm near there & that is it for section A, as B is working around his cattle yard.

It’s up to me to lay tracks & I have to split them to fit the rest of the lay out.

The rest of the lay out to go on will be the airport, the dock area, the cattle yards & back to town ?????

I am trying to think how it’s going to go, ok, ha ha ha ha we have it drawn up & in our heads but that does not mean anything as we change it all the time.

I don’t fix anything down I just lay it out & change it as I go to suit the trains & loads that will be running over it to my liking – then Jason tack’s it down or moves it.

Camera is not working at moment so can’t give you a running shot of it all but here are a couple of the area at the bottom section we are nearly finished.

Trailers parked while prime mover has gone to a workshop or to get fuel & a meal at the restaurant up the road others just want a pit stop & KFC

All the best

Heather & Jason.”

I do admire the way Heather and Jason jumped in feet first with their layout.

Even with a looming house move they have cracked on.

This line in Heather’s narrative says it all:

“…just happy to go with a layout from our heads & love what we have done”

That’s the wonderful thing about a layout. There are no time scales. It’s always there for you whenever you have the inclination.

And best of all, they are a lot of fun.

There’s no right or wrong way to create one.

Jumping in or weeks of prior planning are both valid routes.

So let’s look at both options.

Another ‘jumper-in’ is Wayne and his HO layout – and I absolutely love what he’s done.

His last post is here.

And then there’s the planning route, like Jeff’s:

You can see Jeff’s HO layout post here

It just goes to show, it doesn’t matter whether you are a feet-first-jumper-in, or a meticulous planner, both work.

But saying that, they still both on hinge on one simple point: making a start.

Are you a jumper in or a planner? Please leave a comment below, would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

And if today is the day you decide to stop dreaming and starting doing and join in with the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.