Model railroad layouts plans

John’s been back in touch with his HO scale coal mine layout:

“Hi Al,

My modeling of a fading West Virginia coal town led me to do research, a few overnight field trips, and you-tube grazing of these forgotten places time has passed by.

Probably the most interesting I found is Thurmond West Virginia.

The first picture is the real Thurmond. It is now a ghost town with the latest census having 8 people, but it seems no one can find them, and no houses are occupied – do ghosts count in a census?

Anyway, since I have a cantilevered signal like the one in the picture, I decided to model the main “street” which is actually a gravel road right next to the tracks!

This whole area of southern West Virginia, Parts of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky combine to make a wide swath of the Blue Ridge mountains known as Appalachia.

Hardworking people, some doing okay, many in incredible poverty. It is a fact of history in some places in the United States that a town can explode on the scene in a decade, with a single factory, mine, or railroad junction, and when the bromide “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” comes true and the factory or mine egg basket drops or dies, and so does the town.

Since the last article I sent in with the town of “Craig” under construction, it’s been fully installed and most scenery is now in place, maybe some more trees? Thinking about it.

I’m working from the back of the layout to the front this time, filling in scenery and buildings as I go.

I also made progress on my rock quarry. The pit is done and integrating it into the rock processing structure is moving along.

It’s a challenge as the concept of the module for my model of the rock crusher was done for a more western desert area which never quite happened, so colors – browns, tans and such VS greens and greys of the West Virginia mountains present something of a problem. Still working that out.

As many who have read what I’ve sent to Al on this outstanding (I really mean it!) website, I tend to be more of a model building/scenery model railroad person. I like to run trains, but still the building of a cool model is where it’s at for me.

With this in mind, I’ve resisted going to DCC for the layout, and am staying with DC block systems for operation.

Thus, at this point I decided on a few operational design things for two areas of the layout. I will operate these areas as “separate layouts” electrically isolated from the main loops.

First is the upper-level coal mines, shuttling cars into and out of the loader, bringing them across the bridge to build trains on the main level.

Second is the whole roundhouse-yard and quarry area, again building trains to be taken for loops on the mainline.

There are several stub tracks which service businesses in the area of the roundhouse, which will also allow for switching challenges and car ordering for businesses.

As the layout continues the finishing process, there will be a refinery added, and the existing silver mine will also have small power-packs for their operations.

I have found over the years that the vision and drive to make a miniature slice of the world (HO size for me) has taken me to some un-planned areas.

The aging and struggling plight of the coal country was a turn I didn’t see coming, but I have to say, there are lots of really interesting things to see, learn about and model there.

I hope you enjoy my trips to the time and place where towns and living happened while, for a few decades time stood still, when coal was king.

John”

A huge big thanks to John for sharing his HO scale coal mine layout.

I often say picking a theme for your layout is the way to go. From my point of view, I have noticed over the years the layouts with a clear theme always look the best.

The overhead view of the layout really shows John’s layot has come together.

You can see his last post here: Model railroad quarry.

Or if want to see a whole load of his post, he’s in the Hall of fame too.

Here’s some pics of his previous posts with links.

John’s U shaped layout

HO scale coal mine

John adds a substation to his layout

More of John’s stunning layout

John’s also reminded me of this post too:

HO scale coal mine layout

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you stop dreaming and start doing, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Remember, it’s the start that stops most folk.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

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

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of your model train layout tips – even after all the years there are still rolling in:

“Dear Al,

I have a 5’x8′ HO layout running 2 trains.

Most of the cars have plastic wheels. I noticed that over time I had to keep increasing the voltage to the engines to keep up speed. Finally, it got ridiculous.

I looked at the track and rubbed it with my finger and it was black from residue from the plastic wheels.

I had purchased some W-D 40 Electrical Contact Cleaner to renew an old motor in an engine. It worked great.

So I took a die-cast flat car and attached a folded piece of paper towel to the bottom with a rubber band and soaked it with the cleaner.

I then attached it to the rear of one of the trains and ran the train.

I noticed that after 3-4 trips around the train was running faster. I stopped the train and turned the towel over and resoaked it. More improvement.

Lastly, I ran a clean dry towel to finish off. I have seen poles with rags attached doing the same thing, but I can’t reach all of my tracks that way.

Besides, I would rather just sit in my chair and watch the train do the work. I hope this helps some of the folks that can’t afford brass wheels.

I look forward to reading your posts every morning while I drink my coffee.

I am 81 years old and a widower and all I have are my trains and my little dog. As you say, “Keep ’em coming”

Thanks,

Santa Fe Bob in Florida, USA”

Now on to Dangerous Dave:

“Hi Al…

I have just loaded a video showing how to improve a space on my layout.

I show in detail how easy it is to do this, also added footage of hauling some freight as requested by some of the members on my last video.

Also a short one of my garden at the end, again requested by members.

Regards

Dave”

And now on to Brian:

“Hi Al,

this is in response to Robs airbrush article.

I have an Aztec airbrush (top of the range) one as seen below.

I have been using it for about 20 years and can do almost everything with it.

Using the fine nozzle, I can write my name in my check book (if I had one). I use it for all my spray work and takes me about 3 minutes to thoroughly clean it between paint colours.

Unfortunately it is no longer manufactured. I do have a spare airbrush body though just in case.

Brian”

Now on to Jim:

“Al,

Attached are 6 photos of my layout and the start of my paint job on a N scale GP-35.

My layout is 4feet by 6.6feet with a yard and round house off to one end with a lift gate to a door to the rest of my garage.

Jim”

If it’s more tips you are after, here’s another dose: Tips for model railroading.

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.

Dan’s been back in touch with his Santa Fe line train layout:

“The Santa Fe Railroad in Colorado and New Mexico is an HO scale layout. It is scenically located in the southwest.

The 35 by 15 layout represents the double track Santa Fe mainline.

The era is late 50’s and early 60’s. With modelers license it has a ruling grade of 3.5 % that represents the grade of Raton Pass and a branch line like the line to the Grand Canyon.

The branch line is also part of the old single tracked mainline with sharp curves and a 4 % grade.

The layout is 99.9 % finished. It uses block control and DC power from walk around Hogger power packs. There are about 450 freight cars and about 85 passenger cars.

The motive power is mostly Athearn “Blue Box” and some A-B-B-A passenger and A- B-B-A F unit Genesis sets, and several Model Power E units.

Other manufactures are also found on the layout including two BLI 4-8-4 Northern locos. All locos are powered because the freight trains are usually 30-40 cars long and the passenger trains run 10-
15 cars.

The main town of Sharon Springs (wife’s name) could be Albuquerque.

This allows some engine facilities and switching opportunities and is a division point. This is also the interchange with the Rio Grande near Douglas Junction at Bovine. Douglas Junction is the junction with the old main line.

Sharon Springs is also the starting point for the operation of the service to Burnt Lake a resort ala the Grand Canyon.

The resort can be reached only via train. There is no road access. The resort passes over a 600 foot long curved trestle reaching heights of over 100 feet as it passes thru Rainbow Canyon. The
canyon gets its name from the colored rock formations.

The main line passes the town of Almost. The name is because it is near the summit of the layout. The town is experiencing a boon because of the discovery of low sulfur coal.

The mine, Almost Mine is the home of “all most clean coal.” It is the home of Almost Fresh Donuts and the Almost Christian Church (with a wedding taking place).

The train station at Almost has an addition attached to accommodate the increased traffic.

I am a scenery person and enjoy doing the scenery. I really like all phases of the construction process.

The layout was not built as an “operating layout” as I preferred a scenery-based layout. I have opportunities to operate on several nearby layouts.

I have a run through and staging yard as a lower level reached by way of 3.5% grades. This simulates the ruling grade on the ATSFs passenger line.

I can store 6 complete trains in the staging yard with the main line trackage being separate. The trains can then appear as needed.

I have posted many photos of this layout as well as The Inland Pacific for which I did 90% of the scenery, The Boston & Maine for which I built all of the layout and The Great Northern for which I helped on the design, construction and scenery. These can be found by searching santafedan on www.trainorders.com

The workers on the trestle have been replacing damaged railings at the fire barrels

The town is having a building boom

The station at Almost is getting an addition as the local coal mine is doing very well

Working at the icing platform

Loading RC Cola

Busy at the market

There is a chromite mine on the railroad. The ore is used to make chrome plating.

The grain elevator is having a paint job. (On my layout I do not do a lot of weathering…personal preference.) This to demonstrate for the complainers (they do exist) that I do know how to do weathering.

The silos are Pringle cans wrapped in teletype paper (yellow) and sprayed with a gray color.

Notice the costume (US at least) of tin cans trailing the car. They are solder drops on a wire.

The crossing guard lives in the shed. He is full time as he is needed when the train to Burnt Lake arrives. It will be shown in another photos later. The van is owned by the hotel and uses to bring in the visitors. There is no road in or out of the resort. To help set the time period the stop sign is yellow, the standard up until the late sixties when our signs became the universal red.

The figures in the store windows have been trimmed to fit. I have arms and legs all over.

I have friends, also model railroaders, who are police. Therefore, the doughnuts.

The coal bins are a Fine Scale Miniature kit. The pickup truck is a resin model I painted.

A hobo camp below the trestle in Rainbow Canyon

The ever present wave

I had a professional photographer friend. I put him on the layout taking movies. (He was a little over weight.) The “camera” is made from KD coupler box parts. From this photo you can’t see the path her took to get this vantage point. I never put figures anywhere unless there is a way to get them in place.

I chose the Santa Fe for several reasons. First, I guess was the influence of Lionel trains Santa Fe passenger trains.

Second, I have ridden the ATSF route several times. I rode the el Capatain in 1959 and the AMTRAK version three times. I have driven the Passenger route from Kansas City to Needles California.

Third, I like the scenery.

Sant Fe Dan”

A big thanks to Dan for sharing his Santa Fe line train layout.

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s funny how just naming the places and scenes adds so much life to a layout.

Really looking forward to seeing more of Dan’s work.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you join in the fun and get started, 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.