Model railroad layouts plans

Ralph has been in touch – he’s shared pics of The General model train, and some Marlin’s too:

“Hi Al,

Just completed my first HO layout.

This was my first attempt in constructing a layout…since the last time I played with trains is well over 70 years ago.

Am thinking that a monorail above the layout could be interesting. Problem is that I have not seen monorail equipment. Does anyone out there know where I can be find it?

The first two of the vintage Marlin train.

The second two the Marlin intermodal.

The last three the Bachmann “The General”.

Thanks,

Ralph”

A big thanks to Ralph for sharing pics of The General model train – the Marlins look good too.

Now on to Peter:

“I have to say at the outset than I am no modeller and indeed for the ham fisted like me choosing N gauge has proved a real challenge.

I confess to a lifelong interest in public transport starting with a TT gauge trainset in the late 1950s.

Adulthood, raising a family and work got in the way of furthering the hobby. Retirement in 2013 provided an opportunity to pursue the interest and, with our three children having moved out, requisitioning the fourth bedroom for the purpose (a decision my wife, Jill, now rues!).

Started with the aim of building a Southern Region layout and got the ball rolling by acquiring a Merchant Navy class loco and three SR coaches plus a 4 car CEP EMU. However, having worked in Germany, I was tempted into juxtaposing the South West London environs with Bavaria. So with loads of different rolling stock I’ve ended up with a real mish mash.

I went for a layout on two levels which would provide variety with five circuits enabling a number of trains to run simultaneously.

Judgement of my modelling skills I will leave to fellow members of this group but it was great fun. Oh and early on I decided to introduce non-working overhead wiring to the German section – not particularly good for the back. Laying third rail for the Southern was relatively easy by comparison.

As to the electrics, starting off my knowledge was confined to the ability to change household light bulbs and fitting three pin plugs! The basics of wiring the layout were actually relatively straightforward. The decision to light buildings and streets came as a result of seeing what was possible after visiting a number of model rail exhibitions

I would caution against going to the next stage of introducing working colour signals and traffic lights as I did, not least because the wiring for LEDs (cathode v anode) differs in the UK to the rest of the world (something it took me several months to discover).

Adding electric points (turnouts) for hard to reach areas followed. The other hard lesson learnt is test lighting/wiring before installing it! And I still need to get round to organising the wiring.

My local shops in Essex, John Dutfield in Chelmsford and Plus Daughters in Basildon have been incredibly helpful and I would always argue for shopping at a local stockist before opting for online.

In addition, exhibitions, Layouts 4U and Block Signalling have proved invaluable in aiding my exploits.

I’m part way through writing a manual for the layout because there is so much that requires documenting which I’m happy to share if it ever gets finished!

And layout development is not over. I’ve applied my limited lifetime programme management skills to bear and been quite ruthless in making changes – buildings have gone, stations replaced and tracked uprooted.

My next project is to build a fairground on the Aldi car park site – the problem is obtaining an all singing and dancing motorised ferris wheel which is out of production … but I’m still looking.

I hope that this has provided a bit of an insight into the trials and tribulations experienced over the past six years!

All the best

Peter”

A big thanks to Ralph for sharing the General model train pics, and to Peter.

It’s still wonderful to see all your different layouts after all the years. Please do keep ’em coming.

That’s all for today folks.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to get going on your own layout.

Best

Al

Rich has been back in touch with some very impressive N scale girder bridge pics.

(His last post is here).

“Hi Al.

I know its been a while since my last post. From time to time life gets in the way of our hobby.

Through what I have learned on your web site [ I read all your posts. ] I believe I have done well on my side cliff coloration blend.

Still working on many other areas of my lay out and loving every time I get the chance to work on it.

Thanks again Al for all your posts.

Hope you like the latest pics from my train room – very pleased with my N scale girder bridge.

Happy Modeling

Rich from N.J.”

Wow – an N scale girder bridge! Fiddly work.

And now on to Eric. I found this when I was looking for the Orient Express post the other day (I’d just watched the film).

It really does sum up a lot about this hobby:

He’s been back in touch after his last post:

“Al,

Thanks for getting my story up so quickly. It was great reading all those wonderful comments!

I’ve noticed a lot of people mentioning getting their start in the hobby way back in their childhood. The same with me. I was about 5 years old when my Grandpa who lived in Germany sent my Dad and me some Marklin HO trains.

I remember my dad starting a layout that we never finished as we ended up moving to Hawaii. This was back around 1965. I remember a photo of my Dad and me working on the train layout and I just happened to find it again! I have attached it.

Might be interesting to see if others may have photos of way back with their original train sets. It would be real fun to see a collection of old photos and you may want to ask if anyone has any they would like to share.

Please feel free to share my photo on your site if you like. It made me feel real good seeing my Dad again in the picture.

Thanks again for everything you are doing to share this hobby with the world!

Eric”

Now for the latest from Richard:

And let’s have a look at Richard’s update. He’s been busy with some fine weathering:

“Hello Al.

I have been tending to some of the minor improvement tasks on my N-scale “Mountain View Railroad” layout since my first post in early August which you so kindly published on your blog.

I have finally received several shipments of trees which were back ordered for what seemed like an eternity and this has kept me somewhat busy planting them. I now have over 6oo trees on my tiny 4 by 7 foot layout.

I have also been a bit busy weathering some of my rolling stock. See pics below.

In addition I have been placing additional N-scale persons and vehicles around the layout. I still need lots more people around “Merchant’s Row” and the train station.

My layout is broken down into 4 basic areas:

The “FARM” area
The “RESIDENTIAL” area
The “INDUSTYRIAL” area
The “MERCHANTS ROW and TRAIN STATION” area

With my limited space of a small bedroom in my apartment, my work space as well as my storage space for my railroad “stuff” and tools was getting to be a bit of a mess. This necessitated purchasing some fabric with a steam locomotive motif print to hide the mess when I am not operating my trains.

My sisterI fabricated a “skirt” for the two sides of the layout that are not up against walls. There are two fabric panels which provide access to the stored “train stuff” and the engineer’s control panel which is mounted on a set of ball bearing slides designed for a computer keyboard allowing me to slide it beneath the layout platform when not in use.

Here’s a couple of pics showing the skirt and the layout in its current state.

Some stats of the layout are as follows:

Approximately 64 feet of Bachmann E-Z track with integrated ballast
6 each right hand #6 Bachmann remote E-Z track turn-outs
5 each left hand #6 Bachmann remote E-Z track turn-outs
7 each Bachmann E-Z track siding bumpers
67 Buildings and other structures
32 Steam and Diesel locomotives
170 Freight and passenger cars
106 automobiles and trucks
30 Street lights

Here’s a few of the weathered rolling stock (there are over 150 more to be weathered) *LOL*

Now that winter is on our doorstep I hope to get a bit more accomplished on my layout………Still lots to do, but it is getting down to the tedious chores that sometimes really tax my patience requiring me to take occasional breaks to maintain my sanity. *LOL*

Thanks for all your hints and tips. Without them I’d be lost. You certainly have done more than your share to support this great hobby. Keep riding the rails.

By the way, do you know of any firms that sell an N-scale powered hand car?

Regards,

Richard
Maryland
USA”

That’s all for today.

A big thanks to Rich, the other Rich and Eric.

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

Starting with Steve’s layout today – which really is like a model train starter set.

As a rule, I don’t usually post when people only send in pics. A little narrative or back story adds so much to the post.

But Steve pics, focus on my favourite topic – making a start – so I thought I’d make an exception:

I think a model train starter set is a great idea – anything that gets you laying tracks and getting the feel of what needs to be done and why is a good thing.

And talking of making a start, I recently did a little survey on some of you.

To my surprise, some of you didn’t know there was Beginner’s Guide to help you make that start. So if that’s you, here it is.

Now on to Paul:

“My pics showing installation of permanent magnets for uncoupling in a switching layout.

This photo shows the slot cut in the bottom of the screw to allow adjustment from underneath the baseboard.

This photo shows the cars being uncoupled.

This shows the partially finished switching layout.

This photo shows the finished product.

Paul”

And now on to Brian – a blast from the past.

I watched Murder on the Orient express last night, and it made me think of his layout.

I’ve said it before, but I really do think one the things that makes a good layout is a theme:

“Having more or less finished my n-gauge layout a while ago, although of course as we all know a layout is never really finished, I decided to start a OO gauge layout in the loft and
venture into the world of DCC operation and sound.

Although the various sounds of steam and diesel for each locomotive are incredible, I hadn’t foreseen the problems of working and running a model railway in an environment with extreme temperatures in winter and summer (yes, even here in the UK).

Anyway, I won’t dwell on that, especially as my finance manager won’t approve the budget for a full loft conversion or even roof insulation, funny that!

Moving swiftly on. With a friend and his little boy coming around to see my n-gauge layout recently, I thought I’d better tidy the shed up, and consequently sold quite a few items on e- bay. As the star of my layout is the eight coach Kato Orient Express (with lights), I decided to purchase another more up to date loco to pull it, the Fleischmann SBB-CFF-FFS Re460 (popularly known as the Lok 2000).

There are several manufacturers who have produced this locomotive in N gauge including Minitrix and Kato, and all are very fine models, but Iopted for the Fleischmann and haven’t been disappointed.

It’s interesting that the Swiss Federal Railways decided to benefit from the revenue generated from advertising on the Re460’s, and that the model manufacturers have faithfully reproduced some of these.

However, finding the fantastic photograph of the VSOE (Venice Simplon Orient Express) crossing the Luogelkin viaduct in Switzerland double-headed by the SBB Re460’s in standard red livery (see my video), I had to have this version.

The Orient Express coaches that you see in the video are one of the two CIWL (Compagnie Internationale des Wagon-Lits) coach packs produced by Kato to celebrate the 1988 record breaking ‘longest railway journey’ (15,000km) Paris to Hong Kong via the Soviet Union and
China, staged by Japan’s Fuji Television.

After arriving in Hong Kong the train was shipped to Japan for a three-month schedule of promotional journeys. The quality of the Kato models is exceptional. Mouldings are crisp and the detailing of door handles and windows is outstanding. The lettering and CIWL badge are so good, that through an eyeglass one can read the lettering in the logo.

Unlike the early Lima CIWL cars, the Kato models have detailed interiors. The Pullman saloon car is supplied with table lamps that light up as standard, and the other cars (in my set) have been fitted with the Kato lighting kit that gives a general level of lighting to each car.

I think you’ll agree that the complete train looks just great on my layout, but it failed to take the ‘star spot’ in my friend’s little boy’s opinion. That was taken by Tomix’s Thomas the tank engine with Annie and Clarabel. Now, there’s a surprise.

Brian, Berkshire, UK”

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Thanks for the emails yesterday about Mike’s ebay bridges. It got me thinking: Please do let me know about any odd, wierd, wonderful products on ebay.

I think it would be quite fun to post about them.

That’s all for today folks.

A big thanks to Steve, Paul and Brian – please do leave a comment below if you want to get involved.

That’s all for today folks. Keep ’em coming!

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to get going on your own layout.

Best

Al