Model railroad layouts plans

Brian’s been in touch with pics of his HOn3 brass locomotives from 45 years ago:

“Hi Alastair,

I finally got my 45 year old photos converted from colour photos to JPEG’s to enable me to use them on a computer.

This HOn3 layout with the modified timesaver switching design on it was built by me 45 years ago when I lived in an apartment.

It was 6 foot 6 inches long by 20 inches wide. That was the only space that I had at the time. I used and modified John Allen’s switching puzzle (Timesaver) as a basis for my mini layout. I spread the tracks further apart, added structures and scenery with a painted sky backdrop and flat printed buildings onto it. It was all DC that stage.

I had a lot of scratch built rolling stock and structures on hand which I added to it.

Locomotives at that time, was a brass HOn3 K37 by PFM and an MDC/Roundhouse 2-8-0 with a North-west shortline gearbox and motor conversion which made it an excellent runner.

An HOn3 outside frame MDC 2-8-0 locomotive.

The same locomotive pulling a well weathered box car.

The start of the timesaver HOn3 layout.

The HOn3 K 37 locomotive pulling some weathered scratch built refrigerator cars along the waterfront.

The scrap metal yard with lengths of rail and a pile of ties (sleepers) next to them.

A stock train crossing the trestle and a cowboy on his horse leading cattle to the stock pens.

The entrance to the scrap yard surrounded by a scratch built fence.

A passenger train heading out to the next destination.

A small boat hire dock for the local fishermen to use. Note how the printed backdrop blends in with the foreground. A really busy little town.

Shops and industry in front of the backdrop.

A small passenger station – a Woodland Scenics kit.

This white building (a Campbell kit) is still in use on my current layout 45 years later.

All this much detail in such a small space. Guns & Tackle is now on my current layout.

Every town had to have a hotel. The billboard is a Woodland Scenics kit.

Another view of the town and railroad tracks.

This was my second layout that I built in HOn3 for the spare room that I had in my apartment 45 years ago. If I can find and convert the photos that I had of my first layout also HOn3 as a shelf layout, I will post them here if possible.

Every layout that I build has to have a waterfront on it no matter how small they are.

The quality of the photos are not the best because of their age and having had them scanned. They were taken with a 35 millimetre Olympus XA film camera stopped down to f22. The negatives were lost a long time ago unfortunately.

The 46 year old camera below.

All the best and as per usual – keep up the great work on this excellent site.

Brian – the HOn3 guy from Knysna RS”

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his HOn3 brass locomotives from all those years ago – his layouts really do have a style of his own.

You can see more of Brian in the Hall of Fame.

Now on to Richard, who is looking for some suggestions.

You’ll remember him from his previous layout which is one of my personal faves. You can see it here:

HO layout build.

And here’s a pic of it too:

Well, here’s what Richard is planning now:

“Hi Al,

Richard here, now from Arkansas formally from Oklahoma…

Well, after long deliberation, I’ve narrowed my choice of future layout builds down to 3…

1) Rebuild the R&K Logging RR with an expansion to a tree harvesting area…

2) The Thunder Mesa plan, upgrading it to the 50’s time line and incorporating the logging and mining theme…

3) Or the Inyo & White RR… a plan that I found online….

So, all that being said, any suggestions from your readers would help….

Thnxs again for all you do for the hobby

Rich”

If you have a suggestion for Rich, please do leave it below!

Lastly on to Dave, who has sent in this:

“Hi Al, just a short video with Deltics and class 37`s running, it will help to Brighten up a dull grey day… like today.

Regards

Dave”

A big thanks to Dave and Brian.

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.

Dan’s been in touch with a collection of pics on HO scale railroad workers.

I do love the scenes he creates on his layout – they really do bring it to life:

“I call this set ‘workers on the layout’.

Some may have been posted before. These should be a slightly different view, I think if they are.

Also, I have noticed, when reading the comments, there are new readers or others just looked in for the first time.

Let’s see who is working today around the layout. The loading dock looks busy.

The foreman looks to be giving orders.

Looks heavy.

Someone has to “clean up.”

Working at the wheel repair shop.

Workers at the wheel repair shop.

HO scale railroad workers:

Getting ready for the next locos to be serviced.

Here’s one now.

A worker at Burnt Lake.

The painters are sill at work.

Probably not a worker. He is just waiting around.

Service station attendant.

HO scale railroad workers:

At another service station on the layout.

The new sign at Sharon Springs getting the finishing touch.

A welder inside the wheel shop.

At the oil depot.

At Burnt Lake. Getting the luggage ready.

The all important crossing guard.

The town of Almost is having a boom. The local coal mine is producing low sulfur coal and the station is needing an expansion.

Another view about who has to pay for the mistake in the sign.

A lineman working at the turntable at Burnt lake.

Section workers at Ruth. That is a station that leads to Burnt Lake.

Worker at the Chromite mine.

Loading the cola.

A peek in the engine house.

Al, there are a few more folks around the layout. When I find them I will post if you want them. I am getting close to running out of interesting things on my layout. However, either good or bad, three other layouts I have done that might be of interest. Here is a sample.

Sample photo is from the Inland Pacific a fictional railroad from Indiana to points west and north west.

Dan*

A huge big thanks to Hall of Fame Dan – he really is the gift that keeps giving.

I really enjoyed his collection of HO scale railroad workers pics.

I do love the posts with captions for the pictures – these ones spring to mind:

Model train people.

HO scale people.

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.

Mike’s been back in touch with his Kato N scale layout:

“Hi Al:

Delighted to see a pix of my first n scale attempt in your recent post. Reminded me I haven’t sent any updates.

After scrapping all the Bachmann track and moving layout to another room with all Kato products, I got started on a new DCC layout still incorporating my Hill Valley town from Back to the Future.

I last added a new main line route up and over from outside to inside loop.

Wish I had more time to keep going, but I’ll keep you posted.

All the best.

Mike

Grand Rapids, Michigan.”

A huge big thanks to Mike for sharing his new Kato N scale – really looking forward to seeing this one progress.

I’ve put a collection of Kato layouts together, and I’ll be adding Mike’s very soon:

Kato track plans.

Now on to Brian:

“Hi Alistair,

As always, my submissions are not incredibly fancy, but relative to folks like me in temporary apartment living may be of some benefit.

My most recent addition is lighting for the village buildings and houses. I spent three dollars on a Christmas light set and drilled holes through the base and slid one or two lightbulbs into each of the buildings from underneath.

So nothing fancy, but a whole layout lit up for three dollars and an hours worth of work.

Brian”

Brian’s lighting is a simple solution, but it’s one that’s often used because it’s so cheap and easy.

The next step is toying with a few LEDs – and Bob’s post will point you in the right direction for that:

Model train LED lights.

That’s all for today folks. Thanks to Brian and to Mike for his Kato N scale update.

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.