Model railroad layouts plans

Richard has been in touch. He’ shared his double track N scale bridge layout:

“Hi Al,

I’m a first time contributor to your web page.

I started this N scale layout about 3 to 4 years ago.

I am slow but steady. The layout size is 14 feet by 9 feet. I have 100 foot of 12 gauge buss wire under the layout.

Everything on the layout I have built and painted by hand. A lot of trial and error.

When I started out, I knew nothing about trains or modeling. This is my first layout.

Hope you enjoy the pics,

Rich.”

Now on to Brad:

“Hi,

I ask a complicated question maybe someone can answer.

HO scale is 1:87, yet HO scale slot cars are 1:64.

This creates some “fun” when buying vehicles even in diecast.

Hotwheels are mostly 1:64 but they do have a few in 1:87.

So,can someone tell me why despite the same “HO” designation and the actual sizes differ?

If HO slot cars were 1:87,it would be easy to add a roadway into your train layout, or vice versa if HO trains were 1:64 it would make life easy for us all who model this scale.

Brad”

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“Hi Al,

just a short video, showing and hearing the power on these Deltics fitted with a em2 speaker…blows your socks off as they say …

regards

Dave”

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here. Still updated every day.

That’s all for today folks.

A big thanks to Rich for sharing his double track N scale bridge layout, thanks to Dave too – and who can help Brad?

And talking of scales, we’ve had quite a run of N scale recently, but if you want to see your scale, please do keep’ em coming. Just email me.

To submit pics please don’t send more than three per mail – but send as many mails as you like.

That’s all this time folks – but don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide if you want your day dreams to appear on your table.

Best

Al

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.