Model railroad layouts plans

Dean’s been back in touch – this time he shows us how to clean your track:

“Hello, Al, from Dean in New Mexico.

It’s been a while since I wrote as I’ve been involved in other things.

Here is a short submission on methods I have gathered about cleaning model railroad track that I use on my N-scale layout.

This is a 4-step system that works for me.

A warning: unless absolutely necessary, never use sandpaper or files to clean the track as this leaves tiny scratches that collect dirt and grime.

Step 1: use a solvent such as ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, or acetone (may attack some plastics) to clean off large amounts of gunk.

The gunk can accumulate when you use scenic cement or dilute white glue to set your ballast and scenery.

I apply it to the rails using Cosmetic Wedges from a grocery store.

These are small foam wedges that cost about $0.06 each and are handy for lots of things.

Apply some solvent to the wedges and rub the track.

Step 2: Some time ago, I bought the Woodland Scenic Rail Tracker Cleaning Kit. It includes two abrasive pads, a “Rescue Pad” (use sparingly) and a “Maintenance Pad” (use more often as needed).

The pads have slots that fit over N-scale or HO scale tracks. They can be purchased separately (Amazon) at a lower price then the kit.

Step 3: Chemical cleaning. I use CRC QD Electronic Cleaner (available from Amazon). This cleans the track, leaves no residue, and is safe for plastics. I apply it with one of the cosmetic wedges.

Step 4: Finally, I apply a thin coat of NO-OX-ID “A Special” (also available from Amazon) —the “A Special” in the name is important.

This has been recommended by several members of the model railroad community. It’s a light grease that comes in a small tin and can be applied with one of the wedges or a Q-tip.

As you run your trains around the layout, it will help to distribute the grease.

Here is a video that shows this 4-step process:

A big thanks to Dean. There are lots of different ways to clean your track – whenever I get a post like this I always think of Kim’s track cleaner, which is here:

Kim’s track cleaner.

Now on to Jeff.

He’s another one proving that your layout can be whatever you want it to be:

“I started with HO gauge trains back in the 1970’s before I came down with Leukemia during 1981-1987.

My first set was simple Styrofoam foam based that was roughly a 5×5 up over around and down. Basic Atlas track. A few buildings it came with a Milwaukee f9 diesel, two cars a gondola and the original caboose I still have 45 years later.

I picked up few odd ball cars from a local mom and pop hardware on main street which turned into the villages first chinese restaurant. I have a Tropicana car from those days with plenty of matchbox still to this date.

My biggest layout was a 12 X 5 X 4 X 8. I went from Atlas track to Backman’s easy track and have done semi permanent layouts over the decades. My current layout takes up my living room.

It’s a 7.5 X 8.5 layout.

I have 54 combination switches and 49 are on the layout currently as I have the city in the middle and working yards and industries all over with run through double ended tracks and stub ends on some.

I grew up with Pennsylvania New York Central before they merged into Conrail.

All my layouts have been semi-permantent as I have not done the electrical wiring as I will run a layout for so long then created something different for the next one, though if you would like me to send videos and pictures of my current set up it roughly has about thirty percent of my cars engines buildings on it with a couple hundred trees of all colors and sizes to boot.

I have enough track if my apartment was bigger I could easily fill a 10 X 10 X 10 ft or a 20 X 4 feet if I used all my tracking.

Jeff”

A big thanks to Dean.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming because I enjoy them as much as lot do.

And if today is the day you press the fun button and get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

I think we all start collecting model trains when we start this hobby.

But Brad has taken it to another level as you’ll see:

“My brother is an avid collector of pre-war toy trains, and has a large layout at his home.

Brad lives in Topeka, Kansas. He owns a three story house where he has some layouts going as well as rooms filled with his collection.

I think his wife suggested that he should find another location for his trains or else!

His layout has been featured in a toy train collectors magazine, and recently the local television station featured his “train house “.

He loves to use his extensive collection of rare parts and his vast knowledge of antique trains to repair peoples childhood trains that they find in attics, so they and their grandchildren can enjoy them.

Here are a few pictures, the knowledgeable will recognize that each room (and I am not showing all of them) contains an era or type of toy train.

He showed me a few of his favorites that were very old, rare, and still in their boxes, but I just couldn’t get pictures of everything!

Greg”

A big thanks to Greg for sharing.

The thing about collecting model trains is I suspect it’s rather infectious, which is why we all have our own ‘mini’ collections.

A lot of us can’t bear to get rid of some locos, carriages and track because of the memories they hold.

I’ve lost count of the posts that use fifty year old engines that are still going strong.

Whenever I see such beautiful old train nostalgia, I always think of Hugh’s post:

“Hi Alastair, Enjoy looking at your site.

I like prewar 0 gauge tin plate mainly. So I built this layout for my Great Northern Railway trains. It is based on the 1956 Marx Rocky Mountain Express set and modified to represent the Glacier National Park area.

Most everything is from 1939 into the WWII era when tin toys stopped being produced. All the buildings are card board or wood.

The trains are custom painted Marx plus a set of wooden kit passenger cars that look like the trains GNR operated circa 1939. It is on a 71” x 40” coffee table.

We live in a Victorian house built in 1890 near Glacier Park. So I built a small table top layout that is like the ones Lionel sold in the 1920s and 30s. It is part of the living room furniture.

I some times run Ives, Hornby and Bing tin plate on it. The blue train is a Dorfan 53 with a Lionel motor, an AF mail car and 2 607 type Lionel coaches.

Some of the buildings are tin copies of German ones. I made them smaller to better fit the overall 0-27 scale.

This is one small loop and works good for clock work trains, too. It started out fairly simple and grew.

Hugh, Montana.”

Hope it’s been pleasant trip down memory lane (I adore the poster pic).

Please do leave a comment below if you have a loco you can’t bear to part with.

Back to normal tomorrow!

Keep ’em coming.

And if Hugh has you hankering to dig out your old locos, 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.

Martin’s been back in touch with his O scale DCC layout:

“Hi Al,

A quick update to the changes at Lake Shore on my US based O gauge DCC Sound Shortline.

Readers might remember to flour discharge plant was a short distance away from the main plant, and the rail connection was a bit of a problem as the headshunt could only hold one hopper and a short wheelbase engine, like an SW9.

I eventually came to the conclusion that this just wouldn’t happen in real life, far too time consuming and costly, so a plan was hatched to extend the layout with an island table, which would hold a lumber yard, ( I’d just got some lumber yard buildings from my Brother), and I figured that the main flour plant could handle all traffic and corn oil loading for the tankers.

I also wanted an excuse for a railroad crossing, complete with flashing lights, but no sound as the layout produces enough sound from the engines.

Anyway, another lightweight adjustable table was bought and insulation foam fitted to it to bring the levels up to the required height.

The crossing warning poles I have are for two tracks, but I really only needed one to operate, so it was decided to have an abandoned siding with the track work still in place over the road crossing.

As the pictures will show, there is still a lot to be done.

The old trackage will become the new road and the large blank area is destined to become a diner and school bus facility, if I can get everything to fit in without looking too cluttered.

The photos show a trial train on the new island, and the buildings in roughly their final positions.

The abandoned track will be shortened and moved so the angle across the road is not so sharp, and the siding might be curved a bit more to enable there to be a straight section at the end so the lumber storage racks are parallel to the siding.

As it used to look with the new island table in place.

Old trackbed removed and the new siding trialled.

The old trackbed will become a road with a two track crossing.

Test positioning of the buildings and trackwork. The line closest to the camera is the abandoned one and will need shortening and repositioning to get the angles right.

This is the proposed site for the diner and school bus garage, if it doesn’t look too cluttered.

I will post more over the coming weeks to show the progress.

Martin

Coventry UK.”

A big thanks to Martin. If you missed his first post it’s really worth have a look it:

O scale layout 17×13

And now on to Steve with this tip – it’s funny how the simple things are always the cleverest:

“Hi Al,

Here is a tip for beginners, and anyone contemplating a rebuild.

Don’t lay your track straight onto the baseboard! Raise the track support above the baseboard leaving a nice area in between.

I use 25mmx50mm (1” x 2”) timber to raise the track support by 25mm. For inclines, I just cut the lengths to suit individual track heights as required.

In this way, all your wiring is concealed under the track support and above the baseboard.

No need for conduits etc , just enclose the sides and its all hidden away. Obviously you need to plan where you place connectors (I use screw strips), for easy access.

Regards

Steve (Sydney)”

A big thanks to Martin and Steve.

I love what Martin is doing – he’s another fine example of your layout can be whatever you want it to be.

That’s all for today folks.

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 Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.