Model railroad layouts plans

Brian’s been back in touch with the latest on his building kit bash:

“Hi Alastair, hope you can use this.

Not much done on the HO scale Seafood Emporium this month as I decided to take a break and get on with other model railroad bits and pieces.

On the Seafood Emporium, I assembled the guards/store building to add to the side of the main building.

The walls had shingles added and the corrugated iron roof was painted and weathered.

I found it very easy to add the corrugated iron sheets onto double sided tape and it sticks very well. I do the same with the shingle strips and is much easier and less messy than the suggested glue method.

I half painted and weathered as well as the nails added to the corrugated iron sheets to show the process of my technique.

Doors and windows added to the shingled walls.

Final placement of it for the time being next to the card stock mock-up.

A start on the main building (modified and a mirror image of the kit).

All the nail holes added using a dress makers (ponce wheel) tool to add them. It is now is ready to cut out the door and window placements.

I could not use the original front and back walls as the clapboard siding would be on the inside.

I cut new walls from sheets of the clapboard siding that I have on hand all the time. (Made by Northeastern Scale lumber) available from Walthers in the USA.

I use my magnetic corner clamps to hold the walls in place to check assembly and fitment.

The top casting temporarily in position. Note the elastic band holding the top section together. Another great modelling tool.

I was able to use the end walls as they remain the same whether mirror imaged or not.

This is where I deviated from building the SF kit to do something else.

I was given an HO scale MDC (Roundhouse Climax kit) with plenty of parts missing. My intention was to convert it to a static non powered HOn3 loco to place it at my car repair shop.

I delved into my bits box and found enough detail to add to it.

I had a spare pilot deck (a brass one removed from one of my brass locos and replaced it with a snow plow) in the bits box and added it to the Climax loco below.

I cut out the door and well as the simulated wood pile and replaced it with real wood (skewer sticks). Added a gauze spark arrester to the top of the smoke stack.

Placed temporary in the logging area until the repair shop is built and then add the final detail to it, ie: chain, barrels and the odd scrap. The Climax locos were used primarily in the logging industry.

Moving to another area of the layout (Pelican Bay extension) I started finishing the harbour wall which is over three foot long.

It is a piece of Masonite cut to the height required and painted with Woodland Scenics Concrete colour, bollards,Cleats and tyre bumpers were added and weathered with the proverbial rust.

The wall is near completion and must add davits and a few dockside cranes to load and offload merchandise from the industries alongside.

Once done, it’s back to the Seafood Emporium building.

A break to do other modelling stops the boredom creeping in from doing the same thing for any length of time.

Till next time, keep modelling.

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna RSA”

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his building kit bash. Impressive stuff!

You can see his last post here.

(Brian’s also in the Hall of fame.)

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you spring out of your armchair and join in with the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

I have a blast from the past for you today – Will’s army model train.

William sent this in, way back in 2012, but it’s still one of my faves.

I loved it:

“Thought you might like to see some pics of my Army base, it is 1 of 5 tables I’m working on.. Let me know what you think.

William”

It’s great isn’t it?

There are quite a few army model train layouts on the site – here’s another:

“I thought I would share an update on my WW1 railway. If you recall it is set somewhere in the south of England in 1918.

You will see I have installed the Oxford Rail railway gun in a siding which doubles as a small military camp. I have decided it is too much trouble to actually get the gun to run with the clearances it requires.

Phil”

You can see all of Phil’s pics here on his WW1 railway.

Phil’s WW1 railway update

“Thought I would share an update on the WW1 railway (somewhere in southern England 1918). The last few weeks have been about details and in particular figures.

In the gun park you see gunners working on their railway gun and watching some squadies square bash

The airdrome has now got pilots mechanics and of course an O/C!

On the platforms I have added some propaganda posters

Phil”

You can see Phil’s WW1 update here.

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.

Best

Al

Robert’s been in touch with some very nice N scale buildings – it’s a fab little layout:

“Hi!

I started this N gauge project three years ago. Now you can see it is nearly complete.

The layout is a figure eight nested inside an oval. The town of Sunnydale is on the left, with a boardwalk and a beach.

In the center is a mountain with a resort on top, and to the right is Forest Falls. There is an aerial tramway going from Sunnydale to the resort.

I tried to create a pleasing place I would want to jump into. This is what I got.

The mountain top is connectorized so I can remove it and place a small Christmas tree in the center when the season comes.

Here is an aerial view of the cul de sac. There is a gazebo at the center, with shops are at 10, 11, and 1 o’clock and a church at 6.

These two stores are illuminated with interiors. The store pharmacy windows have apothecary jars and window displays, while the restaurant has tables and chairs, DIY. What you may not be able to see is that there are backgrounds, also illuminated.

I searched for photos of apparel shop and pharmacy interiors, reduced the size, then printed it on photo paper.

An LED behind it brightens it like a rear projection movie screen, and use of foil on top redirects light to brighten the windows.

Here are April’s Bakery and a swank home with a school bus in front. You can see tables and chairs in April’s for those who must eat NOW.

Here’s a better shot of April’s. You can see the background showing the counter and a lady in front of it ordering her goodies.

This is a boardwalk leading to the beach, with a guy walking hastily to check out the chicks. All my stuff is scratch or heavily modified, but the boardwalk is special; the rails are made from angel hair pasta.

Here is Forest Falls. You’ll see five waterfalls. Notice there is a hot air balloon on top of the mountain and a guy on a diving board waving to the balloon riders while building up courage to take a dive. Pig sty at 12 o’clock and a shack with a still at 1 and the Early Bird Bait Shop at 2.

This shows the continuation of the water flow. Five falls to a lake, ending in a river that flows under the tracks and then under a covered bridge (built primarily from toothpicks).

Here is another viewing angle of the falls. The windmill in the foreground does indeed rotate. I built the structure around a tiny right-angle 3VDC gearmotor. You’ll notice two sandhill cranes doing a mating dance in the back yard at 6 o’clock. There are a couple of foot bridges spanning the babbling brook. A cow is crossing one while another cow contemplates following, maybe to check out the sheep by the windmill. Almost every house has a hitching post with horses.

Here you see a Sinclair gas station with illuminated background interior, illuminated pumps, and illuminated sign. Getting lights into homemade N gauge pumps was a hoot. Incidentally, all the street lights flicker and were built from scratch. The food store has an actual interior I made. To the left of the food store is an Oscar Meyer Wienermobile. Little Oscar is popping out of the top to give the kiddies wiener whistles and hot dogs.

In case you couldn’t read the Sinclair sign, here it is.

You can see the lighthouse with its beacon and flashing warning light, then clockwise is the carousel (3VDC gearmotor, illuminated, scratch built), the cotton candy stand, the lodge (soon to be with beer garden), an illuminated fountain, the balloon, guy on a diving board, and the foghorns for the lighthouse. But what’s that fire burning down below?

Oh no, it’s a dragon! Actually it’s Elliot from Pete’s Dragon. He’s so happy… lazing on the beach, watching the waves, with a tropical cocktail on a granite table along with a bowl of apples for roasting!

My sister in law was looking at April’s Bakery on the other side of the board, and she was amused. She asked what was upstairs. I said nothing. She replied, “Well, there’s what looks like a chest of drawers and a couple of light fixtures. I think someone’s moving in.” (If you look at the close up photo you can see the artifacts she was talking about.)

Robert”

A big thanks to Robert for sharing his layout and how he designed his N scale buildings.

(Don’t forget, there’s lots of printable buildings here).

What I liked most about Robert’s layout is had a clear theme in mind: somewhere he’d like to visit.

As you all know, I do love a layout with a theme.

Rob’s buildings also reminded me of Richard’s: N scale buildings and structures.

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 More N scale layouts here if that’s your thing.

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