Model railroad layouts plans

Dean’s been in touch with his model train lighting post:

“Al,

I’ve been updating my lighting (and other electricals) on my N-scale Conejos Valley Railroad.

I’m getting back to the layout as you can see from the placing of tape for pouring plaster roads (shown in the first photo), a project I’m now working on. More to come!

This entry deals with how I built a more permanent lighting system. It could be adapted to any small train layout as you can see.

Here’s how I made it using standard lighting and PVC plumbing parts from a big box store.

The first shot shows the final double lights.

The next photo shows a diagram of the dimensions of pipes using ¾” PVC parts.

The next shot shows how the two vertical pipes were held to the sides of the model train layout. This is a tight friction fit which allows the height of the lights to be adjusted.

Here is a photo of the parts I used. How to wire the lighting fixture was shown on the back of its package.

Here is a lighting diagram for wiring the standard lamp fixtures. The wires run through the pipes going to the left. In the US, the wire used for the neutral is marked with a molded line or ribs.

The pipes were temporarily held together with tape for support. The two wires from the lamp fixtures were connected to an extension cord with the female end cut off.

This extension cord ran down the vertical pipe through a drilled end cap. Wire nuts were used as shown in the photo below.

Be sure to connect the three neutral wires (marked as above) and the three hot wires together.

Model train lighting:

The wire nuts were then wrapped with black electrical tape for insulation and the wrapped wires were pushed back into the pipes.

Finally, here are three photos which show the even lighting with these lights.

Al, thanks for all you do for this hobby.

Dean from New Mexico”

A big thanks to Dean for sharing his model train lighting post – there is lots on the blog about adding lighting to the actual layout, but I think this is the first on shining a light on the actual layout.

Here are just a few of the posts on LED lights:

Adding lights to model railroad buildings

Model train LED lights

Connecting LED lights to power

LED street lights

LED lighting for your model railroad

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 Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Andrew has been in touch with his Hornby Dublo 3 Rail Layout:

“Dear Alistair,

Please find attached the fourth and my best Hornby Dublo 3 Rail Layout built in my shed. You have kindly posted the previous 3 versions which when completed have not quite satisfied my ideal.

This layout is of no particular time with 1950’s original locomotives and rolling stock given to me as a child mixed into scenery containing buildings and vehicles from the 50’s to date.

To allow main line running as well as branch and shunting of goods trains I have a fictional place. It starts at a terminus station called Tankerton with an Inter-City express service, local passenger trains as well as coal, grain and assorted freight. A small roundhouse and turntable are located here to service tender locomotives together with coaling and bespoke water tower.

A single line winds through embankments, cuttings and rural landscapes to arrive at Central Station with run-around loop sidings, oil, cattle and freight shed. Coal and water to replenish locomotives are available.

The single line continues to North Junction branch station with factory, loading dock and freight dock.

In addition to a track plan, I have included an ordinance survey type map showing the single-track main line as it leaves Tankerton passing through to Central Station and the branch line to North Junction. The main line continues to the return loop to bring intercity express trains back through Central and to terminate at Tankerton.

Please find attached some photos and I have a short video of the layout with some trains operating that I hope may be of interest.

The video – my first effort of filming with my mobile phone while driving the train as well as stopping to change the points/switches – all are manual.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew
Andrew in Oz”

A huge big thanks to Andew for sharing his Hornby Dublo 3 Rail Layout.

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.

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

Brian’s been back in touch and shared pics of his display layout HO scale:

“Hi Alastair,

Attached are a few photos of the HO scale 6ft X 4ft display layout that I built for the Hobbies fair that I mentioned in my previous post.

This was a working HO standard gauge layout to give the public an introduction to the world of model trains.

It was an oval with two sidings and did allow for expansion on the one side as seen in the photo top left.

A divider was added off centre down the centre to split the layout to have different view points. A foam mountain was added as there was to be a mine next to it as well as a river.

A road was carved into the display layout mountain to give the impression that it went somewhere. Plaster was used to cover the mountain, riverbed and a small hill in one of the corners.(bottom left). Woodland Scenics ground foam and Talus was added where required.

The mountain continues around the divider with a tunnel at one end. The tracks for expansion at both ends can be seen below.

More ground cover and trees added and Woodland Scenics realistic water will be added last.

Display layout HO scale:

The mine was assembled and added to the layout. This photo shows the water added.

A small deck was added to the ‘lake’ and a boat.

Overall view of one side.

An HO Rivarrossi Heisler has just crossed the bridge with rake of cars behind it.

Another train crossing the river with the mine in the background.

A diesel locomotive pulling a train around the layout.

This is the town scene on the reverse side of the divider. To give the illusion of a larger town, the assembled buildings shown here were cut in half and the back half was reversed to face the front and modified slightly to give the impression of full building. They were the placed up against the divider.

This is a photo of the display layout stand at the Hobbies Fair. It won first place for the best stand on the show.

Again, this HO scale layout was built many many years ago and was sold after the Hobbies Fair was over. I kept getting asked during the seven day show if the layout was for sale.

It was actually sold on the second day but could only be collected at the end of the seven days.

I really had a lot of fun building these layouts for the Fair.

I will post some more photos of the next one that I built which was a bit bigger – 8ft X 4ft one.

Brian – the HOn3 guy from Knysna RSA”

A big thanks to Hall of Fame Brian, for sharing his display layout HO scale. It reminded me of Dan’s:

Model train display.

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 Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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