Model railroad layouts plans

John’s been back in touch. This time with a pic of his HO scale J class N&W steam locomotive.

He’s had some ‘digital’ fun, and added some steam using some software.

I have to say, it’s remarkable how much the steam changes the pace of the pic:

(his last post is here).

“Alistair,

Just a quick one.

Got the photo-shop program fired up and worked on the N&W J Class #600, built in 1942, in the railway’s own Roanoke Shops, in Virginia.

This restored loco is pulling a railfan trip with the Powhattan Arrow in tow through the home mountains the J’s were built for.

Man, when the imagination gets going…

John From Baltimore”

“Hi Alastair,

I’ve been lurking on your emails for a while, and thought I should send you a taste of what I’ve been working on – a fictional layout in a much-too-small space that sorta represents the railway line between Barchester and Winter Overcotes in the Angela Thirkell novels.

It is set in the late 40’s, probably, so there might be some BR stuff along with GWR and even some LSWR and Southern stuff with varying degrees of run-down-ness.

I’m located in California so that I have to get all the stock from eBay or the various mail-order stores. This picture is of an ancient Hornby 14xx pulling a couple of 4-wheel kit coaches with the interior roughly modeled and painted and with an assortment of figures sitting in it.

If you are interested I’ll send some other pics.

Roland”

Yes, Roland. We’d love to see some more.

Now on to Don:

“Just finished building what is going to be a small layout… only 40”wide and 9’ long.

Had to check out how the first thing on it would look !!

Thanks, appreciate your time and trouble for making our life easier !!!

Don, Waxahachie, Texas”

The above may perplex some of you. Why would I post a pic of a tabel and one solitary model?

Simple – it’s because it’s what counts: making a start.

And of course, Don’s model is made from the printable buildings, which you can see here and there’s more here.

A big thanks to John for sharing his HO scale J class N&W steam locomotive, and to Roland and Don.

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.

John’s been back in touch with his HO scale scale coal mining vehicles:

“Hi Alistair,

The next module for my coal mining and transport railroad is just about ready to install in the layout. I took some shots as the module grew.

I really didn’t have much of an idea what the result would be, but I wanted something that would give space for the mine employees to park and where the mine dump trucks, as well as other mine equipment could be fueled up and maintained.

I started with a couple old kits laying around, the main shop shed is (I think) a Life-Like sports stadium that was in the bottom of a box of stuff I got at an auction, I added sides and bracing across the front and back, and behind that to add depth is a lumberyard building from some 40 years ago.

I cleaned out all the supports and made some stuff for the inside. The structures on the sides are – right side 2 combined Walthers sand towers that I’m using for the gasoline fuel tanks. I added some ladders and a radio antenna, Left side is an overhead crane which I had to scratch-build.

The diesel tank is on the cliff-side and piping comes into the manifold area of the fuel towers. I also scratch built the big forklift.

The scene is sometime mid-day with a few trucks in for maintenance, one with the dump body in the up position and the safety bar in place while workers are underneath. The surplus army water truck is idle and the junk side of the shed is being examined by the foreman trying to determine what stays, and what goes. A mine truck has had a rear wheel bearing replaced and the crew has the old big forklift assisting in putting the wheel back on.

I’ll be adding more worker cars and more junk when the module is set into the layout.

Regards and thanks for all you do,

John From Baltimore”

A huge thanks to John (again!). Just love what he’s doing – and I’m thankful of the running narrative. Hope you are enjoying it as much as me.

If you missed his last post, and what to get the story so far, it’s here.

Now on to Peter. Who asked a question that got me thinking. Who can help?

“Al, hope all is well, just want to run something by you and hopefully you can get it out to all your hobbyist for some feedback .

I have been noticing for sometime now that remote control vehicles are taking on more and more of a roll in train layouts and with hobbyist. Much to my surprise there has been very little said or talked about in layouts.

I have been browsing the web and much has been put on youtube and the applications are endless.

1/87 scale in remote control is outstanding, but info where to purchase them, get parts or even how to instructions on how to build is hard to come by.

I’ve done some contacting on my of manufactures but most put up info on large scale remote control items. You will also notice the same could be said for LED lighting in 1/87 scale models as well.

Very little being out out there for the hobbyist especially for some of us old timers who would rather see these products a little more accessible. Not only that think of how much it opens
the layouts to other activities that the hobbyist can enjoy whlie his or her trains are running around in a circle .

Please i hope this draws some interest and great feedback, I very much want to get some of these items for my layout , most hobbyists have construction sites where these vehicles would fit in nicely , oh let me say that my sites have many of these types of vehicles already in 1/87 scale but WOW what a feature to have a back hoe work , load a dump truck , bulldozer doze
and so on, if you haven’t seen them…

Regards, hope to here from you soon

Peter”

That’s all for today folks.

A big thanks to John for sharing his HO scale scale coal mining vehicles.

If anyone can help Peter, please leave a comment below – and the goes if you want to comment on Peter’s latest update.

Please do keep ’em coming.

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

Best

Al

PS Seen the latest ebay cheat sheet yet?

Larry’s been in touch. He’s having fun with his HO scale Amtrak layout in his basement:

“I enjoy your emails very much. Such wonderful layouts and how-to tips have inspired me. Your contributors have given me many ideas.

My first train set was a Lionel O27 0-4-0 steam engine, tender, box car, flat car, crane car and caboose at age 5.

Now retired, a HO starter set for around the Christmas tree rekindled my interest in model railroading. As the layout out grew too large for the living room, I moved the layout to the basement.

The 12’x15’ L shape layout is DC with 8 controls in 4 dual MRC Tech 7 Ampac 780’s, and 32 turnouts with wired controls.

There are crossovers between each of the main tracks, except the cable car and trolley lines.

The cable car line is DC, auto reversing with a station stop at both ends of the line.

The trolley line is DC, auto reversing with a station stop at both ends of the line and a mid Amtrak station stop.

There are 12 sidings. Each track and siding are electrically isolated at each cross over and siding turnout with individual block control. The tracks are numbered starting from 1 on the inside working outward.

Track 1 B&O Chessie System freight, 18” radius curves.

Track 2 Santa Fe freight with Pennsylvania Power &Light Ready Kilowatt coal cars, 18” radius curves.

Track 3 Amtrak that loops by Amtrak Station, 18” and 22” radius curves.

Track 4 Amtrak on incline loop that links lower and upper levels, 22” radius curves.

Track 5 Cable Car and Trolley line 15” and 18” radius curves.

Track 6 Amtrak Acela, with a Pennsylvania RR passenger train on the siding, 22” radius curves.

Track 7 German ICE, with a Thayls TGV on the siding, 26” and 28” radius curves, elevated track.

Track 8 German ICE, Intercity City Express, high speed train, 26” and 28” radius curves, elevated track.

The center area of the layout is a model of my family’s farm and local, small, rural village in Northeast, Pennslyvania.

On the farm, there are models of my home with the green roof and pond, my brother’s stone home with grey roof and horse barn, my parent’s white home, garage and red barn.

In the village, I have modeled a neighbor’s geodesic dome home, A-frame, green apartments, white home, log cabin home and Wesley Chapel Church.

In the back, right area of the layout is Red Rock Mountain, Ricketts Glen State Park and Kitchen Creek Waterfalls. The surrounding track area is symbolic of other distant locations. The nearest operating passenger rail station, Harrisburg, is 100 miles from home.

Larry”

Have you had a look at the latest ebay cheat sheet yet?.

A huge thanks to Larry for sharing his HO scale Amtrak. He looks like he’s been having a blast with his layout – and that’s what it’s all about: having fun.

I love the fact that a Christmas layout got him back in to the hobby too. Just goes to show, it doesn’t mattter how you make that start, just make sure you do somehow.

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

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide if today is the day you start on your layout.

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.