Model railroad layouts plans

Scott’s been in touch with his 4×8 N scale train layout.

Well, I say 4×8, it’s two 4×8 tables together to create an L shale layout.

“Hi Al,

I’ve got round to sending in some pics of that track plan come to life.

Already seen that you’ve posted the track plan layout, that elicited a comment about ‘cluttered-with-track’ layouts. Well, that’s fine, and doubtless many will cringe at my ‘clutter’, but I don’t care, I just want to have fun running trains!

My interest in trains probably started when my dad would take me for train rides on Chicago’s Elevated, which spun around the city’s Loop.

I was just a young lad, and was google-eyed most of the time, taking in all the advertisements inside the train car.

Later, after the family moved to the suburb of Arlington Heights, I would ride the Chicago and North Western commuter train (which I’ve got a replica of on my layout) into the city to meet my dad for lunch in the city.

Still later, when I went off to college in Norman, Oklahoma (I was a meteorology major at the time), and I had almost door to door rail transportation to get there from our house.

It was less than a mile walk to the North Western train station in Arlington Heights, I rode into Chicago, walked a block and a half to the Union Station and got on Santa Fe’s Texas Chief, to Norman. That line ran from Chicago to Houston, Texas, with a stop in Norman along the way. Another mile walk to the college dorm.

I started my first layout when I was in high school back in the early 70’s, N-scale, on a 4×8 table my dad helped me build.

After my wife and I retired from our respective careers in Tucson, Arizona, where we met, mine in television engineering and hers hospital IT, we bought a place in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York.

My wife is originally from the Utica area, and her sister lives in the little village of Dundee, where our summer place is. I have been working during the summers on the layout in the basement, and added the second 4×8 table to form an L-shaped arrangement.

The pictures show the result of many trials and errors, and when I found SCARM I rejoiced, because my first efforts were done without a plan, and getting track runs to match up properly was quite the headache.

One feature of SCARM that really proved valuable was its Model Trains Simulator, which one can use to determine the needed length of a reversing loop to accommodate lengthy illuminated passenger trains, like my C&NW.

I use NCE’s Power Cab with a radio built in so I can work wireless.

I have used the old Atlas switches to control the turnouts, which are a mixture of Atlas and Peco.

The Peco turnouts have under table PL-1000 twin coil motors which work quite well.

I avoid coil burnouts with the use of a Snapper capacitive discharge unit. I found that in order to throw over more than two machines at a time, I needed a higher voltage to provide enough of a punch to do so. I use Atlas Snap relays to provide LED status for each switch, some of them being tandem arrangements, so I went with a cheap 24v AC wall wart irrigation transformer.

The bridge spans I cut from 1/8″ basswood, which is the perfect thickness for cork roadbed to match up to.

One aside is that after I built the fiddle yard, I was amazed that a real-life example exists in southwestern Evanston, Illinois, CTA’s (Chicago Transit Authority) Howard Yard.

As can be seen, I’ve just recently finished laying the track and am still working on little niggly issues with some of my more temperamental locos.

I thinks I’ve ironed out most of them, and will soon start with landscaping, and adding buildings, etc. Keep in mind that my main objective was to run at least five trains simultaneously, and I wanted a challenge to do that!

Scott J.”

A big thanks to Scott for sharing his 4×8 N scale train layout – I’m really looking forward to seeing this one evolve.

When I see a N scale with multiple levels, I always think of Bob’s N scale layout.

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.

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

Brian’s been in touch with how he creates his HOn3 log train:

“Hi Alastair,

One person asked on your blog about how and where did I get the logs that are shown on my logging train.

The first two photos below shows the logs purchased from Walthers in the USA that come twice the length shown here. I cut them to be able to fit on my HOn3 log cars. (My layout is all HOn3)

Below, top left is the master, middle is the raw resin casting out of the mould and the third is two and a half castings glued together to form a log pile at my sawmill.

The photo below shows how I mount the log load onto disconnect log trucks.

This is another longer different log that I cast in resin and painted and weathered it. Also mounted on disconnect log trucks. Disconnect log trucks can be adjusted to fit any length of log.

The photo below shows a different log car called a skeleton log car with a cast resin log.

This is the silicone mould that I made to cast the resin logs. To get the height (length) that I needed, I used Lego blocks to make the box needed to pour the silicone into.

I have explained in a previous write up on how to do silicone casting.

I hope this explains how I make my logs for my log train.

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna RSA”

Brian also sent in the below, and I thought I may as well post it as well:

“Hi Alastair.

I have almost completed the build of the modified – kit bashed FSM Seafood Emporium kit.

It has taken at least 3 months of work, planning on how it would fit in the specific area on my layout and how to modify it to be plausible.

What takes a lot of time and thoughts is working it as a mirror image as well as reversing it and believe me, I’d did make the odd mistake before assembling it.

I did make some minor changes to the kit to personalise it.

Below are a few photos of it. I am busy sorting through my “bits” box looking for details to add to it.

Lights must still be added as well, both in the interior of the workshop and the exterior of the whole building.

The white temporary floor in the workshop has to be removed and all the machines will be mounted on a strengthened wood floor on the wharf.

The whole complex (8 separate components) is shown in place on my HO scale layout.

I searched the internet to find a suitable poster for the billboard as the original poster and other components was missing from the kit.

Below is the building situated in the Pelican Bay Area on my layout. (right hand side)

Some questions have been asked, where are the trains.

The answer is waiting for more HOn3 track and points as the manufacturer of Micro Engineering products has ceased operations at the time of writing. I have had to order Peco HOn3 track and points and play the waiting game for them to be delivered to RSA.

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna RSA.”

A huge big thanks to Hall of Famer, Brian, for sharing his HOn3 log train and wharf update.

I know I’ve said it before but I so enjoy seeing a layout evolve.

That’s all for today folks. 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.

Charlie has been in touch with some simple track plan layouts – and one very ambitious one.

And he got me thinking.

Do most of us wing it, or religiously work from a track plan?

“Al:

I’ve been playing at HO layouts for years, but finally decided to get serious about it.

A design that has been in the back of my mind since 1965 is finally on paper, with plans to start building as soon as I can bribe my wife into letting me have the garage.

I have tried my hand at scenery, but I would rather run trains.

Here are a few layouts I offer free to anyone interested, as well as a copy of my dream layout, the “RailRunner Special.”

Please pass these on to your subscribers.

Charlie
Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA”

A big thanks to Charlie.

Scott has been in touch too with his track plan:

“Hi Al,

I’ve talked about my N Scale project a few times on you blog when contributing my two cents once in a while.

I thought I’d attach the SCARM drawing I used to build it, which proved to be invaluable throughout its construction.

Let me know if you’d be interested in a few pics of what has become quite the monstrosity, with 3 levels.

It’s not at all finished, no landscaping yet, just getting the bugs out of things running right, as you can probably imagine.

Let me know,

Scott”

I’m very much looking forward to seeing Scott’s and Charlie’s layouts as they progress from a track plan to reality. Ambitious stuff.

I’m always intrigued by track plans. Some people use a computer, and some use pencil and paper.

Which is best? I’d really love to hear your thoughts on this one. Please do leave a comment below.

Another thought that crossed my mind is how a track plan that looks ‘too’ simple, can turn out really well.

Years and years ago – 2011 I think – Barry sent in this track plan that he created his fab layout from:

Here’s a pic of it too:

I asked Hall of Fame member Dave what he thought, and he came back with this which really made me think:

“HI Al… I don’t have a track plan as I have never worked from one.

I did take a look at the Peco book of track plans many years ago (they still do them ) and found that its not one for me.

You have to take in to consideration your buildings, platforms, the length you want ie 3 coaches or 7 to fit along the side the platform, so from day one which is 15 years ago now, I have laid my main track then worked from there – the sidings, and outer tracks…

The other consideration is if you work with set track or Flexi track, most of the track plans tend to be using set track.

So all I can say its been done add hock with using my imagination…

Regards

Dave”

I really get what Dave means with this, and it immediately made me think of another Hall of Fame member, Bill, because he draws out his track plans onto his base, so he can really ‘see’ the layout before committing.

And what about the larger than average layouts? So then I thought I’d ask Dick from yesterday’s post:

“Regarding the train layout…like you I prefer pen and paper, I started drawing track plans way back as a child in the late forties.

I just love drawing track plans. The track on my plans represent the centerlines of the track. I have tried several computer aided track planning softwares and I just can’t get the hang of it.

To do this big plan, I drew to scale the space I had available in the depot to use, arranged my pre-built 3′ by 6′ tables to scale on paper, then drew the plan using available track I have
to come up with a decent plan. I must say it came out very well.

I then used the scale plan to draw it out on the table tops. I only had enough room to set up 4 tables at a time in my garage. So I carefully plotted it out on the tables, then took the tables down, and set up the next 4 tables and continued drawing out the plan on the table tops.

Each section of track was labeled with a number/letter combo so that when we set up all 28 tables at the depot it was just a matter of placing the track sections in the proper places..

Dick”

I’d really love to know what you all think on this one.

Please leave a comment and let’s see where we go on this one.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you hit the fun button and join in, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al