Model railroad layouts plans

Dean’s been in touch – he’s putting together a step by step on his N scale scenic ridge layout.

“Al, greetings from Dean in New Mexico! Thanks for your blog which I read without fail!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted but I’ve been working on other things.

A couple of months ago, I started my second version of the Woodland Scenic’s N-scale Scenic Ridge layout.

This time, I wanted to put out a series of construction videos to document progress. I’m hoping that in the series there will be some ideas for both beginners and experienced modelers.

The entire series, as now envisioned, will be as follows:

1. Introduction to Layout and Base Construction

2. Track Laying and Wiring

3. Switches (Turnouts) and Switch (Turnout) Motors

4. Outer Walls, Bridges and Tunnels

5. Terrain Supports and Plaster Cloth

6. Roads and Buildings

7. Final Scenery: Ballast, Ground Cover, Trees, River, Rocks

These show foam pieces with applied plaster cloth construction after track was layed.

Thanks, Dean”

A big thnanks to Dean for sharing his N scale scenic ridge theme. Now on to Butch.

Some people like running trains.

Some people like the scenery side of things.

And some like both.

Butch likes making buildings – and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s all about having your own fun:

“From 1995 until 2001, I assembled approximately 80 buildings and then packed them in boxes and stored them in the attic.

About 5 months ago, I retrieved the boxes from the attic. I found that, because of conditions while in storage, many repairs were necessary.

With the repairs completed, I assembled the structures into neighborhood blocks.

I am still in the process of building neighborhoods but intend to construct a complete city. I estimate that about one half of the project is done.

I will have no railroads but with my fleet of 20 trolley cars, my city will be served by street raiiway systems.

Charles

Northampton MA USA”

That’s all for today folks – please do keep ’em coming. A big thanks to Butch and Dean.

Please just email me if you’d like to share anything.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if today is the day you start on your own layout.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

I’m not sent many European HO model trains – so here’s one from Jan that is really coming along:

“Hi Alistair,

After reading so many of the posts I thought of sharing a couple of pics of my modular HO lay-out.

I’m not much of a scenery builder and having the trains running is more important for me.

The lay-out is not really modeled on anything real but can be set in Belgium, this implies driving on the left track like in the UK.

The layout is digital and controlling the turnouts is done via JMRI (a free and powerful software solution).

There are three locations I gave a name, in the centre “Bouchout”, the station building has been scratch built by an acquaintance some years ago as is the signals house on the left. Both scratch builds were existing buildings. The station is like Bouchout used to be in the 1960’s and the signals house was in Mortsel, both near Antwerp in Belgium.

The upper level on the right is ”Bovenlaar” and you have to imagine an exit at the bottom over the tunnel.

The return on the left bottom is called “Krupeke” and named after the little castle, Crupet, that will come on top of the hill. I have the building, but it is a kit with 100’s of mini bricks and it still has to be built.

The signals are not prototypical Belgian. They’re cheap Chinese made green/red. Prototypical Belgian signals are pretty expensive and much more complicated to control.

I’m using a Tams MasterControl multi protocol command station, the computer is a Raspberry Pi4 (2GB memory) running JMRI and connected via USB to the command station.

The trains can be run using either wired controllers or using the smart phone, which I typically use.

To be able to control turnouts away from the central PC you can use a tablet with any browser connected via WiFi. Very practical.

So the pictures. Those are taken from left to right. The trains are a mix of German and Belgian. I like to mix the European HO model trains.

The day before I took most of the pictures we had some friends over and their 10 year old son had some fun putting figurines all over the layout.

Image 1: The far left stopping place, under construction but now the tracks are all operational, called Krupeke.

Image 2: Partial view of the left side with hill. The hilltop was dressed up by my then 14 year oldest daughter.

Partial view of the left side reversing loop with scratch built signal house. The rock was built by my then 11 years old younger daughter, so it has to be on the layout 😊.

Image 4: Overview of Bouchout station, with two trains in it. The incline in the back is 2% with a pimped Roco bridge. The brick wall paper is no longer available, since the late 1970’s, so I scanned the original and printed on Conqueror paper, which has some texture, and it came out very nicely.

A Roco series 60 diesel pulling a set of old Lima M2 cars. Better looking versions exist with shorter couplings etc.

Close up of a series 60 diesel in Bouchout.

Image 7 & 8: Overview of Bovenlaar and hidden track. Some of the printed scenery may look familiar 😊. Showing a Roco series 62 diesel, Fleischmann type 93 steam (small one) and Prussian P10 with a series of Belgian K cars.

Image 9: Piko Series 77, actually in service with the SNCB/NMBS, national rail operator as heavy shunter and for cargo transport with current colour scheme. The steam engine is a Roco type 90, type number for small series of locos.

Console 1: Showing web browser view of main layout

Console 2: Showing JMRI related screens

View of the cabling bus. 8 wires look like a lot but most are effectively used.

The whole layout is about 5.3m long. The narrow modules are 30 cm wide. Against the wall you can see some modules hanging. They can be used for other configurations and to connect to other layouts using the Fremo/Modul-HO-Rail standard.

In a future installment and if other readers are interested, I will post some pics of typical Belgian trains, or can even do a little movie.

Best regards from

(Mr) Jan”

A big thanks to Jan – I do love seeing your layouts from different parts of the world, I don’t get set many European HO model trains. It reminded me of Rob’s European model railway.

That’s all for today folks.

If you want to start on your very own layout, don’t forget The Beginner’s Guide is here.

Please do keep ’em coming.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Before we start with Gerry’s post on building HO layout, here’s a quick missive from John:

“Dear Al, just wanted to say how much I appreciate your efforts.

I got my 1st train set in the 50’s. always looked back on it w/ fondness.

Then when I had children I decided to build a layout for my 2 boys. I didn’t know anything, but I went ahead via model railroad magazines.

I built a double train layout so both my boys could drive a train w/o waiting turns. I think I did fairly well for a total novice.

But the real pay off came one night when I came home from work late. Went into the kitchen to get a soft drink and there on the dining room table was a note. Writing in childish block letters it read,

Dear daddy thank you for the best train set ever! Love Andrew and Marshall.

Ty, john

ps planning to build something for me, please continue w/ the wonderful tips and advice.”

I never know what’s going to pop up in my inbox, and John’s mail really made me smile.

If you have a similar story, please do mail me or leave a comment below. I’d love to hear it.

Now on to Jerry:

“Hi Al,

I have been slowly building a new HO layout which is just now ready for electronics work as all base painting and landscaping is done.

But big problem as my first attempt to attach feeder wires off a bus line has resulted in cross circuits. Need help!!!

So need to get locomotives running before doing detail work on every square inch ovt next 10 years…

Had just 2 inches to spare to get boat in the garage and close the door…!

Thank you AL for your blog as I really enjoy it and Johns paper buildings keep me busy in winter as we return to Florida for winters.

Thanks.

Gerry.”

A huge thanks to Gerry. Please leave a comment below if you can point Gerry in the right direction on his feeder wires.

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 HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

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