Model railroad layouts plans

Steve’s been in touch with an update on his Model railway station platforms:

“Dear Al,

I am constantly amazed at the skills shown in your posts from people! I thought I would offer a few of my humble attempts at creating my two stations on my layout.

This is an update as I sent a few early stage pictures last year.

One is a through station which has a junction on each end permitting trains to come off the main lines into a station platform without passing though a station on the main line every few seconds! This offers more interesting train working within the confines of a loft space!

This arrangement permits the train to change engines from the nearby engine depot ( not complete!). The terminus station feeds from one direction only off the main line via the through station taking a slow middle road through it before entering the terminus station on the other side of the layout.

It is the old fashioned analogue so isolating sections and switches permit the engines to be uncoupled at the front of the terminus platform and a replacement engine to be backed on at the other end. The buildings are out of the box items as I said before as I have not got the great skills shown by many of your contributors (or the time – later perhaps!).

I have weathered many of the station features and is roughly based on the Western and Midland regions in BR days in my case the 1960’s. The terminus roof looks part finished and this is deliberate!

I am planning to put scaffolding round the open end suggesting the overall roof is partly dismantled and will be demolished in the the near future – which was common place during this period ( a pity but that’s another discussion).

Sorry no trains on it yet as they are still in the boxes while I get the stations up and running and the scenery behind them, I think some work on the sheds and then trains can run again after a thorough track cleaning session!

After that I need to think about signals and people and roads and and and…

Good modelling everyone

Regards

Steve”

Model railway station platforms:

“Al,

Thank you for the many layout suggestions, from yourself and many others.

Attached are some photos of how I build elevated or hillside track. I use 4 foot ceiling tile “tee rail” from Home Depot, and this makes for easy slopes and level runs. The tees are topped off with 1/8″ press board.

One picture shows a notched column made from 1×2, an example of how to raise and support the tees. I used a brad gun to attach braces and columns. But I used caulk to lay the press board on the tees, to keep the press board smooth and even.

The tees can be notched underneath for tunneling track.

Another photo shows the convenience of hiding lots of electronic gear under the long “tee” spans. My layout so far has four automatic reversing loops using Atarax prefab circuits with optical sensors.

Another trick: “Cheap” wire in long lengths, and with efficient multistrand core, can be had from Harbor Freight or your local parts store in the form of trailer wiring kits. They come with 24′ continuous lengths multicolored.

Hope these ideas are useful if not new.

Thanks,

Dennis”

A huge thanks to Steve for sharing his model railway station platforms, and to Dennis too.

I’ve been doing the blog a number of years now, yet I’m still surprised at what comes in sometimes. You really are a clever lot out there.

Thanks to everyone who has sent in a contribution – and this is probably a good time to say, if you’ve sent me something and I’ve not replied, please be patient. I get a gazillion emails a day and I do my best.

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.

Steve’s been in touch with his model train town layout:

“Al

I was sitting in our home office taking a break from the railroad work and I looked up at the train room entrance and noticed the sign above the door. My 6 year grandson made the train and the letters with beads you iron together. He did it all on his own. I made the frame and the tracks for him. This is the best part of my layout.

I have been busy almost completing the town area of my layout. I still have to add people and I am working on lights for the buildings and streets. I am roughing in some ideas for the industrial area and may try to send you a short video.

Steve from Toms River.”

Model train town layout:

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“Al,

When it comes to train layout scenery i`m cheap, save the money for things i can`t make.

Fine saw dust+clothes dye+ enough water to mix it well, gives me green for grass,light or dark what ever i want, brown for dirt, black for coal yard and around coaling stations shops and such.

Small dried weed tops with ca glue, sprinkle on colored sawdust for foliage, i dye many weeds and types of dead grass for scenery.

I use old cork like ceiling tiles for building cuts through hills and mountains, break them in long pieces, rake the showing edge with a wire brush, paint, stack and glue together, looks just like the real thing, also use for stone walls.

For track ballast i use chicken grit, in case you were not born on a farm, chicken grit is tiny pieces of gravel made to aid chickens in digesting food, just the right size for any scale almost, and it`s CHEAP.

By the way, my layouts have always been O gauge, but i have helped a few of my friends that have ho scale, and all of the above works well for them also.

Wishing you the best,

Hearl”

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“I guess I would say don’t just accumulate kits and models–actually BUILD SOMETHING from your collection of unbuilt kits.

I often use the name “Old Armchair” to describe myself.

Ralph”

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“Here Goes

1. take a screen from a old screen door ore a piece of screen cut it
in to long sections to make a chainlink fence.

2. take an aluminum tube about a pencil width cut with
pliers about 1/2 inch apart pliers will crimp the ends of the tube pieces to make small bags of dog food or eny product you like.

3. cut a long piece of brown or earth tone color corduroy fabric glue it to an area on the layout to make a plowed field.

4. fiber optic line i saw a guy do these in a book he took a optic line from a lamp the kind that changes color and mad a locomotive head light he took a lighter to the end of it to melt it in to headlamp shape then the other end goes near the bulb of the locomotive.

5. a small rock the size of your finger nail makes a great boulder.

Michael”

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“When building large hills or small mountains or N scale I used the rails from old track sections and even old flex track it gives a very sturdy base then use old window screen and hot glued to the rails then u put your terrain and grass mat came out nice and just stuff hanging around so don’t toss those things are very useful.

Have fun. I use for tunnels also.

Blitz”

That’s all this time folks. A big thanks to Steve for sharing his model train town layout.

Please do keep ’em coming – and big thank you to everyone who has contributed.

I’m looking forward to seeing Steve’s video, it’s a fine looking layout. Beginner’s guide is here if you want to be more than an armchair subscriber!

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

“My name is Cary from Crestwood Kentucky. I’m 52 years old and started collecting a G Scale railroad layout when my son was small.

I always wanted to do a G scale railroad layout but it seemed impossible without adding an addition to my house. I finally decided to do an outdoor layout.

I’ve been preparing the ground for the last few summers, in the winter months I’ve been building structures, vehicles and painting people which has been great fun!

For buildings, I’m using concrete backer board for the base and roof. I’m using real shingles, exterior house paint and lots and lots of construction adhesive and caulk.

Hope you enjoy these photos, I look forward to sharing more with you as this project develops.

My first project was this church. The walls are birch plywood that I cut vertical grooves in with my table saw to give the look of planking.

I lapped the shingles, but have since found a better method. As you can see I didn’t attempt real windows on this first project.

The water tower started with a large coffee can and planking I ripped on my table saw. This was my first attempt at building trestle and I was pleased with the result. That’s the fun with a G scale railroad layout!

The train station is plywood with planks glued on the outside. I tried windows using some thin plexi-glass. Still not the effect I was hoping for but a step closer. The shingles turned out much better by just gluing them down flat and covering the seams with a thin piece of shingle.

I use construction adhesive on the shingles but also use hot glue when corners flip up, the hot glue dries fast and holds the edges in position until the adhesive dries.

The figures are 1/24 scale from Ebay/China. they were inexpensive and have a reasonable amount of detail. The luggage is blocks of wood with wire formed for handles.

My most recent and most ambitious project is this two story hotel with shops on either side. The walls are birch plywood and I used a router on the back side to mill out around the windows so the interior of the window would not be too thick.

The window panes are painted onto the Plexiglas.

The signs are also caulked and glued under plexi-glass and lightly airbrushed with dull coat to remove the gloss.

You can have a lot of fun with a G scale railroad layout.

I always make the roofs removable so I can make repairs and look for critters once the buildings are outdoors.

I found a 1/24 scale covered wagon on ebay, not a great kit, but the horses are very detailed.

The truck was a 1/24 scale Ertl die cast coin bank I picked up for $8. I removed the tanker on the back, painted it, added a flat bed and a figure. Good detail, made of metal to hold up outdoors, and inexpensive…..I’ll be looking for more of these!

The thing with a G scale railroad layout is the size gives you lots of scope.

Thanks to Alastair for his emails, it’s always interesting to see what others are doing.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my G scale railroad layout.

Cary”

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“Here’s a quick introduction and some first videos of my current N-scale layout which is under construction.

Like many modelers my age (I’m 74), I started out when I was young with a Lionel train set that my parents gave my brother and me. It was a typical oval with an internal route using two switches. Within a couple of years, I had mounted the track on a 4×8 sheet of plywood painted green, set in a paper mache tunnel, and added a few buildings.

It was my first and only “compete” layout. I spent hours running the train and setting off cars at the siding. (I would give anything to have photos, but back then we didn’t photograph much.) A couple of years later I tore up the track and started to rebuild the layout; we moved and it was never completed.

Over the next 40 years I started at least five HO- and N-scale layouts. None were completed and only one was built to the point that trains were running.

Twenty years ago, I began a large G-scale outdoor railroad that, although trains were running most of the time, I never considered complete. Also the changing weather in northern New Mexico where I live (temperatures go from 100 deg F in the summer to -10 deg F in the winter) caused the track to continually move about, necessitating frequent rebuilds. Worse, elk and deer would come through my back yard to drink at the pond, ripping up the track. Finally, it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to get down on my knees to work on it. So it is on hold for awhile.

About a year ago I discovered your site and was intrigued with the multitude of beautiful model railroads. I became determined to finally complete a layout. I purchased the Woodland Scenics “Scenic Ridge” N-scale kit which included everything needed to build a 3×6 layout using their system. (I highly recommend their products for building light weight plaster cloth and foam layouts.) My rational was, if I got everything at once, I might complete it. I also bought their “Town and Factory” building kit with everything needed to build 13 buildings.

After about eight months, the first stage of the 3×6 layout is virtually complete and trains are running. The scenery is mostly done and about half the buildings are put together and painted. I followed the original track plan (which can be seen on the Woodland Scenic website), but added three additional sidings: one to the factory and two in the yard shown on the bottom of the videos. This will allow some switching action.

But, of course, nothing stays the same. Now I am starting a second stage which will more than double the actual track, plus add a hidden three track staging area. I’ll also continue to work on the first stage, improving the scenery and adding people and vehicles.

More to follow from across the pond,

Dean”

Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Two wonderful narratives today – a big thanks to Dean and Cary – quite a G scale railroad layout. What a project!

And as Cary said, it’s wonderful to see what you are all up to. If you compare today’s post with last time, you really do get a feel of all the different styles and scales.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if you’re still watching from your armchair, and want to get involved, 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.