Model railroad layouts plans

Dan’s been back in touch. This time he talks us through his Helix construction HO scale:

“A lot of the layouts today have a helix to change the levels of the layout. As a scenery guy, why not make it part of the scenery if possible.

This post will be about how to include the helix as part of the scenery.

My previous post was the Gorge on a friend’s layout. On the same layout, he had a helix. His design for the helix was to get to three different levels.

The lowest was storage/staging and run through. On the top level of the helix, there was a problem with the track.

He had the upper level that was going down and the lower level coming up cross at a 30/60 diamond. (Part of the helix turns were thus double track, one up and one down.)

The major problem was the diamond. Those of you with DCC know about shorting at the frog or the guard rail. This was a problem with the 3 axle locos and some 3 axle
passenger cars with lighting.

Our first solution was to put nail polish on the inside of the offending rails. That would have been a good solution and would have worked on other layouts. There is always a
however.

If the helix were to be closed, normally done, there would be no way to know if the diamond was clear.

He did not want some kind of detector there. (His layout.) So out came the saber saw again. You will see later how this was done.

Everything was my basic: ceiling tile, plaster cloth ,scupta mold, and ground foam scenery technique.

The helix as it was before my “adjustments.” There is a top level. A middle level. Below the the middle level you can just see to the lower left, the lowest level.

The track from the upper right would have crossed at the 30/60 diamond, not seen in this view, the track from the upper left at grade. The black line is the new alignment. At the right end, the new mental meets the old down track. This eliminated the diamond. The dashed line is the old up track. Watch for the “special effect” this creates….stay tuned.

This is the new alignment. The track in the distance is where the diamond was. The two tracks on the upper level now pass each other with out crossing. He knew how to create a puzzle to fix. The tracks seen at the very bottom are for the staging/storage and run through tracks. One is for the up and one is for the down tracks. (I know this might be confusing to your normal naming of tracks.)

The general view. The owner is in the photo. He is reaching to the lower level.

Helix construction HO scale:

The basic shape of the helix. The green fascia board running to the right is my new alignment.

The tunnel is the down track and the track to the right is the up track. You can see some of the plaster cloth in place ready for the ground cover.

A view looking the other way.

Both tunnels.

The “special effect” I mentioned earlier. A surprised scene! Now the helix is something to look at rather than hide.

Some views of the un-hiden helix.

Tunnel view.

Passing trains.

A train on the new Alignment.

The train is now on the old alignment.

I just like watching the trains pass.

I could not resist one more look.

Dan*”

A huge big thanks to Hall of Fame Dan for walking us through his Helix construction HO scale. I do really enjoy his posts.

I think adding a helix to a layout is an itch a lot fo us have to scratch. Over the years there have been lots of posts on them. Here are a few:

HO scale helix layout

How to build a model train helix

Model railroad helix

HO scale helix double track

Model train helix

Model railroad helix construction

Making a helix for you model railroad

I’m sure it won’t be long before the forum has Helix questions too, answered by you clever lot.

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.

N scale cardstock buildings free – you don’t even need to enter your email address, just download and make!

Here’s the building, it’s a generic freight shed that you can use in most model train layouts:

Here’s the complete step by step, and the download link for the freight shed:

Free cardstock buildings.

Just reduce the print size to 54% for N scale.

Putting it together is simple enough.

Just print out the sheets (reduce the print size to 54% for N scale) and then stick to card.

Cut out the shape and get building. Here’s the walls coming together:

The best thing about N scale cardstock buildings free are you can make the interior as detailed as you want:

Once the walls are up, it’s just a matter of placing the roof and in the case, the wooden platform too:

Making the ramp is simple enough too:

Here’s the complete step by step, and the download link for the freight shed:

Free cardstock buildings.

N scale cardstock buildings free – just download, no email or sign up!

All the printable buildings are made in HO scale. For N scale just reduce the print size to 54% and then you have N scale.

The question I’m asked most about the buildings is ‘are the rigid enough because they look wibbly wobbly?’

Well, here’s how strongthe printable buildings are you make them properly:

There are loads more printable buildings on the blog – full disclosure though, they are cheap but not free:

Model railroad printable buildings.

Of course, I’m biased but they are lot of fun and look great, Here’s the barn which you can see on the store:

That’s all for today folks.

Please do grab and download the N scale cardstock buildings free – not even an email required!

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 Free HO scale cardstock buildings here if that’s your thing.

Brian’s been in touch with his model railroad river scene.

But before we jump into that, I just want to say a big thank you to everyone that has posted a question on the new forum, and especially to those who have posted answers too (Mike T, Sam H, Buzz, Greg and Bob).

Hopefully, it’ll grow into a really useful resource.

Now on to Brian:

“Hi Alastair,

Herewith the continuation of the corner build and a surprise return of an FSM kit built by me more than 43 years ago.

Continuing the corner build from last month.

Below is a custom built (by me) road bridge for the rear of the left hand side of the river. From here it needs to be dirtied up a lot more to show plenty wear and tear.

This photo shows the ISO board river bed in place and ready for final shaping.

Again, this is where it will be situated in the corner of the lower level.

The plaster cloth has been added and waiting for it to harden and dry.

Colouring added plus loose dirt/gravel glued in place. I will also place small stones under the discharge pies and alnong the banks of the river. The discharge pipe casting has been levelled and temporary in place. Greenery and foliage will follow once in place on the layout to blend in with the surrounding model train river scene.

Here the level of the bridges are being checked and cuts in the plaster will need to be done to lower the bridges to the correct track level.

It can now be seen that the river bed needs to be lower to match the water level of Pelican Bay.

Model railroad river scene:

Cuts for the bridges have been made and the river bed is now at the correct level.

Birds Eye view of the levels.

The bottom right hand side has been filled using styrofoam in to give the side banks effect.

Another view showing where the water will come out of the pipes and down the river bed to Pelican Bays water level.

All coming together nicely in the photo below. Lots of scenery work to be done here to blend it all in. The masking tape is holding the ‘concrete’ before gluing gluing it in place.

That will be all for now as I am taking a break on my model railroad river scene.

*********

Way back in the 70s (Fine Scale Miniatures (FSM) manufactured the Freight house kit #150 in 1976) I had purchased this kit for a future layout then. But until the very late 70s I still had not the space to build one.

On my many business trips to East London – South Africa, I got to know a fellow modeller who had a fantastic HOn3 layout at that stage. He had plenty of empty real estate on his layout and never had a FSM kit on it – never mind not having seen one at that stage. Because of our continuing friendship I decided to give him this built up kit for his layout. He was over the moon with it.

Later on in years, he switched scales and went into S scale – D&RGW Sn3.

This FSM kit was then put into his display cabinet for safe keeping.

He eventually became best man at my wedding in 1989.

We were chatting on the phone (as we do nearly every second week) about modelling as always and I asked him about the kit. After a little bit of persuasion and coercion he finally parted with it and gave it back to me. It will now take its place on my layout at Pelican Bay. ??Yay?? Shown in a few photos below.

This is the Fine Scale Miniature kit shown below. All FSM kits came in a yellow box.

Below is an advert out of a model magazine in black and white.

Photo below shows its position on my layout. Still in excellent condition – the kit that is after 43 years. I think that my construction methods and weathering at that stage was pretty good.

As per FSM kits, complete interior and exterior detail supplied with their kits.

It is now situated on my layout amongst other FSM kits at the forefront.

Until next time – keep modelling.

Brian – the HOn3 guy in Knysna.”

A big thanks to Brian for sharing his model railroad river scene – and his FSM kits, which I thought looked amazing.

His previous post on the model railroad river scene is here: HO scale waterfront layout.

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.