Bob’s been in touch with his new HO scale city layout:
“Hi Alistair,
I’ve finally begun the new SLO&W.
After 7 years in boxes, I’ve completed all of my new benchwork and laid down about 40% of the track and cork roadbed.
Unfortunately I never made a video of the old layout.
Here are a few photos of my progress on the new layout.
It’s still very much a work in progress.
I will have more updates to share with everyone later.
My theme will HO scale city layout but will still include a trestle and bridge as well as some rockwork and detailed scenery…there will be a lot more structures as there will be more of a focus on switching…the layout’s smaller footprint will limit the size of any trains I can run.
My new layout occupies an area about 14′ x 16′ (the old one was in two rooms each one bigger in area than the new train room).
Bob”
A big thanks to Bob for sharing his HO scale city layout.
Just a short movie from the rails, Lots of things to see when moving around the layout.
So keep your eyes open on the layout, not all the fire memorabilia throughout the room and you might see the recovered Titanic propellers on a flat car, rabbit hunters, robo’s hitching a ride, a signal light that fell over and a foam seam that did not get covered with ground cover.
So watch the clip and keep an eye out.
Thanks Al for all your hard work and all the information that your subscribers share.
John’s been in touch with his HO scale 12×16 layout:
“Hi Alistair,
I have been enjoying your site for a while now. Lots of good tips and great layouts.
I have included my HO layout built in Pennsylvania (USA) from 1993 and years later dismantled.We moved to California with no logistical way of moving it so I donated it to a model RR club that had to move and start anew.
The overall dimensions were HO scale 12×16 with 3 lines and a trolley (not shopping cart) line.
Many of the buildings are from the 4’x8′ train set my father built when I was about 8 (I’m 72 now). He was a painter so he made these out of illustration board and painted the detail – sort of a precursor to your printable buildings.
I am starting another layout – N scale – as I have less space now. I acquired all the N scale buildings, track, engines, rolling stock from a friend with a young boy, Travis, in the ’80s.
Travis liked my HO set (in a home previous to the 12 x 16; layout) so his dad built an N scale setup. It was too small for Travis to handle.
In the meantime a friend’s ex wife was cleaning out her attic where my buddy had an HO set up started. She said if you want it come get it. So I did. I didn’t really need all his stuff as I had mine, Light bulb went off! I’ll give it to Travis and his Dad. They were excited, but insisted I take their N scale stuff in trade.
I really didn’t want or need the N scale, but you know – free trains. So I have kept them for about 33 years … and now have a whole set up waiting to be created. I am going to set them up with DCC. Your articles have been extremely helpful.
I have also included a video (shot about 14 years ago – it’s a little rough)
Ken’s been in touch with How to build a model train turntable:
“Hi Alastair
Here are some photos of my hand made turntable for my 0 gauge layout.
I bought a lazy Susan base off eBay for under £12 screwed a piece of plywood across mounted a length of track wired it into my 16v track wiring via a on-off-on switch as you have to reverse the track polarity as the table turns the track round from positive to negative.
Fitted a 15 rpm motor with threaded shaft also off eBay underneath via another on-off-on switch so I can reverse the direction of the table.
To finish I scratch built a hut for the controls added railings, figures, oil drums etc and covered the floor with corrugated sheet painted grey.
One problem was the motor went too fast and didn’t stop immediately so I wired it to a potentiometer and I now control speed and stop it to exactly line up with the main track all for under £35 !!
I have been modeling for a long time now and acquired quite a few brass engines, nice rolling stock and craftsman buildings.
But because of circumstances, I will not be building another railroad for about 2 years, after I move.
And I have also accepted the fact that I will never build one of those huge railroads.
I ended up selling most of the big stuff and started collecting traction models, mostly along the lines of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee.
Traction seems to be a great alternative because a whole train can be just 1 car long.
There seems to be a recurring theme in this blog: “Just get started.” So I am taking that advice.
I am building a new traction layout digitally. Using some of the CAD programs that are available, I have built a railroad along the lines of the North Shore Line, centered around Howard Street in Chicago.
Here is the basis of this layout. Howard Street yard of the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). The North Shore ran right through this station.
Looking at the photo, the track that runs to the upper right side is the Shore Line.
This was the original railroad that served all of the little towns through Illinois up to the City of Milwaukee. It was a long, slow trip because of all the stops and street running along the way.
The track that runs to the upper left side is the High Speed line.
It was relatively flat and straight. Trains would hit 90 MPH as they headed to Milwaukee. This is where the Electroliners ran. The track that heads to the bottom of the photo ran into downtown Chicago on “the El”.
Next, I developed a wish list. I included everything that I could think of, whether it was feasible or not.
Overhead wire, Cobblestone/asphalt streets, Electroliner (High Speed line), Heavy weight cars (High Speed line and Shore line), Streetcar (Chicago Surface Lines on city streets), Steeple Cab for Freight Operations, Merchandise Dispatch for small package delivery. The North Shore offered all of these services.
4×8 and 5×10 plan (Hey,, when you do it digitally, it is pretty cheap.)
Main Street Station Suydam kit. (Couldn’t find a good one on ebay, so I ended up getting a brand new one from Alpine Models).
High speed line with reverse loops and storage stacks, Shore Line with reverse loop and storage in Waukegan (Lake County seat)
Insull Spanish station (This is actually on the South Shore, but they are all the same.)
Interchange track with railroad for freight operations
Ravinia Park:
Easter Eggs(Just hidden little surprises): Nighthawks Scene, Where the streetcar bends the corner around (just google it. it is a real place), Merchants curve
I jammed most of these into my first try, using XTrk CAD.
If anyone is interested, let me know. I will continue to update with how I revised my thinking and my track plan to create a more realistic model railroad.
Gregory”
A big thanks to Ken for showing us how to build a model train turntable – and to Gregory too.
Gregory is right – it’s all about making a start. What’s more, if you can make a start with a theme too, you’re well on your way.
Please do leave a suggestion below if you can help Greg.
That’s all for today, folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if you want to stop dreaming and start doing, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
