Model railroad layouts plans

Had quite a few mails on planning a model railroad after Yesterday’s track planning post.

It reminded me of one of the most popular posts on the blog: How to start a model train layout.

And this one too:

How to build a model train layout.

Tom’s post is popular too: Planning your model railroad.

Lots of readers of the blog have winged it and just jumped straight in with their model railroad.

There’s nothing with that.

This hobby’s all about enjoying it. There is no wrong or right way.

Take Wayne for instance. He has a unique style of working but I love what he is doing:

“Good morning Alastair.

I try to read your blog every day. Some of the stuff is very good.

The craftsmanship of these individuals makes me feel I rate in the Freddy Krueger section.

I think if I end up with a rock, and a stick for a layout, I will have the second item on my bucket list crossed off.

Not sleeping at night has its advantage. At night i do the small things that don’t make noise so my son that works during the day can sleep.

Now I start working on the hills around the coal mine. This will be my day job due to the noise I will make.

When I am awake at night that will be my time to start building the trestle from the main line over the river gorge through the mountain and out at the coal mine.

This trestle I am going to do a lot more research into the building of trestles before starting. I will find out today if my yard switcher can pull the grade.

Well at about 3:30 am pst the yard switcher made its first trial run up the grade to the coal yard.

It made it about half way and stopped. The maintenance crew was called out to clear the tracks. They removed a stick pin and the trial run started over.

This time there was no problems, the switcher made the run 3 times.

Now all I have to do is the treseal, and mountains. I will send you more photos as I progress with the mine run.

Thank you

Wayne”

Wayne really did jump in feet first with his layout:

Wayne’s very first post on his HO layout 8×15 is here.

Wayne’s second post on his layout is here.

Wayne’s third HO layout post.

HO scale layout update number 4

Wayne’s 5th update on his HO layout 8×15

Wayne’s 6th update

You all know how much I like an update so I thought it would be good to chart Wayne’s progress.

The same goes for Ruud. From his first post on his HO scale German railway he seems to have done a fair bit of planning.

But even so, issue crop up:

“You asked me about which gauge it was. But I saw your mail too late.

Anyhow, I can tell you that my model railroad is in H0 and DC/DCC.

Why H0? Well, as a young boy, me and my brothers got a Fleischmann train from Santa. We did play a lot with it. Though we just laid the track on the floor of our bedroom and had to pack it away when we went to bed. In due time, we lost our interest in it and it was packed away.

When I had young kids, the virus bit me again.

I screwed the track on a board and the kids & me started playing.

But then we moved again and everything ended up in boxes.

While enhancing the new home, I started to collect more stuff to add to the H0 stuff I had, until I had my own room where I could start a new layout.

Then fate struck. A fire destroyed part of the house, including my room and my train stuff.

Had to rebuild the house. But fortunately, the insurance paid part of the damage. With part of that amount I started anew. This time I made a clear decision to only buy stuff of 1 railroad company and 1 time period. And I bought again H0. This was the time when digital with sound started. That was getting available for H0, but hardly available for N. Besides that I found that H0 trains run more smoothly than N trains and are easier to handle.

Around 2004 I had my new layout ready to run the trains. By then, the kids had lost their interest in trains, so it was just for me. This was a shelf-layout along all 4 sides of the room.

Along one of the long sides, the shelf was 60 cm (2 feet) deep. The other shelves were 20 cm deep with a hangover in the corners. And in the long side opposite of the 60 cm shelf there was a part that I could take out to open the door.

Of course I made some mistakes in this layout. Biggest mistake was that the curves were too tight for the big locomotives and the long passenger coaches to easily run through them. But I could ride may trains and was happy with that. Another thing that I found was that the buildings that were between me and the track obstructed the view on the trains.

Then I had to take it apart again, because of a divorce. And everything ended up again in boxes.

I included 2 pictures of the layout I had then.

Kind regards,

Ruud”

If you’re looking for examples of model railroads, these pages will help:

4×8 HO train layouts

HO train layouts

N scale layouts

Other scale model railroads

The big truth is with planning or without planning, you’ll run into snags.

But I still think a little planning can go an awful long way.

Hope today’s post has helped with planning a model railroad.

Please don’t forget there’s always the Beginner’s Guide if you want to get going on your own model railroad adventure.

That’s all for today.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Clark’s been having some problems with his N scale track and sent this in.

“Hey Alastair,

Clark here again.

I am still at it, and quite frankly still hopelessly addicted to this hobby.

But I recently reached one of those moments that I suppose all modelers have at one point or another.

It’s a worrisome, sleep depriving, I “can’t believe I even have to face it” moments, when I realized I would have to replace a section of installed, and already ballasted and running track!

The blood in my veins ran cold as ice, as I knew I would have to face this.

I was replacing a badly kinked section from my original design that I think in my heart, I knew from the beginning would be a problem.

I just didn’t want to face up to it. I had underestimated the curve after a cross over – well, you’ll see from the pictures.

But I’m here to tell all the others who will face this, just be patient, breathe, and have confidence in your skills, and you’ll get through it.

The ballasted section had to go.

Removing the bad section.

Laying the cork.

Added Flex track.

I’ve attached a series of pics documenting this change & result, and here is a video link for the latest.

I’ve added a trolley car, on a reversing switch, that can be timed, so it goes back n’ forth & I love it!!

Clark”

Clark’s N scale track problem is a common one. Yet the solution is simple enough – don’t even think about scenery until your track is running perfectly.

The track can’t run just okay, but absolutely perfect.

It really is worth the time and effort – and there are hundreds of posts on the blog to prove it too…

In fact, I’d really like to hear your opinions on it, please do leave a comment below.

It reminds me of one of Bob’s posts.

His layout is properly stunning, but he was kind enough to put together a post of the thinking and planning behind it.

You can see Bob’s N scale post here.

We all learn the hard way, except for those that take the plunge with the Beginner’s Guide.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

A big thanks to Clark.

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.

Wayne’s been in touch with his American Flyer model railroad:

“Al, I am a regular reader of your layout plans and gained a number of ideas which I incorporated into my project.

I began in my extra garage in January with two four by eight foot platforms plus a two foot extension between them front and back.

That enabled an open center section for me to be able to access the rear corners of the layout.

Subsequently I covered the access section with a cardboard based painted lake which then waterfalls into the front of the layout where three trains bridge over the river valley.

The trains are from my childhood when my father began collecting the Christmas layout we set up each year starting in 1955.

I saved the trains, Plasticville buildings, and lights so the layout provides a lot of special memories.

I am now retired in Florida and have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and fun of recreating so many memories. All of the trains are operating despite their almost 70 years age.

American Flyer S gauge trains are less popular now, but were a significant contributor toward model railroading in the 1950’s.

They now provide me hours of fun as I add 1950’s era vehicles and operate my trains.

It has become a project that will go on forever😊.

Enjoy,

Wayne”

A big thanks to Wayne for sharing his American Flyer model railroad.

There’s quite a few on the blog now. Here’s a few more:

Ken’s American Flyer.

Jay’s Amercian flyer

Cecil’s American flyer layout.

Cecil’s layout is pretty big – 13×27 feet!

And if you like the really old American Flyer stuff, there’s this one:

American Flyer trains 1950.

That’s all for today folks.

Please don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to get going on your own model railroad adventure.

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.