Model railroad layouts plans

Gary’s been in touch with a fab update on his model train yard design:

“It’s been about seven months since I last sent an update on my HO layout of the PRR Sunnyside Yards.

I had completed about 95% of the Engine Yard and have been working on the Commissary Yard.

I have added a road coming into the yard, a South End Yard Master Tower, the Commissary building with a small US mail service, Coal Bins for the electro Power Plant, a small electrical station, a road construction scene, the North End Yard Master Tower, a Hobo camp, the north end shanty, a lunch wagon and a maintenance crew repairing a broken guard rail along the road coming into the yard.

It is by no means completed but the major structures for the yard are in. I still have some open areas that I need to fill in and I have to decide what type of ground cover for the commissary yard to put down so that the ground does not look like a painted plywood board like you will see in some of the pictures.

I also have to add some detail to the Con Edison shack by the power plant. But like the engine yard, to which will be adding the train washing machine, I will be tweaking and changing and adding to the commissary yard.

I don’t think you are ever really finished; there are always changes and improvements.

I know I have to work on the ground cover and even out some of the edges of some of the scenes.

Some of the scenes, I did off the layout and then laid them into the layout; but the edges are too obvious.

One thing about taking pictures of your layout, looking at the pictures can highlight some of the flaws and things that you would change or improve on.

But at least finally I am going to get to work on my engines and assembling passenger trains for the passenger yard.

There are six tracks in the passenger yard and tracks 2 thru 6 will be upgraded to have magnetic uncoupling so that I can change engines on the trains.

Since I am running this layout with DC, I will also add blocks on the beginning of each track so I can control the power to the track the way I have done to each of the engine yard tracks. And of course there will be some scenery and trackside details in the passenger yard.

Future work that I have is to finish the ballast of the tracks, replace some switches with under table switch machines, upgrading the two main line tracks with blocks and signals so that I can run multiple trains and bring trains off the main line into the yard.

I also plan to build outside the yard a White Castle Hamburger restaurant. This will be from scratch because I cannot find a kit for it anywhere.

I have taken pictures of the Whit Castle near my home and will build the model from those pictures.

When our crew worked at night we would go to the White Castle on Queens Boulevard on our breaks. I think it is still there.

I am also going to add a road north of the yard that will have a gas station and a Harley Davidson motorcycle shop. Both of these businesses were close to Sunnyside Yards.

Last but not least, deciding on a backdrop. I have pictures of the factories that were along the north side of the yard and I am going to see if I can get them enlarged and mount them behind the layout.

If you go on-line and google pictures of Sunnyside Yards, you will see the buildings and factories.

Now, on to the pictures I have sent along with an explanation of each one.

I must tell you that I found doing the buildings and scenery and the details took me a long time.

It was a very slow process because I tried to get it to look as realistic as possible.

I have seen the work that your Hall of Famers and other modelers have done and always been amazed at how realistic they can create their scenes.

Overview of Commissary Yard looking south

Overview of the Commissary yard looking north with the engine yard on the left

South End Yard Master Tower

Delivering supplies to the Commissary

Staging yard for supplies

Preparing supplies along Track 1

Busy work at the Commissary

Overlooking the Commissary Building

Crew repairing broken guardrail

Lunch Wagon

Loading mail for front end of the passenger trains

Handling the coal for the power plant

Construction on the driveway

Pigeons on roof of power plant

Hobo Camp

North End Shanty

Lunch at the shanty

Feeding the pigeons at the shanty

North End Yard Master Tower

North End Yard Master Tower

I had to add a picture of the Engine Yard

As always, thanks to Al for posting our work and keeping this site so important and enjoyable. Thank you Al. Keep up the great work. I look forward each morning to see your nest post.

Regards,

Gary M from Long Island”

A massive thanks to Gary for putting this together – I hope you enjoyed his model train yard design as much as I did.

And if you want to see how important making a start is, here’s Gary’s first ever post.

Once you’ve made a start, well, things just roll along then:

Gary’s second post.

Gary’s third post – he needs a little help.

Gary’s fourth post.

Gary’s fith post.

Gary’s sixth post. This one’s a humdinger.

Gary’s seventh post – an electrical problem!

Gary’s eigth post.

Gary’s ninth post.

Gary’s tenth post.

Gary’s eleventh post.

What a journey, eh?

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if Gary has inspired you, I suspect you’ll love the Beginner’s Guide.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

John has been in touch. He’s had a marvellous idea for his model train theme.

“Hello Alistair

I’ve been reading your posts for some time.

I’m finally getting on to sending you some information about my modeling. I’m a semi-retired architect from Boston, MA USA.

I had an N-scale layout in the 1970’s. It was something a colleague of mine and I did to pass the time as we were working for our respective firms designing the sign system for the Atlanta’s MARTA. Things ended up in boxes until last October.

I’ve been a fan of the Bermuda Railway for a long time and thought it would be a perfect model train theme. My late wife and I used to do a week in Bermuda in October fo quite a long time.

That’s when I learned about “The Old Rattle and Squeak,” described as the most expensive railway ever built.

It’s a terrific railroad to model, because, in its 26 miles, it had two tunnels, three major bridges, many trestles, and an urban waterfront.

Well, last October, I decided to take the plunge. The first order of business was creating rolling stock.

A Bermudian had commissioned a designer to create models of the bodies of a motor coach, two frieght vans, and two passenger cars. Shapeways makes them.

I found two Tomy trolley kits that fit the motor coach and the freight vans. Then I found couplers that are independent of the bogies.

With a lot of fiddling, I managed to put together a motor coach.

Using that learning experience, I made chassis for the passenger cars and finished them with bogies and couplers.

I’ve learned now that I should have painted my pieces before assembling things. I also found a source for custom decals in Canada to complete the appearance of the rolling stock.

About a year ago, I designed a room-sized layout. I haven’t built that yet.

In the mean time, I designed a small – 24” x 30” (60 x 75cm) – layout where I could prototype the elements that will be needed for the room-sized venture. I call it “2-1/2 acres,” because that’s its size in N scale.

I dug out my boxes of N scale material from the 70’s to start my build. That was at the end of 2019. As of this beginning of 2021, 2-1/2 acres is almost done.

I’ve followed the advice of Kaustav Chatterjee to make most everything by scratch, but I’ve rounded out the landscaping with some super trees and some bags of ground foam that were in my box of track.

The layout is DC, because I’m using my equipment from before.

Thanks for maintaining your website and blog. I look forward to reading it every day.

John”

Now on to Arnie:

“Hi Al

Have been a model railroader since my early years starting with Lionel and going to HO and then N scale. Living on the other side of the pond on the west coast of Florida.

Below is a new startup from HO to N since my wife wanted to share the room.

The layout in on a 6 food by 30 inch table and the foam under lay makes it 75 inches by 32 inches.

I wanted a long straight run and by doubling back with elevation I got what I wanted.

Below is a track layout made with Scarm track designer and some pictures of my layout and model board and small work bench. Enjoy.

When I have my backdrop up and the trains running I will try sending a video.

Arnie”

A big thanks to John for sharing his model train theme, and to Arnie too.

If you’d like to see some of Kaustav’s posts (who John mentions), his weathering one is here.

And his scratch built barge is here.

It really makes me smile when folk write how the blog has helped – I hope it’s inspired some of you in some way, but most of all, to make that start.

I know I keep saying it, but it’s the start that stops most of us.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And dont’ forget, the Beginner’s Guide is here if today is going to be the day you grab the bull by the horns.

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.

Bob’s been in touch with his L shaped HO scale layout:

“I dismantled my layout in January and started a larger around the wall layout with a swing gate.

Below are pictures of where the layout stands today starting with the track plan.

The following are pictures taken from points around the layout.

I added a 1×4 ledge just below the ceiling and installed LED strip lights to get better coverage of the layout and eliminate harsh shadows.

The following are pictures of the block control and other power connections.

I have four PSX1 circuit breakers; one four each half of the double mains and one for each of the yards.

I have an SB5 that powers half of the double mains and one yard and a DB5 that powers the other half of the double mains and the other yard and another PSX1 that provides track power to my three Switch8s and an PSXAR1 that controls reversing the lead from the bottom main to the turntable that is to the left of the roundhouse.

I am currently working on a flashing crossing with working gates for the double main as well as test running all my locomotives.

Once everything is good to go, I will decide on what scenery I want and do the backdrop based on that.

There will be a tunnel in the corner where the drainage ditch is. There is a piece of Masonite protecting trains from falling off. Access is available from below in case of derailment.

That is, it for now. Thanks for all you do for the hobby.

Bob in Newport News, VA.”

(You can see Bob’s last post here.)

And now to Hall of Fame member, Bill.

He’s sent in this vid of his trains running – stunning stuff:

“Hi Al

I’ve taken a little break from project work on the two layouts in my garage and just had some fun running the N Scale layout. I’ve attached a link to the video. Just some relaxing rail fanning before I jump into the next project, or two, or three 🙂

Best to you and all fellow modelers.

Bill in Virginia”

That’s all for today folks – a big thanks to Bob for sharing his L shaped HO scale layout, and to Bill.

If you’d like to see Bill’s last post on his backdrop, it’s here.

And of course, he’s in the Hall of Fame too.

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.