Model railroad layouts plans

Brian has been in touch with the model train waterfall he is working on:

“Hi Al,

I have been helping on an ‘n’ scale display.

The photos below show how I built the waterfall. (Please note – a change of scale for me. Only temporary)

It had to be made to fit in the center of this layout. The lines seen here are where the module joins are and once permanently on display, will be sceniced to hide them. I used marine silicone sealer on a piece of glass made to the right width and length for the waterfall.

Here, Woodland Scenics water affects was used to get more flowing water and shape.

Cushion stuffing was used to create water crashing over a rocky outcrop and was glued in place with the WS water effects.

Again cushion stuffing was used at the bottom of the waterfall to creat churning water hitting the pool below. (Still to be poured with Woodland Scenics realistic water)

The cushion stuffing was then teased into shape (in my opinion) and the water from top to bottom was dry brushed with a very light blue to reflect the sky. A final layer of WS water effects was put on to give it that glossy look. (Not on the cushion stuffing)

This is the ‘n’ scale display layout almost complete before moving it to the display area in the shopping center. It is 7.3 meters wide by 2.3 meters deep at its widest point. It is of modular design to enable it to be moved into it new home.

It is run by DCC Digitrax with three controllers and is of continental prototype running steam locomotives.

Many thanks

Brian Knysna RSA”

Now on to Margaret:

And she proves in spades that a layout can be whatever you want it to be.

“Dear Alistair,

I built this N scale fairy village layout at the request of my granddaughters. They love it.

Margaret”

Next up is Daniel:

“The attached photo is a replication of an actual MOW car that was taken from revenue service for one specific function, one specific function only.

I thought it might be fun for your readers to guess what the car was used for.

It was part of an eastern railroad. The Delaware and Hudson was the railroad, and was used for one location; Tunnel, NY where the D & H had a tunnel. This is northeast of Binghamton, NY.

Above is a photo by Bill Mischler (D&H Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment – a GREAT book btw) of the prototypical car as seen in Oneonta, NY. Its usual home was in Binghamton, NY.

Below is the truck the D & H used to clear ice at the Ticonderoga tunnel. This photo is by Jeff Martin (D & H Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment) and was taken in July of 1968.

Daniel”

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his model train waterfall, and Daniel and Margaret too.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming because it’s getting very thin on the ground this end again.

And if today is the day you decide to join in the fun and take that first step, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Dale has been in touch with how he reused his model train rolling stock.

“When I first started my layout, before I had made my design decisions, I saw this combination passenger/baggage car at a train show.

For the exorbitant price of $5.00US I thought it might be useful.

When I got it home and put it on my layout, a few problems came evident.

First off, it had a tendency to derail on anything that wasn’t straight track.

Second, it had a light inside that was so bright it made the top and sides of the car glow. The pickups for the light were putting enough drag on the wheelsets that the car barely rolled if I pushed it down the track.

Fixing it wasn’t hard. First, I took out the light and the pickup wipers entirely. T

Then I removed, disassembled and cleaned the trucks.

Finally, I readjusted the wheelsets so they were in scale. Now the car rolled properly and I was left to decide what to do with it. Since by this time I had determined that I wasn’t going to be running passenger service, the car sat on my bookshelf.

Now skip ahead about 4 months and I needed a restaurant for the town. None of the kits I saw were quite right for what I wanted for the locale I was modeling. Then my eye caught the combine on the shelf and I thought it might make a fine diner. So, I pulled it apart again, painted it, installed a couple of low power LEDs in the roof (with enough resistance in the line to make them pretty dim), and reassembled it leaving off the trucks and couplers.

Addition of steps and a handicap ramp, some ground cover, bushes, trees, a picnic bench, a sign on top (it’s named for a very special lady in my life) and we have a diner in town.

There are other pieces of rolling stock that can easily be repurposed: cabooses make good yard boss offices, old box cars make industrial storage sheds, a flat car makes a stage for performances in a park. The only limit is your imagination. Go wild and have fun.

Dale”

A huge thanks to Dale for sharing how he reused some model train rolling stock – a wonderful example of being creative and using what you already have (or bought for a few dollars!).

Now on to Dennis:

“A nice teenager was a bit too young for a summer job. He kept his agile brain and hands busy and built a diorama from the Jennings Lumber Company kit.

The kit is still available online for $150-$200 un-assembled from Scale Structures Limited. And what a job Tim did!

Look at the detail, you can even see tire tracks in the dirt. Tim added a lot more detail to the basic kit and then built a stand and surrounding glass and frame for protection.

The diorama went on a journey, residing for a time at the local historical society and then the railroad park in Scottsdale Arizona. Eventually it became a fixture at the train store that Tim’s father ran in Mesa, Arizona. I enjoyed visiting the store for years, and although I never met Tim’s father, who became ill, I was charmed by Tim, his wife, employees and a couple of friendly cats.

It was a gathering place for us train geezers! Finally, it was time for Tim to move on and he closed the store, selling all the fixtures. I approached Tim and said, “You don’t want this winding up in someone’s basement or garage, sell it to me and my patients will enjoy it every day.”

We agreed on a price, separated the display from the base, loaded the two parts into my SUV and I carefully drove it a few miles to Scottsdale. I put a fresh coat of paint on the base before reassembling the parts, and, yes, I’m proud to display Tim’s work at my Ophthalmology office.

The only change to his work is I added an old locomotive and a few HO train cars, but otherwise it is just as he created it more than forty years ago!

My prediction was true, it is a guy magnet and patients passing by my office window often come in to ooh and aah.

Thanks, Tim!

Dennis M.D.,”

A big thanks to Dennis.

Hope you can see why I love seeing what’s in my inbox each morning.

That’s all 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.

Steve’s been in touch – he’s shared how he makes his homemade model train ballast:

“Hi Al,

I enjoy the post, obtaining ideas from others, and watching the videos.

Due to scenery costs, I continually look for ways to make the hobby cheaper, without degrading the visual effects.

Here is a cheap method to produce your own ballast. The end product is about ¼ of the price of retail ballast

This idea uses ‘Bonsai’ Pebbles, which are easily available from garden centres.

Compare my ballast with the ‘real’ thing:

Mine is bigger in size, but smaller product can be produced if required. Considering that retail ballast is labelled “HO & N” scale, there is room to move in size.

THE PROCESS

I purchased a mortar / pestle, and a colander. Don’t use the ones from the kitchen or you may NOT survive the day!

I then drilled 1/8” holes (make the size whatever you like) through the bottom of the colander, to act as a sieve

Place a small amount of the pebbles into the pestle and pound away. Don’t fill too much volume because the pebbles tend to fly away.

This was after about 2 mins. The longer you work at it, the smaller the result.

Then sift the pebbles through the sieve to obtain an amount of ballast.

I sometimes repeat the process to obtain more model train ballast.

Comparing the two products, yes, mine (right) is about 2 times bigger than the retail ballast.

I apply the ballast in the usual way (not with Dave’s favorite tool, but a substitute could be built) :

Mix 50/50 water and PVA glue.

Place a liberal amount of the mix along the sides of the track, and down the centre.

Carefully apply the ballast.

Place another liberal amount of the glue mix on top of the ballast.

Allow about 6 hrs to fully dry.

Scrape up any loose pieces and re apply with more glue mix.

So, here is the result on the layout.

You could mix this result with retail ballast to improve the result, it’s up to you.

I hope you enjoyed the post.

Regards

Steve (Sydney)”

A big thanks to Steve for sharing his homemade model train ballast!

I know it’s not the cheapest hobby in the world, so every little helps…

Steve’s post reminded me of Bob’s:

How to ballast a model railroad track

And kaustav’s:

Model train track ballast.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you get going on your own minature world, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.