Model railroad layouts plans

Russ has been in touch. He’s added to the N scale train portable layouts on the blog:

“Hi, Al

Russ Jones here from West Virginia, USA.

I’ve been an avid follower of your newsletter and wanted to show you a project I’ve been working on for almost a year.

It’s a portable layout being built for my model railroad club (Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum at Antietam Station in Sharpsburg, Maryland).

It started out as a donation to the club in a very rudimentary and incomplete Z scale layout contained in a removable glass-topped wooden framework. The original dimensions were 47” X 24” with a depth of about 2”.

We decided to upgrade this to N scale and needed to add additional 1” x 4” lumber to give us the needed depth for N scale tunnels and structures.

The layout itself was started on a sheet of closed cell foam that was cut to fit the wooden framework and was inserted later when all of the track and structure wiring was installed.

Three tunnels were built with the largest in the center to separate a “country” scene with a fishing pond from a town area.

The tunnels were made with a base of foam blocks and crumpled paper that was subsequently covered with strips of plaster cloth. After drying, the plaster cloth was covered with a thin coat of joint compound then painted with Woodland Scenics Earth Base paint. All exposed foam also was painted.

The pond was constructed using a cardboard cutout with a stream outlet at one end, and covered with joint compound then painted.

A covered bridge and girder bridge were added over the stream outlet.

Landscaping was accomplished by painting all exposed surfaces with a 50:50 white glue:water mix, to which was applied light brown and light green fine turf using salt shakers. Coarser turf and finally trees were added later.

The pond “bottom” was painted by blending a small area of flat black at the center and slowly blending dark blue, light blue, light green and finally yellow brown outward to the pond edges. Once dry, I used Woodland Scenics “water” mixed with a few drops of light green paint and poured it into the pond base.

Although it self-levels, it unexpectedly shrank as it dried and it required a second pour to completely fill in the pond area. Before pouring, I added a few twigs to represent floating and partially submerged logs.

The hillsides were painted with the Earth Base coat and then dry brushed with sandstone grey to give it a rocky wall appearance. I laid out a country road on one side of the pond using Woodland Scenics Paving Tape and filling in the road surface with joint compound. After drying it was painted with a light gray, they given a black wash of water mixed with a few drops of black paint for a weathering effect.

Since the club had a train show and sale coming up, it was decided to drop the insert the foam insert into the wood framework and drop wires for lights, track power and switches into predrilled holes and display the half-completed layout as an advertisement for the club. At the end of the show, the layout came home to my basement so I could finish to town side of the layout.

Now work started in earnest on the town side of the layout. Using the paving tape again, I added sidewalks using joint compound covered with balsa sidewalk covers. A squarish road area 2” in width was painted directly on to the foam base and a rectangular courtyard made of cardboard and painted with the Earth Base Coat.

Trees, brick walkways, and fine green turf were added later. I then added road markings from Highwaysnbyways.com, and glued in a few vehicles and pedestrians.

As a final feature, I covered the central tunnel with a removable foam topper (held in place with Velcro strips). I felt that this feature was needed in the event of a derailment inside the tunnel.

Russ”

A huge big thanks to Russ for adding to the N scale train portable layouts.

I know it’s not portable, but Russ’s layout reminded me of Chris’s N scale coffee table.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if creating your own model railroad is an itch you just have to scratch, the the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

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

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.

John’s been back in touch – this time with his HO scale oil refinery.

I have no idea how long it took to make, but seems very worth it – I can’t wait to see it on his layout:

“Hi Al,

Well, it’s been awhile since I wrote to you and the thousands of model railroaders but rest assured that I read the Blog twice a day – every day.

Since retiring in April last, I’ve been just to busy to get around to sending an update…it’s complicated.

Anyway, I’ve completed another module to “finish” all the scenes and main aspects of my West Virginia Energy railroad.

This is the shale to oil processing and refining plant. Here oily shale is separated from it’s sticky crude oil and refined into good old low sulfur diesel fuel.

As is the case with most of the WV Energy businesses, it’s working on a string and a prayer. Some leaks and stuff always needing help. Rust always attacking anything not covered in oil or old paint.

Some brave souls climbing those ladders!

When it finely gets installed in the corner of the layout I’ll send more.

Regards to you and all our model railroad friends across the world.

John From Baltimore”

A huge big thanks to John for sharing his HO scale oil refinery. I do love his layout – his last post is here:

HO switching layouts.

And another oil refinery that springs to mind, is Fred’s:

N scale oil refinery.

Next up is Bill.

He’s sent in the below, and I’d really like to hear your thoughts – it’s a subject we all mull over:

“Alastair,

I am sorry to say that I have to give up this hobby.

It has just gotten too expensive for me as I am a senior on a fixed income.

Locomotives that used to cost $100 or less are now $300 and up with DCC and DC locomotives are becoming increasingly rare.

Passenger cars that I used to get for $25 are now twice as much.

Freight Cars are up in price also.

Just can’t afford it anymore.

Bill”

Please do leave a comment below if you’d like to add to the conversation.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the big day when you get back in the saddle and join in the fun, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

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

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.

Rob’s been back in touch with his Lionel O Gauge trains:

“Hi Al,

Thanks for posting my corner cliff last week. The comments from the gang are all appreciated. Nice to know you’re doing something right.

Lot’s of questions were posted so I’ll try to do my best to respond.

First some history- I grew up in the 60’s-70’s with HO trains. My father had Lionel Tin-plate trains that we would set up occasionally. He built me a decent size HO layout when I was 8. I could run 2 trains and had a nice 5-track yard.

When I was a little older, we took this layout down and built a larger 12×8. We moved when I got out of High School and the trains got packed away, never to see a layout again. I’ve kept a few of my Rivarossi steam engines that I still run occasionally. I always had a loop under the Christmas tree each year.

I started building this layout 10 years ago this month. It took serious negotiation with the CEO but she has tolerated my obsession gracefully. Yes- 4×8 is small for any layout, especially O gauge, but I’m making the best of it.

My original plan was to incorporate some of Lionel’s classic operating accessories but my track plan and lack of space didn’t allow for them. I’m an operator, and enjoy doing switching operations, but I also like to sit back and let them run while enjoying a nice single-malt scotch.

O gauge and O scale are two different animals. Most people hear Lionel and think of the Post-war toys that many of us grew up with. Most of these are compressed and not true 1:48 scale. Modern O scale builders have joined the industry over the years further growing the hobby. I’m running both PW conventional, and modern trains. Also running Lionel Legacy and MTH DCS systems.

Since my layout is basically done (yea- no layout is ever done), I started to expand into engine builds and upgrades. I’ve added electronics to conventional locos and also modernized older command engines with the newer version boards. Lionel developed a Lionchief line several years ago that uses a Bluetooth communication system to control an engine. No added hardware besides a remote, or any smartphone/ tablet via their Cab 3 app.

Back to the layout. I had never done much scenery on my old HO layouts so I’ve really enjoyed the adventure this time around. My background as an electrical contractor certainly has helped as the layout has developed. I don’t have room for many buildings given the space, but I’ve squeezed in one or two. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I love your printed buildings and have used several on the layout.

First a full shot of the layout. Part of my real estate negotiations with the CEO was to win the air right over the file cabinets.

Factory siding (the background building flats are your paper prints)

Team Track- someone had asked about the retaining wall – also paper prints on cardstock.

Passenger Platform and Yard

Yard office- I repurposed an old Lionel caboose

Yard stuff

Corners are always a challenge. The rear left corner was particularly challenging since I had to climb on and over the layout to work on it. I built most of it as a diorama and then installed it on the layout. The retaining walls are also paper prints, I gave them some depth by adding balsa timbers. The hill is made from more rigid foam, covered with plaster cloth and scenic’d

Finally- the upper level. I built a girder bridge using Lionel bridge girders. I added a signal bridge that’s controlled by an infra-red sensor (Lionel 153-IR) on the right, that changes the aspect from red to green as a train approaches. I did some weathering with various powders on the girders and accessories. The center section is removable to access the main level tracks below.

MOW crew is on the job too.

This was a platform cutout that a switch sat on in my original track plan. Good spot for a couple of signal boxes.

That’s about it Al.

Thanks for all you do to keep the Blog running.

Bob from New York, USA.”

A huge big thanks to Bob for sharing his O gauge lionel trains.

I do love an update – and if you want to see his last post, it’s here:

4×8 O gauge layout.

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you grab the bull by the horns, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

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

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.