Model railroad layouts plans

Rick’s been in touch with his Scenic Ridge N scale layout:

“Al,

I started working on my bucket-list and decided to look into making an N gauge layout.

I had some old trains and models that I had purchased back when I was young in hopes that someday I would start my layout. Well, years went by, the kids are out on their own, and now the time has come.

I stumbled onto your website (nice adds) and read a lot of great tips on what to do and what not to do. Well I had already done many of the what not to do’s.

So far I have spent four months working on my layout with all of the criticizing from family members and friends. I often here “Toy trains”. Anyhow, it’s my bucket-list.

Here are some pictures of what I have done so far.

It started as a modified Manning Oaks layout and then added the Scenic Ridge layout.

Thanks and keep up the good work,

Rick”

A huge thanks to Rick for sharing his Scenic Ridge N scale – such wonderful detail.

There’s quite a few Scenic Ridge N Scales on the blog now, Dean’s springs to mind: Scenic Ridge railroad

His comment, “…I’ve read a lot of great tips on what to do and what not to do. Well I had already done many of the what not to do’s.” raised a smile – that’s what the Beginner’s Guide is for.

Course I’m biased, but it makes your day dreams morph in to real life – but without all the blood sweat and tears in the middle.

Lastly today, for some reason, some of you didn’t get one of the recent posts, which is here (it’s on Peter’s stunning custom liveries).

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here. Still going strong.

HO scale decals model trains – Peter’s step-by-step for loco liveries works for all scales:

“Locomotive Liveries:

Having tried for many years to find a suitable method…

Firstly trying transfers that one dipped in water and slid on…(Like the old ‘AIrfix’ kits)

Using A4 transfer paper and printing out the logo on the computer (using Corel Draw)

Then using 2/3 coats of waterproof varnish to keep the colours from running (Epson photo printer)

Not very successful as the varnish destroyed the integrity of the transfer paper…

Recently, I came across some A4 transparent self adhesive glossy vinyl printing paper (E-Bay)

Again making the logo’s in Corel Draw and printing out on the paper…peeling the backing paper off and sticking to the loco…..This was by far more successful..

A coat of matt water based varnish took the gloss shine off the gloss vinyl..(Air brushed on)

Some of my recent work…

A search on the internet, soon finds the company logo’s that I can use…

The text is done with the text tool in Corel in most cases and produces a much better result..

Some pictures:

(All images are clickable.)

Peter”

A big thanks to Peter for his HO scale decals model trains step-by-step. Clever stuff indeed.

It reminded me of Charle’s post, which isn’t about decals, but it’s a great post on painting your model trains:

How to paint a model train.

There’s quite a few posts on the blog now about painting and decals – it’s such a small detail really in the bif scheme of things, but you’v only got to look at some of the layout posts to see they do make such a difference.

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

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide if want to make your day dreams spring to life.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

John’s been in touch with his HO scale painted figures:

“Al,

Put together a few tips I have developed for populating the towns and cities in our little railroad world.

First, I couldn’t hold the HO people for painting (pre-painted are expensive!!) so I came up with the idea of gluing them to a scrap piece of styrene, when done they pop right off for attachment to their new home on a sidewalk, park bench or waiting for a train.

(All images are clickable.)

Next, I needed Fireplugs or Hydrants – I took a piece of the spru-trees that plastic kit parts come on and flattened the ends with a soldering iron, then cut them off the tree, glued them to styrene and painted them.

Finally, my son says my forests are too healthy! They need some dead trees. So I painted a some wire-rapped tree armatures and didn’t put any greenery on them, one is dropped it in front of the burned out factory.

John, USA”

“I enjoy your posts very much.

Many good ideas. Here’s one I’m trying.

I have a small bedroom for my new layout. I am combining HO and N to try and and get some degree of depth. The steamer in the front is HO and the coal train is N. Some will say ‘not prototipical’, but I’m having a ball.

Andy.”

“Greetings from Los Angeles Al!

The commercial plants and trees can prove to be costly if you need several…

I made these planters on ether side of the door by wrapping pipe cleaners around a sharpened pencil and then pressing them into the desired shape. Then I paint then with inexpensive acrylic green and glue them into the planters .

The planters are BEADS from the craft store..then I glue them to my structures ,or where needed om my layout You can make dozens of these for next to nothing…

John”

“Hi Al.

Jim here in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

About 2 years ago, I tried several times sending you a video of my model train layout, but not being very computer savvy at the time, it was not a successful endeavour.

(Jim did send some pics, which are here.)

To summarise, it is a 12’x14’ HO scale layout with 14 sound equipped operating locos of which I can run 9 at the same time if I can keep my wits about me.

It is a Lentz DCC setup with 4 plug-in controllers & 1 cordless phone controller, internal building lighting, 34 turnouts & various powered accessories.

So, without further ado, lets see if this video gets through.

Keep up the great pics & videos & always informative tips.

Jim.”

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

That’s all for today, folks. A big thanks to Jim and John for his HO scale painted figures.

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 More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

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