Model railroad layouts plans

In the blizzard of emails I get each day, I missed a really important one from Dick (I posted his layout yesterday). He shared his N scale track on foam board – the very start of his layout.

You can see it here.

Well, it turns out, there is a back story behind the back story.

Here’s his first email which I missed:

“Hi AL

I live down the street from the Zephyr. Dick and I met several years ago and have been close friends ever since.

I was restoring cars at that time. My health went south and I had to quit and sell everything that had a stick shift.

I’m no spring chicken either Al. Some new parts some rebuilt, some added, some removed and some we are watching.

My dad and my wife’s dad both worked as switchmen dowering the WW2. One in Minnesota and in Montana.

When my dad was building the trains longer, to come across the plains, her Dad was taking them Apart to make up shorter trains over the divides. Then vice a versa.

I have been following Al and the rest of you for about five years or more trying to absorb what I can.

The first train I can Remember having, Dad and I had to save five box tops off a chocolate drink mix and send them in with a Dollar. You could order a “A” unit (no motor). Then five box tops and a dollar baggage car and so on. I drank a lot of chocolate that summer. I got the motor for my birthday! No track! That came At Christmas.

That was it for trains till I went to work at The Toy Chest (age 22). Engines passenger cars, box cars, Buildings, track, all N GAGE. My first wife said I was nuts. It all got packed away.

Around 70 I decided I could not restore cars any more. When you can’t feel with your fingers you need to see what your touching.

I met Dick down the block and seen what he had as a hobby. Dick is a close friend we bounce ideas off each other all the time. Mine are better!

Here are some pix of my start, my N scale track on foam board.

It started in the garage on a pace of cardboard.

Then to the basement, gluing down my first piece of blue board I dislocated my new right hip.

It all went down hill from there!

Richard from Montana (Old Taz)”

You know how I’m always banging on about making a start?

I think Dick’s pictures above show in spades all layouts start with a single step. Look at how his finished. Amazing.

So make that start! All you can see in this post is N scale track on foam board, but look how it turned out!

Now on to Linda. Way back, she sent in pics of her wonderful train room. Well look at it now:

“Hi Al,

I really appreciate you publishing my train depot and especially all the kind remarks and comments given.

I thought I would send you some updated pictures.

This project began when we purchased a headlight from a train steam engine at a flea market. Well right around the corner from my Train Depot I had a frame made to mount the light on. From there I got a sheet of plywood and cut out the shape for the front of the train. I painted it black.

I found an old tool box of my fathers and attached it to the front. I came across a plastic “half barrel” that had a beer insignia on the front. I turned the beer ad around so there was a flat surface. I found a Pennsylvania Railroad sign on eBay which fit perfectly inside the center of the barrel.

To make the “rivets” around the front of the body of the train, my husband suggested to get carriage bolts which I did. I measured and drilled holes which the bolts fit nice and tight.

A friend gave me a grill from a 1949 Packard. I also had some metal bands from wooden barrels to use for the cow catcher. Another friend welded these together for me and we bolted it on the front.

I got some wide sturdy cardboard from the local Electric Cooperative where I had worked. It was used to wrap around the large electric wire that comes on large wooden spools. I cut it to the correct width then stapled it around the sides of the train and painted that black as well.

I put a light in the headlight and under the cow catcher. Then I set a lighted train switch beside it.

Over time we found a PRR step stool. Also found various train schedules from different lines, a small section of rail track, and some authentic cast iron signs to add to the collection.

I tried to show the various stages as it was built.

Hope you will enjoy this.

Thanks again.

Linda”

A huge thanks to Dick for sharing his N scale track on foam board, and what it morphed into. Thanks to Linda too.

It just goes to show whatever you are doing, it’s all about making that start.

And if you want to make your start today, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

That’s all for today.

Please do keep ’em coming.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Rich (Old Taz) has been in touch with his 8×8 model railroad.

“Hi Al

My lay out started as a 4X8 foot 1-inch blue board and has groin to 5X8 foot with a 3X8 foot Extension at one end. I like depth so there’s a lot of up and down.

The layout is called Whisky run.

It was called Tinkers Ville when Tommy Tinker started the coal mine. Tom put his hole hart in that Mine and made a go of it.

All Tom did was work, He never married. It was just tom the mine, the town.

And Petty his cat. When Tom died, they bearded him and Petty in one of the abended shafts.

He left the mine to the town. I like the late 40s and early 50s you’re going to be able to tell.

Prohibition hit and the town saw dollars. Thay put two stills hidden in the mine, they were making more on Whisky then on coal. They come from all over. (where are you going? whisky run).

Right after prohibitionn the Governor come to town and gave the town it’s new name Whisky Run.

I’ve had those two tables in every position you could imagine and finely came up with this one.

The 4X9 is on wheels and can be moved so I can work on the backdrop. Theirs a slide device on both

That way they will match each time. There is a train or engine at both the coal mine and the sawmill hat will be on its our self-reversing track.

There are three cam fires on the two on the rim and one on the river.

O yes Whisky Run has over 25 miles of the fine’s trout fishing in the north west. (Whisky Run)

A lot of the buildings are held in place with magnets so I can remove them and work on them on the Work beach. At first, I was using two magnets. (expensive) Now one or two. Using a heavily threaded wood screw epoxied to the center of a washer about the same size as the magnet that way you can raise or lower the platform and remove it to be worked on.

I started being every switch I could get my hands on. Rong thing to do not all worked that well or didn’t work at all. The springs didn’t hold or they would open after you went through two times.

Looked at a lot of switch motors. I decided to make my oun to my specks.

Tell the next time some wear in Montana.

OLDTAZ”

My word – what a layout.

Over all the years of posting these layout, the ones that sick out for me, are the ones that have a theme.

Fantastic narrative and fantastic pics.

A huge thanks to Dick for sharing this.

That’s all for today folks. Please do keep ’em coming.

And don;t forget, the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to stop dreaming and start doing.

Best

Al

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.

Gary’s been back in touch with an update to his engine yard:

And what a narrative he’s put together.

What makes it more impressive, is how Gary has documented his whole journey.

His last post is here.

“Hi Alastair:

It’s been three months since my last update to you on my HO Layout of Sunnyside Yard.

If you remember, I have broken my layout into separate projects: Passenger Yard, Commissary and Power buildings, the Engine Yard and the Main Line.

I have sent along pictures of the overall engine yard and the scratch built Engine House. I still have much work to do on the engine yard but I am 99% finished with the south side of the engine yard which includes the Engine House and I thought I would send you an update.

I also built the utility building next to the engine house which I had to build from scratch because I needed to cover the circuits that control the work engine which runs back and forth alongside the engine yard. I could not find any building kit that fit between the tracks but was large enough to cover the circuits.

I hope you and the other modelers like the pictures.

I learned a lot from the emails you send showing the layouts from the other modelers. I got a lot of ideas from them.

One thing about Sunnyside Yards and for most all engine yards, there is not much green scenery in a train yard. So I have had to spend a lot of time creating scenes in the engine yard. I did take some liberty and added some shrubbery by the fence and around the tower poles.

I also messed up two of the switches with ballast; I have to go back and fix them. It’s been fun but it will be a long time before it is completed. But I think like Dangerous Dave I actually will never be finished. There will always be something to add or fix or change, which I think is the attraction to this hobby.

My next effort will be the north side of the engine yard. I need to complete a road coming into the yard which will go into the Commissary section.

So long for now. I will send another update when I complete the north side of the engine yard. Keep the emails coming; I am glad that you were ab le to keep the site going.

Regards,

Gary M from Long Island.”

“Hi Al,

just posted a short video showing some Freight trains running very slow (as I keep getting accused of running too fast).

It also shows a short piece of a new angle I have filmed from the roof of a freight car, must do more of that.

Regards

Dave”

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

That’s all for today folks.

A big thanks to Gary for sharing his engine yard update.

Please do keep ’em coming, and don’t forget, it you want to make that start – just like Gary did – the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al