Model railroad layouts plans

Larry’s been in touch – he’s shared his version of how to build model train engine house from the printable buildings range.

“Alaster, here is my little twist on your train shed. Really turned out great.

Larry from MD. U.S.A.”

I asked Larry how he did the doors, here’s his reply:

“Made a pattern of paper and transferred it to cardboard. the crossbracing in also cardboard. Used a fine line marker for the lines and balsa wood for the door catch. Chain is 40 links to the inch. Buy the way, this is HO scale. Glad you liked it and will send more pics if you would like.

Thanks, Larry”

Love what Larry’s done there!

Here’s a pic of one John made:

As with all the scenery on the site – it’s made from these printouts that you just stick together – build model train engine house:

You can download the engine shed here.

Or if you want the bundle, you can grab that here.

But you might just want to pick and mix – there are 3 different engine sheds in the store – in which case you can do that here.

Here’s John showing you how to put them together:

Now on to Barry:

“Don’t let fear keep you from trying something you haven’t done before. The expert has made more mistakes than the beginner ever will.”

Wise words, when you consider how a lot of us feel.

And to prove a point, here’s a question from Russell that I’m sure we can all relate to:

“Hello ALASTAIR

MY NAME IS Russell, I’ve been in Model Trains since I was 6 Yrs old. and have had some good size layout and some small layouts, But this is the smallest one yet for my HO Scale layout 2Ft x 3Ft and even though I live in a 29 Ft Camp Trailer the hardest part for me is Downsizing my entire layout.

My layout did consist of 4 Lumber Mills, 3 Communities, 1 Coaling/Gravel Mining Operation, 1 Dairy, 2 large Farms, 3 R.R.Yards. and a lot of forest area.

Now it is down to 1 Mill, A small Dairy with a small Stock Yard and 1 Small Community.still with some 77 Rolling Stock and 5 Locomotives (1. Shay, 1. 0-6-0, 2. 0-4-0 and 1. Porter Hustler)

I just don’t feel like I belong to any R.R. Organization being that my layout is so small and who would want someone layout connected to their large layouts.

I also feel intimidated when I go to Train Show and see all those Large Layouts and see all those things that I would like to put on my layout but with no room it’s kind of hard for me. Where do I belong in the Model R.R. ?

Sincerely Russell”

I would love to hear your repies to Russell – please post a comment below if you can.

Hemi’s been in touch with some great tips:

“Al,

I’ve a model railroaded all of my life pretty much, (since age 2!)

A few of my ‘load’ ideas:

Coal? Michael’s Craft store “black decorative sand” with the use of .030 thick styrene, glued and sealed around the inside edges of the coal hopper, so that glue can not seep through, let to fully cure.

Then add the black sand in “heaps” to look like the piles left from the coal bunker/loader, glue down with white glue as ballast would be applied to the tracks that said car will ride upon. I’ve found that 3 applications of the blasting glue seals the ‘load’ to the top of that fitted plastic liner…. NO paint required…… and looks as realistic as the real thing!

Being a modeled for so long I have 2 Unimat machine centers….one lathe, & one milling machine. I make A LOT of aluminum “chips”….. recycled the chips in gondola cars glued yet again like ballast would be, makes for a realistic scrap metal load…. rust up with paint or actual rust dust when gluing in, looks great!!!!

I’ll send pics of all this when I am able….

Need lighting for either DC cab control (analog)? Easy!!!! Get that old radio, CD player, VCR, even an old 8 track player (for the older crew), find out what a Diode looks like, and remove it from the pc board, and your off to make your own directional lighting!!!!

Wanna make a old Athearn blue box dummy have directional lighting???? Again, easy….. The older Athearn dummies had metal truck side frames…..GOOD! Those said side frames make for great electrical pick ups to power lighting without them being powered or geared to run, and pull, and still look good. Run the wires as you would for a powered loco, and solder them to the diodes, placed correctly, and you’ll have a “lighted” dummy….I call this trick, “Dummy with a brain” LOL

Also, this trick WILL run both analog as well as DCC, DCC users be sure to try to add some light resistance to the bulb, with say a 480 OHM, 1/4 watt resistor…. Remember, the higher OHM resistor, the dimmer the bulbs brightness will be! The resistors ALSO can be extracted from those old electronic things….. Radio, CD player, DVD player, VCR, and again, even an old 8 track player….

With all the old electronic stuff being stripped of its electrical components, they once had “binding posts” that wire was once tightly wrapped around said posts for electrical connections….. those posts? Make GREAT flat car stakes….. fitted to open stAke pockets like those on Athearn 40 & 50 foot flat cars that never had them in the kit…..

Also, those old electronic things being stripped of their parts also contain pc board power supplies. DO NOT, use them for train controls unless your so electrically inclined, to figure out the output voltage, and AMP’s they put out to not destroy electrical things you’d rather not loose…. BUT, use those little things for flat car loads!!!! I’ve got a couple planned myself…..

Got a junk electrical drill? The armature in it with it taken all apart and the shafts being nothing but straight, with nothing on them make for a great HeAvy duty 4 truck flat car load!!!! -I’ve got one of the Walthers 4 truck depress center cars with one on it to look like a power plant part….. Mine currently is made to look like one that’s been removed, the next car I do, will be a cleaned up new & shiny one to look like the new part coming to the power plant!!!!

Again, I’ll provide picks when I’m able of this….

Hope all enjoy!!!!

Best regards, Al,

~Hemi”

A big thanks to Larry for sharing his build model train engine house, and to Hemi and Barry 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

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

Guy’s been in touch with a question about suspended model railroad layouts.

As usual, there are some very helpful comments at the bottom of the page, just scroll down and have a look.

“Hi Al and Greetings from North Carolina!

I’m newly retired and very seriously considering getting into model railroading as an adult hobby….even though we’re all kids at heart.

I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog every day. Your readers are great about sharing their ideas and accomplishments.

I am beginning to plan how to finish the bonus room over our garage. I’d like to incorporate a system for having a layout that is suspended from the ceiling and can be mechanically raised and lowered.

I would love to hear any ideas your readers have used to accomplish this. The second level is totally unfinished right now so nearly anything could be incorporated.

Guy”

Well, as luck would have it, there have been a number of suspened layouts over the years.

The one that springs to mind is Peter’s:

Suspended model train track.

Then, there is another Peter, who sent in this one:

Suspended train track.

Joe’s suspended layout

Ian’s suspended layout

Paco’s suspended layout

Please get in touch if you’ve got a question – I can’t promise to publish every one, but if I think readers will benefit from it, I’ll do my best.

Thanks to Guy for asking about the Suspended model railroad layouts.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming because it’s getting very thin on the ground this end, and I enjoy the posts as much as you.

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.

Warren has been in touch with a question about a model train momentary push button switch:

“Hi, Al.

I’m in the planning stage of my 4′ x 8′ HO layout, nearly ready to start laying track and I’ve been pondering: shouldn’t I use a momentary contact electrical switch to provide power to the track switches, or points? It appears to me that leaving the coil energized whenever you activate a switch for a long period of time would be detrimental to the coil.

Is there a downside to using a momentary contact switch? It appears to me that once the rails are aligned, it requires no power for them to remain in that position, but I’m no expert. Oh, I might add, I’m using Atlas switches and track.

I would appreciate the expertise of your many readers on this question.

Thank you so much,
Warren in Alabama
(76 and loving railroading)”

Here’s a pic of what Warren is asking about – a model train momentary push button switch.

Please do post a reply below if you can help Warren – as usual, lots of have already with some very useful comments.

Now on to Ed:

“Hi Al this is Ed from Holland.

I thought you might like this tip. Many people have small layouts which means small radius. The first thing that you think of is “big boy” he is definitely out of the question. This is not true and here’s why.

The theory of a locomotive is that it follows the track. If there is a slight difference in the Radius the locomotive will jump the track. To correct the situation change the theory, make the track follow the train. First all tracks should be soldered all joints, then only fasten down the straight track the radius should be movable.

When the large locomotive starts to make the radius you will see some movement in the track that means that the track is going to the locomotive. You can still have ground cover but Take a thin knife and run it under the track. You should use flex track for this process it works on all gauges.

Now your dream can come true of owning a big boy.

Ed”

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“You can use some types of seed head if you dry it out and put scatter on for leaves!

You can make hills out of crisscrossed card! Crisscross the card to make a frame then glue paper on to strengthen it.

Iwan”

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I get sent lots of videos, and found myself watching this one to the end, so thought you might like it too. Useful if you’re weathering any of your stock at the mo:

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here

A big thanks to Warren for asking about his model train momentary push button switch – please do ask a question if you think the collective can help.

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.