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S gauge model trains – Perry’s

Perry’s been in touch with his S gauge model trains:

“Hi Al,

My name is Perry I live in Metairie (a suburb of New Orleans, Louisiana). I belong to an S gauge club. The Crescent City S Gauge (CCSG) for short. We took our portable layout to a show recently at which I took pictures.

The first picture is of our yard. The coal drag is mine.

The next picture is of Art’s module and the corner next to it. The corners and the yard belong to the club. The next module is an oil rig and a gas station

This is Norman’s turn table module.

Larry’s bridge module.

This corner is made by Larry.

This is Jay’s refinery module.

This is Art’s transfer table where we make up and break up trains or store car we are not running. The blue engine is mine.

The mules in the distance are club modules with Jay’s buildings on it.

This is my duck under bridge.

These are some switch tracks that are next to the yard.

This is the 4th corner with Larry’s station on it.

Perry”

A bif thanks to Perry for sharin his S gauge model trains.

And now on to a subject I’m always banging on about – making a start.

And it just goes to show, lack of space should never stop you:

“Hi Al,

I’m sure you’ll be forgiven for a bit of housekeeping. I can only begin to imagine how many emails you receive, and with video clips attached they probably take up a huge amount of storage.

Anyhow, a few weeks back you kindly published my idea of using a “Loft Bed” (aka bunk bed without a lower deck) to house the layout. I’ve taken the plunge and it’s now assembled, and I’ve started preliminary construction of the baseboard. When it comes to carpentry I’m not Thomas Chippendale – and no David Bailey when it comes to photography – but I think you’ll get the idea. A very welcome side effect is the huge area underneath where I can store things.

The next step is to cut the boards so they fit round the uprights, and then I can slot the final one in to make a 6’ x 8’ area on which to build things in N Scale using Tomix. They’re relatively unknown here in the UK (Kato has much better availability), but years ago on a trip to Hong Kong I caught the train bug and bought a Tomix starter set. By the end of the trip I almost had to jettison half of my clothes to be able to shut the case again. In the end common sense prevailed and I bought another one, but I’ve been hooked on Tomix ever since.

Best regards,

Paul”

A big thanks to Perry for sharing his S gauge model trains and to Paul too.

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

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Model train layout benchwork

Joe has been in touch with his model train layout benchwork – it’s topic I’m fond of because it’s all about making a start:

“Thanks, Al!

I when I was in high school, (Los Angeles, CA USA) back in the 1950s, I built an “L” shaped Lionel “O” gauge layout that was 10’ long on one leg and 12’ on the other on which I could run 2 trains simultaneously. Those trains and days are long gone!

In the late 60s, I built a “folded doggone” “N” scale layout that was 5′ X 2 ½’. “N” scale was relatively new and it was a lot of work to keep everything running and I soon lost interest.

In the late 80s I began collecting HO equipment. I had determined to model the 1940s to 50s steam era. By then, we were living in San Diego, CA.

A friend gave me his “Chessie System” 4-6-2 Mantua loco and tender and I bought about 2 dozen freight cars (Athearn & Roundhouse) and a set of 3 Roundhouse 50’ “Harriman” coaches. All in kit form.

Before building them, I sprayed the chassis and undercarriages with a light, ‘splotchy’ coat of light-rust colored primer. I grouped them by size & style on a large scrap of cardboard and did them all at once.

Next, I decided to do a slight bit of weathering because I didn’t like the idea of running a plastic train. I simply took a small piece of 400 grit ‘wet and dry’ sandpaper (I used it dry) and lightly stroked down over the lettering, etc. leaving the ‘dust’ on the model. Then I sprayed lightly with dull coat to “fix” the weathering.

Since I had no place to actually build the layout at the time, I worked on the cars, loco and some buildings at my leisure.

Since I was not modeling the C&O, I stripped the paint from the Pacific loco and tender and repainted them flat loco black.

In 2001, we moved to a house in Missouri that had a huge room that I could dedicate to a layout so I began a track plan. It is 12’ x 8’ and built as four modules. I designed it that way so it could be moved. Finally, retiring in 2009, I began to build the layout.

We moved in 2017 to Battlefield, MO and I was glad I had constructed a “modular” layout. Currently it is sitting in my huge 25’ x 25’ heated, air conditioned well insulated shop building. ½ the shop is for the layout and relaxing and the other ½ is my wood/cabinet/woodworking shop. I have completed the backdrop and some of the background scenery. I will be starting the landscaping within the month.

I’ve run out of time right now but will continue next week. You’ll probably want to wait until you have another 3 or 4 sets of pictures before you publish them.

Here are some pics from early construction:

This is roughly the track plan.

Framework completed, all four modules bolted together.

There is a 2’ x 8’ module on each end, a 4’ x 8’ “sandwiched” between them at the back (Left) and a 3’ x 8’ “sandwiched” in front (right).

½” plywood applied

“Roughing-out” the track plan.

“East end” curves marked. The largest radius is 34”, the smallest is 30”.

Joe”

I do love seeing the layouts created from the very start. When you look at a bench with that plywood, it’s hard to imagine the finished thing. But with a little patience…

Now on to Dave. I don’t know how he finds the time:

“Hi Alistair

Just loaded this latest video on the new design on my model railway, a few tips on this one as well, especial like the uncoupler with the light attached, could not resist a quick shot of my Koi Carp at the end, as so many of the model Railway people Keep Koi Carp and keep asking when am I going to take my covers off my pond

Regards

Dave”