Model railroad layouts plans

Ever wondered how to get rid of the model railroad backdrop gap?

Backdrops look great on a layout, but they can start and finish quite abruptly.

Henry’s been in touch with how he hides the transition between the two:

“Hello Alastair

I have not sent in a video or pictures in some time, as I have been rather busy working on my layout.

I’ve been hiding the joint between the foreground scenery and photo backdrop.

I have always been keen on using a photo backdrop for added realism, but how to make the transition between the 3d scenery and the backdrop is always a challenge.

I have found a couple of techniques that seem to help with this transition.

You can use a wall or a fence, or as the photos show, vegetation.

Disguising the ends of the backdrop can also be a challenge.

On one side, I have used a multi story building, and on the other side a large tree.

Regards

Henry”

A big thanks to Henry for sharing his model railroad backdrop gap solution.

Backdrops can make such a difference to a layout – but certainly there harsh endings can cause a few visual questions.

And now on to Peter, who is asking for comments before he get’s busy on his layout:

“Hello Al:

Again thanks for your continued work. Yours is the first email I open every day.

I enjoy seeing what all the RR folks around the world have been doing and what challenges they’re faced with… and how they overcome them. Quite educational and creatively inspirational actually.

It’s always a good email to open first!

You were kind enough to publish my ‘tester’ shelf layout a while back – a fictitious town called Amaranth Falls. I made the layout in about 4 months and enjoyed the process.

The feedback provided by the readers was very positive. I have since given that layout away and it became time to plan the ‘Empire Layout’… but construction could only begin once the renovations in the basement were completed.

The basement work should be done within the next 2 weeks, so I have been madly planning the empire layout (probably over 50 plans made to date actually).

I started on a 4 x 8 layout but it just became too difficult to fit everything in, especially trying to preserve a minimum 21” radius.

So its grown marginally to a 5 x 9 ft. layout with an added extension for a large marshalling yard. I think it can work.

Having more space would be lovely, but it is what it is. So I had to get creative.

The way the basement is constructed, there is a cubby space for a future gas fireplace that I’ve retained to provide a much needed inspection access point at the back side of the layout.

I’ve provided a layout plan, and a few CAD photos taken from the SCARM software I’m using to plan the layout. Hopefully you’ll be able to clearly see it all here.

I’ve decided to retain the “Amaranth Falls” namesake – but this time it’s bigger and much more detailed. The previously displaced town’s folk couldn’t be more pleased!

I’d love your readers to study the track plan and provide their thoughts. Keep in mind there are many more connecting roads, trees and forests, signed RR crossings etc. that were just impossible to include with these software visuals. I’ve included a hand written description of some of the layouts attributes which may help readers see the direction I’m going in.

I’m trying to create a layout that provides a continuous run loop plus opportunities for switching operations simultaneously.

Also incorporated is a reverse loop allowing trains to re-enter the marshalling yard in a forward entry fashion. The layout will be DCC.

The minimum radius is generally around 21” – 24” and all but 3 switches are #6 or more.

The other 3 are #5 and are in the small marine terminal marshalling yards preceding that terminal.

It will be modeled in the 1940’s – 1980’s era in North America.

Most rolling stock will be the 40’ variety, save for the passenger train coaches. The layout is inspired by the Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway (TH&B).

I think I’ve got a solid plan here, trying to maximize the space but ensure things aren’t too compressed. A 2nd, 3rd, 4th… etc. set of eyes may come up with a blinding flash of the obvious that I’ve missed.

And that’s where your good readership group comes in.

I look forward to the feedback.

Thanks Al!”

Thanks to Peter for sharing. But who can help?

Please do leave a comment below if you can share any advice, because after all, it’s always better if we don’t have to find out the hard way…

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you say no to boredom, jump out of your chair and join in the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Old Taz has been in touch with a model train around Christmas tree.

If you want a little festive cheer when it comes to trains, you need to start thinking about it now…

“Hi Al and all of AL’S train buddies

I’m going to show you a few of the things that I’ve done in the past for Christmas.

Eons ago, my wife bought me a Kincaid Christmas train. It was another eon before I had time and a space to set it up.

When we moved into our new house (built in 1942 new to us) I had the bright idea of having a model train around christmas tree, rather than below it.

I started with a fake Christmas tree and built a platform at the first section. Had to block it up so it was level and so that it was the same height as our Bay window.

The platform was made to fit the track that was with the train. It had one switch with it so I made it so that it would go down into the bay window.

The buildings and people were bought at the dollar store. We ordered them in bulk over the Internet. The snow was a thin layer of cotton sheeting.

The first year the, train would only go down into the bay window.

The next year, I added to the model train around christmas tree and had it come out the other end and go around a coffee table, which had to be raised to the height of the bow window and was done with four (coffee cans).

The next year is when I got mixed up with little r my friend down the street. That year, I decided to go HO in the bay window. The turns were such that I had to add onto the platform to make the turns so that it came out into the room further. I did not have any HO track, so I went to my friend little r and got some of his surplus. He always has surplus.

The platform was inch and a half styrofoam. hills and scenery were also Styrofoam. I didn’t have any HO passenger cars. So, I ordered them from EBay and tried to get ones that would be of the right vintage for the Christmas express.

The lights in the passenger cars are those small candles that have batteries in them and flicker. Again, I used the ceramic buildings and people from the collection that bought from the dollar store.

A lot of the trees and shrubs are twigs and branches from real trees and bushes. The display did not get to my bay window that year. It ended up in the corner window of our bank downtown.

It was displayed for the month of December during which, the town had what they call, the Christmas walk, where the stores stay open and serve cookies and hot chocolate. There’s a big Christmas parade. To show it on that night I had to be locked in the bank with one of their personnel during the time of the walk.

The next year it still didn’t get displayed in my bay window it went to a restaurant downtown where it was displayed for the month of December. Little r also had a display in a window down the street from me. So, we were both in display windows on that Christmas.

Sometime during all this mess, we had both of our displays at the senior citizens center here in town. Sometime while it was there, I gained a car. One. of the ladies said she had one at home and just put it on my display. pretty cool Huh!

Next year I finally got to display it in my bay window. Two of the pictures shows a friend from across the street over here running the trains. He sat there for three hours. With a grin on his face. I had the smoke going on both engines’ I wanted to give the. layout to him but mom says no. The layout and trains were given to two brothers. Their dad made a special place for that layout in their bedroom.

A friend of ours would like to have us set up the big layout in his store this year, but because of security and the health of myself and my friend Richard I don’t think it’s going to get done. I think I’m going to go back to my bay window in N engage. Mabe invite the school kids to come up on the deck with their teacher. I have a lot of surpluses to do it with.

At the end of the video Richard and I are setting up four or three months stay in the bank window. It started in October for Thanksgiving, November for Halloween and then we changed it again for Christmas. For Christmas the cars were changed with Seighs and sleds on the roadway. Sorry, I have no pictures of this Richard I of both lost them.

Computers, can’t live with them, can’t live without them, says who?

Merry Christmas in July Ho ho ho and happy modeling!!!

The old taz”

Model train around christmas tree:

A big thanks to Old Taz for sharing his model train around christmas tree.

You’ll remember is now one of the Hall of Fame members, along with his pal ‘Little R’.

But do you know what?

Whenever I put the Hall of Fame pages together, there is always something gnawing away at me. It’s this: what if I’ve overlooked someone?

Well, just a few days after Old Taz and Little Rich appeared in the Hall of Fame I got a sledgehammer sized blow when John popped up in my inbox.

How could I over look John with all his done for the blog over the years? So I’m putting that right.

I appreciate there are lots ‘Johns’ featured on the blog, but you’ll know who I mean instantly if I show some of his pics and his last video again.

He’s happy in any scale:

And he’s also busy building his small gauge railroad:

And apologies to anyone else who should be in there and isn’t. I’ll catch up eventually.

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 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 an update on his small gauge railroad: the Breccia Light Tramway.

And my word, what a project!

“Some dreams take a while.

When I was 13 years of age I dreamed of having a railroad in my back yard. I did get about 20 feet down but that was as far as it got.

Five decades have passed now, half a century, and that childhood dream is coming true.

About two years ago I made the commitment to move from Southern California to Northern Nevada. I found a property that I could afford at the edge of nowhere and made the purchase.

The area was one my wife and I dreamed of retiring to when we found it on our honeymoon. Alas I lost her in January of 2020: That and other life events in early 2020 encouraged me to leave the stress filled urban life behind and retire early.

The purchase was completed in August of 2020 and I purchased some temporary panel track for my outdoor railroad that November of 2020.

The panel track was an important planning aid and I still use it when I need to test an idea or two.

After the panel track had convinced me that my ideas were not quite as daft as one might think, I decided it was time for real track to replace the panel track.

Rail and ties/sleepers were purchased from Allen Models of Nevada. The manufacturer of the ties (also the switches/turnouts/points) is a company called Accu-Tie.

The ties are designed to hold the rail in gauge (7.5 inches). Their switch kits are precision engineered and go together very nicely — Yes, they do make things for 7.25 inch gauge as well.

The first purchases of the Accu-Tie products were made in January of 2021.

One of the the challenges of building my railway has been that the “flat” piece of property that I purchased isn’t.

I was used to the California definition of “flat”. By Nevada standards my property is “flat” even though it slopes substantially from the upper Northeast corner to the lower Southwest corner.

The geography of my property has meant a lot of digging and fill work. This is all done by the work crew of me, myself, and I.

All the earth work has been done by pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow. No heavy machinery has been employed.

I might mention that the soil has a lot of rocks in it. Fortunately what I call “rocks” qualify as pebbles when compared to other rocks on properties nearby.

I also made a screen to separate the larger rocks from the dirt I use for ballast.

From the beginning, one purpose for my tramway has been to help me maintain my property.

Although I use the wheelbarrow a lot, the railway has moved its fair share of rock and dirt as well.

The line is unique in that it will soon have three turning wyes but no “run arounds”. This odd arrangement has been driven by the slope of the property.

The first of the three turning wyes went in around March/April of 2021. It was put in specifically to turn carloads of dirt and rock as I was moving the stuff from an area with too much dirt to an area I needed to fill.

I have done my best to keep the grades at 1.5%. While on a small gauge layout that seems gentle, it is a remarkably stiff grade when real dirt is being hauled and the load can weigh over 200 pounds.

Most of the early work was done in 2021 with me only visiting the property either one or two weekends a month.

Some ideas worked short term and some had their own season. I had planned to use one shed for equipment storage as an example. The door to that shed made using it difficult so that was very short term.

Also the shed began to be filled with stuff I had in storage down in California.

Another idea was a track through my carport. The slope of the floor of the carport made that spur a challenge after a while and it was rationalized once I had cleared a space for a yard. Even the yard has changed a bit over time.

By September of 2021 I had about 300 feet of track on the ground. As part of that track there were eight switches.

One of my goals for the line was to be able to take my trash/rubbish to the front of the property. That was about 200 feet from the end of track at the time.

There is a mostly dry creek that runs through the middle of the property. It is a dry creek except when it isn’t. When the creek is running it can have a fair amount of water in it. A bridge was a necessity.

This was my first bridge and was constructed in September of 2021.

As of June 30, 2022 there are now seven bridges on my railroad.

Once the bridge was in I could grade to the front of the property.

My second turning wye went in just past the bridge. With the second wye in place I could run wye to wye, fun.

While I had constructed a “locomotive”, it had some issues (I didn’t know it at the time but there was a warp in the frame.

Another issue was that I graded the line quickly and while it looked flat enough, there was a bit of 2% that I have since corrected.

I mention these little errors for two reasons, they happened and they are an opportunity to share a lesson in learning. We learn more from our errors than our successes.

In September of 2021 I also picked up a steam engine for my line. It needs some work but the price was right.

In October of 2021 I picked up an engine kit from Plum Cove. This became the motive power for the present.

A little more of the line to the front of the property.

This track was in by the end of November 2021. With the roadbed graded I did put down 100 feet of track in one day.

November 2021 was also when I began living at the Nevada home full time.

In December it snowed.

In February I ended up with the dreaded disease that shall not be named. All work slowed. As soon as I was out of quarantine I began on the railroad again.

I was able to cross the driveway and start working on “the big fill”.

This was the point that I could begin to see that the loop part of the line would be finished ahead of schedule.

I had originally thought the loop would take until September due to the amount of earth that needed to be moved and the bridge that needed to be built.

I worked daily on the fill, I could only move about five wheelbarrow loads of dirt per day. I also raided the roadside for “a few” large rocks. The rocks meant less dirt to move.

This is what things looked like at the beginning of June 2022. One might notice that while the track may span the gap, something is clearly missing!

This is the highest bridge on the line and the one built with the heaviest timbers.

There is a lot of extra timber directly under the track as this is the longest unsupported span on the line.

Presently I have two locomotives on the line that are worthy of being photographed.

The Plum Cove electric has a new body on it. I built this new body to fit my larger sized equipment.

My name for this locomotive is the Washoe Zephyr; It goes like the wind if I let it.

The video of the tine was shot from this unity with a GoPro camera clamped to the back of the roof.

The other locomotive is an Allen Models Chloe based on Ward Kimball’s locomotive of the same name that is now at the museum in Perris California.

I acquired the locomotive second hand and it does need some plumbing work done before it can be operated safely.

While I am doing the plumbing, I intend to replace the boiler jacket and the cab.

She will be renamed but I have not decided if she will be Nani (Beautiful) or Wahine (lady). Both names are Hawaiian.

Some may be wondering what the trackplan of the Breccia Light Tramway looks like.

Well the railroad is not finished yet and a few changes are still taking place. All to the good.

Here is a trackplan of the railway as it currently is. The line in red is still under construction and already there is a revision.

In the plan I prepared about a month ago when someone asked me what the railroad looked like I planned a small yard on the north side of my Conex storage container. Because my planning was done with the panel track that has a 30 foot radius but the track I am laying has rail curved for 32 foot radius, changes happen.

The line that is on the north side of the container will now be on the south side.

There are several benefits to this change: the first benefit is that I do not need to go to a tighter radius!

The second benefit is that it will be easier to roof this over to provide storage protected from the snow.

The third benefit will be that this can be extended into creating a longer loop for operation.

Should I choose, the longer loop that is possible would give me several new choices to keep operation interesting.

It is all a work in progress.

Hope you have enjoyed the story so far.

Best,

John”

A huge big thank you to John, and I hope you enjoyed his small gauge railroad as much as me.

If you missed his cab ride video, it’s here.

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 Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.