Rob’s been back in touch – but first a tip from Kim:
“Hi Al.
These are my sidewalks .They are not tacked down yet or painted yet.
I used the shelf trim with the glue side up to walk on.
Then i used coffee stir sticks to stiffen it and to raise it up. When glueing the sticks, stagger them to keep it stiff.
I added a strip onto the bottom and attached to the stir stick’s to act as water guttering (warning Al, don’t use white glue as it wont stick well). I use instant glue.
To turn left or right with the sidewalks, place sticks left or right as in photo.
When you finished a section, take fine sandpaper and run it along the road side of the sidewalks yo make it square and smooth. Then glue a small strip to make the guttering.
Now for the 1/100 scale or Ho scale bike. I used left over Led posts ya cut off. If you are really interested in how to make those bike’s i will send in a more informative way to make them. Was pretty easy. But i think you agree and use the word dang it’s small, honestly Al.
I think my bikes look more realistic than any plastic bike you can buy at this scale, if you can get them and i dont think ya can. Seat and peddles will be added later.
Im trying to make a sort of jig to follow how to make a mass amount. I could see a bike race on the road with these. I also attempted a kids bike. Now understand,this is my first tiny bike, so wont be perfect.
Tell me what ya think.
Can ya see a bunch in a bike rack in front of a store or something, or a bike shop?
Kim”
“i have a tip,i make a lot of stone walls,i first coat the screen or surface with plaster. after its dry i mix another batch with what’s called rainbow cement color (its cheep) comes in black or red,a little black makes gray.
i then coat the surface with almost smooth surface.let dry and take a small screw driver and drag across the surface to make bricks,the red really looks like brick.the screw driver goes through the red or gray layer and makes motor joints.
Mike”
“I use the plastic sprues left over from a model. I take them and use them for metal piping for oil refineries, gas stations, rooftop vents, etc. I also use them for scenery, pipe loads. I cut them down to the size of the load, I also drill out the ends, and then paint them whatever color you need to give it a more real appearance. I don’t have a pic handy, but I just made a fuel island for my truck stop. Hope someone can use this idea.
My village of Far Moor is about complete and I will be done with one side of the layout in the next few weeks. It will be time to start on the other side at that point. Here are a few still photos of what I have been doing.
I have also sent you a link to a video with the camera on the train so one can see things from the track. Sort of a view out the window of the train. Don’t worry about the bump in the tunnel, I had the camera too high and it bumped the side.
“Hello Alastair, and all my fellow model railroaders.
I have been busy working on my layout called Ceder Junction.
The time period I am trying to model is the late 1800 s in the western United States.
It is a favorite period for me for some reason.
It started when I was a teenager and has never gone away. I love steam engines, the old style passenger cars and all the old time details that I am trying to add.
A lot of my stuff is scratch built ,one of my favorite things to do.
Now I am going to add more grasses ,trees, people and lots more details, which I am finding out takes a lot of time.
I have seen a lot of beautiful layouts on this site and I commend all of you for your hard work and skills and modeling all the different layouts.
It is amazing how everyone has great ideas and knowledge about model railroading.
Thus site has been so helpful, and I look every morning for Alastairs updates
Thank you for the dedicated work you do everyday Alastair.
“Hi Alistair, just uploaded this video, it shows the rolling road in more detail as requested by a subscriber, also a new Loco I have taken delivery of to day, a small tank Loco, and as shown it goes very well with a rake of 3 Celestory coaches…but again with a small rake of Freight trucks…
“AL, I am not retired yet but the kids are grown and I thought I would get back into it too.
Years ago I built an HO layout with the kids, worked and played on it for around 10 years. Now with a 13 year gap I thought I would do a n scale.
I took a couple layouts I liked and combined them and came up with this. I learned a lot with the old layout and want a solid track plan that works.
Do you think the attached n scale layout, 3X6 DC wired work good?? I need some opinions about it.
Thanks
Mike”
Now on to Martyn who has made a start with his layout:
“Hi Alastair,
I’m not new to model railways, always loved the hobby, but never really managed to set anything up myself, other than a loop on the carpet!
So for Twenty or so years, I’ve been “Making a Start”.
I had various bits and pieces that were collected over the years, but never the space. Indeed, space is still an issue, but I’ve decided that if I don’t get clever with the space that I have got, then that “Making a Start” will never happen.
Both the kids toy room, and my office, are about the same size and back onto each other. The toy room has been a tip!! So I must either sell the kid, sell the toys, or compromise! I’ve chosen the latter, and a few hours work to build some framework and tidy up the toys has left me with a bit of space to start!! This area will house the loop/fiddle area and part of the circuit that will then extend into the office – (through a small hole in the Drywall stud).
There are a few photos of the toy room showing the start of the build.
The office part of the layout is a little more tricky – The layout will be suspended from the ceiling and will climb down it’s own ropes when in use, to be retracted back up when I need to work!! A 12V winch with steel cable will provide the locomotion here. But that part is very much still in my head. So for the time being, I will concentrate on the toy room area.
My layout will be “Anything Goes” rather than a specific period. It is a single track, and will be fully automatic – (apart from the separate shunting areas and sidings). The scenery will come later, and may not be that specific. I want to get as much track on the layout as possible, so there will not be much space for housing estates, towns, fields and roads etc. but I will do my best when the time comes.
A pdf view of the layout is attached – I have used AnyRail to create it loosely as a schematic – There will be a bit more flexibility in it rather than using standard curves and straights.
DC is what I understand, I am not one of the converted yet, but DCC looked to be a big investment for what I want the layout to do.
My first thought was automation of the passing loops, so I started to think about the control – I wanted a train to run into a free part of the loop and release the next train from the loop, and so on. So with a bit of trial and error, I finally settled on something that works really well. It use 16V AC power from a transformer, a CDU, (as I would be firing several points simultaneously), glass reed switches combined with relays, Peco PL10 point motors, and PL13 on/on sliding switches attached to the base of the motors.
I have a video showing it’s basic operation, using drawing pins, (thumb tacks), in place of the reeds/relays which I have yet to purchase.
The plan is to use a acceleration module on the loop, which will gradually reduce speed as the train enters the loop until it is caught by the isolation rail, then the train that is released will slowly accelerate out of the loop. Another reed/relay set further around the layout will set the inward points to their correct position based on the position of the outward points. I’ll put in a set of control panel switches that allows me to stop automation and/or release trains from the loop at any time.
THERE’S MAKING A START!!!
Regards
Martyn”
(All images are clickable, by the way.)
Next on to Peter, and it’s a really good comparison of the different size in scales.
So Mike is planning a 3×6 N scale layout, Peter’s is 12×24!
“Hello Mr. Lee ,
Not sure you remember me but we had some emails back and fourth about a year or so ago . Hope all is well.
It has been good , getting your emails and notes from other hobbists , looks like a good following, you put Daves layout on a lot, he has alot of good tips and hes got a nice layout.
I’ve been doing HO scale for about 60 plus years and still going stong , when I lived in Brooklyn , we only rented so i was limited in space but with 3 children I managed a few layouts, nothing big but all hand done.
We moved out to New Jersey about 10 years ago and we bought our first Home at our retirement age, what a time to do it right, but we got it with a little basement and my wife gave me 1/4 of it for my hobby.
In about 2 years i had a 14 by 18 foot HO scale layout and it was a lot of fun but in 2011 we got introduced to IRENE, you remember the storm everyone said wouldn’t happen but it did, my base filled just about to the ceiling, with water, last it all but was able to salvage some, lost 2 cars in our driveway my mother-in-law was taken out of the house in a boat. When i get a chance and if you’ll permit me i can send you some pics.
I thought for sure that was the end for me with Trains but my wife insisted you have to build another and with that said I did, this one is 12 by 24 feet, 6 outer loops, 3 inner loops, a
freight yard of 4 live rails. I can run 9 loops at the same time , I am attaching a few pics and hopefully you will allow me to send more when you say it is ok .
It is still a work in progress but I love it , alot of items are hand made some with card stock, plastics and other items i toy with . For 1 example the balast used around the tracks ,
is cat litter, but I believe most hobbists do that.
I will end here and hope to hear from you and what you think of Peter’s layout Pics.
Pic #17 is a veterans memorial that I contructed , I am a Vietnam Vet
Thank you ,
Peter”
.
A huge thanks to Mike for sharing his 3×6 N scale layout, to Martyn – and an even bigger thanks to Peter.
And Peter, yes, please send more pics, we’d love to see them.
