Model railroad layouts plans

Paul’s been back in touch – he’s started on his Z scale scenery:

“Hi Al

I have attached some more pics of my progress on my Z gauge layout the last picture being where I am now ive been making a few kibri and vollmer z gauge houses which has taken a while.

Also I made a road layout from some stiff grey card for cars etc and drew the road markings on with a 0.8mm tip white gel pen

I think it looks ok but I know a lot of your other members will have criticisms and I know I will deserve them, to be honest i’ve really been struggling.

Z gauge isn’t the easiest scale to work with there is very little in the way of scale stuff you can get like houses cars trees etc

And because it’s so small its really expensive and trying to scratch build stuff isn’t an option as its just too small to work with so its a nightmare, this is where im struggling,

Ive actually been thinking of just scrapping the whole thing and selling all my Z gauge trains & track etc as I feel like I’ve just cocked it all up and made a complete mess anyhoo that’s where I’m at right now sorry for the moaning etc

Hope the pictures don’t get too many negative reviews

Paul (giddykippa)”

Now on to Cassio.

He’s never a man of many words because of the language barrier – but have a look at his layout:

“Hi Alastair,

My name is Fred Anderson and I am from Victoria in Australia.

I Have just started my first model train layout. I am 76 years of age (not old).

I first brought my train in 2014 but never had the chance to construct it until now. I purchased it through Bissett Magazines, once ever fortnight with a magazine and parts including Engine, carriages, track scenery etc for wholee village called “Little Benton”.

We have since relocated from Goldcoast in Queensland to Melbourne Victoria Australia. We have moved into a Unit from a 3 bedroom house to 2bedroom unit.

After many discussions with wife about having a 12inch around the spare bedroom and everything, we settled for an uplifting table into wall cupboard as per attached photos.

The size is 7ft 8” by 8’6” wide. This is as per plan supplied. Will send more photos and videos as I progress. I have learned quite a lot so far.

No 1 photo is cupboard closed

No 2 photo is 2doors removed and placed in front

No3 photo Table or Bench folded in place

No 4 5 6 is layout as stands now

Thank you

Fred”

A big thanks to Paul for sharing his Z scale scenery, and to Cassio and Fred too.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

If you’d like to share what you’ve been up to, just hit reply to any of my mails.

Please don’t send more than three pics per mail – but send as many mails as you need to get everything across.

Hope that makes sense!

And if today’s the day you start your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Paul’s been in touch with a great ‘how to’ on model train restaining walls.

Hi Alastair, I thought I would share how I made some stone walls.

First thing is to get some white foam board at the dollar store.

Next peel off the paper cover on both sides. This can be facilitated by wetting the paper. You can use the board as a single layer or glue two pieces together with PVA glue as I did.

Next get some cheap ½” brushes and cut off the bristles right down to the metal binding. Using a drill remove the bristles down below the metal at least 1/8”.

This leaves the metal binding exposed which will make the stone impressions in the foam board.

You can make few different brushes and bend the metal into different profiles. Mark the tools you now made with different markings so the you will get different shape stones.

After you make all your impressions in the foam to form your wall you have to paint on the colors that you want. Make notations of the steps you use and the colors so that you get uniform walls.

My walls were colored with the following procedure:

Two layers of Burnt Umber wash allowing drying between coats.

Add the different color stones as you like.

A coating of dry brushed black using a fan brush.

Lastly a single coating of a black wash to emphasize the grout lines between the stones.

“Hi Al,

I thought I would send you some photos of how to easily and quickly make tin or corrugated roofing. I used a artist’s paint tube squeezer that I got on Amazon for less that $6. You can salvage the metal stock from aluminum drink cans as I show in the photo.

Now on to another Paul

Paul”

A big thanks to paul for his ‘how to’ on model trains retaining walls, and to the other Paul too.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to stop dreaming and start doing.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Henry’s been in touch with something that can be a bit tricky, model train signals.

“Hi Al

I just want to share this with you, as some of our other readers might have had similar problems with signalling.

On my layout there is a passenger station with two platforms, that needs to be signalled for operating sessions as the engineers needs to obey the signals.

I encountered a bit of a brain teaser when it came to the simple arrangement of 3 signals at each leg of a turnout or switch.

On the opposite side of my layout, the arrangement is quite easy, as there is a single platform, so a simple double pole switch does the trick.

Throw it to the left and it turn the east side home signal green and the west side home signal red, and vice versa when thrown to the right.

At the next station which is more complex, I wanted to use a similar switch arrangement, which also helps with interlocking, that we do not get to opposing green signals.

I then realized when the Home signal controlling entry into the station, on either platform 1 or 2 is green, I need both the starter signals on platforms 1 and 2 to be red at the same time.

To keep cost down, I opted to use only one single pole switch double throw switch to select between platform 1 and 2 to turn the starter signal green.

Another single pole double throw switch controls the home signal. If I simply wire the signals from the switches, I end up getting a green and red signal at whatever platform I select the starter to be green at, as there is a feedback from the home signal switch to both red starter signals.

Then it dawned on me, why not use the diode matrix system I am using for my turnout control for the model train signals too?

I quickly drew a table with the 6 signal lights, and the switch positions, and saw that I would need 4 diodes to control the signals.

I then wired the diodes into the signal wiring, and hey presto, all is working well.

(I still have to install the signals on the layout, but now the wiring is sorted.

I include a pic with the wiring diagram. Hope this can be of help to someone.

Regards

Henry in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa”

Rob has also done a very helpful post on signals:

3 light model train signal.

Now on to John with this simple tip:

“Hi Al,

Spent many frustrating hours trying to carefully strip the ends of the very thin wires on LEDs and Grain of Wheat Bulbs.

I even resorted to not stripping them but just soldering them hoping the heat would burn off the plastic. Not ideal but it mostly worked.

Today I have found a solution!!!!

I got an old pair of nail clippers, the cheap nasty sort from Christmas crackers, and squeezed them on 3 different gauges of spring steel wire.

This created notches in the clippers which are just perfect for stripping theses fine wires.

Hope this might help any one else struggling with the same problem.

Best regards,

John”

“Hi Al,

I thought you might be interested in this video. I’ve gotten a good response with it on my channel I demonstrate how to add very cost effective signals to any layout.

The first few scenes are just me having a play with my new DCC controlled coaches/passenger cars. It is fun to be able to operate the lighting remotely.

I have heard from many that these easy to understand videos have started them to add signals and railway crossings to their layouts. It is fun, not hard and very rewarding building automated signals. There are many suppliers that will provide kits, but they are expensive. This method is not.
cheers,

Rob”

“Hi Al

Someone asked if the water on my harbor was superimposed.

Definitely not (I would not know how to do it anyway)

Here are a few photos of the water in the harbor.

Many thanks

Brian – the HOn3 guy – Knysna RSA”

A big thanks to Henry for his tip on model trains signals.

What a clever lot you all are. Some great tips today – and a big thanks to Rob, John, and Brian too.

Please do keep ’em coming, and if you’d like to make a start on your own masterpiece, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al