Model railroad layouts plans

Peter’s been in touch with his N scale train diorama:

“Greetings from central florida.

Here are some pics of a 2×2 foot diorama i finished a while back.

Sorry for the first few blurry pics hope you enjoy.

Peace Pete”

There’s quite a few dioramas on the blog now:

N scale diorama.

Model railroad dioramas.

Model railroad diorama ho scale.

Make a model train diorama.

Next, some of your tips:

“Some tips I have come up with:

1. for station strip lighting (or any cheap LED lighting) try using the 5m reels of smd leds.

The reals can be cut every 3 led’s (5cm)and are 12v ready – though i opperate them at 9 v as i find them too bright at 12v.

They are also self adhesive and can be painted with humbrol enamel paints if needed.

My12 platform cathedral roof station would have cost £150 to light with brand lights instead it cost about £5 (I still had 1/3 of a reel left for houses/shops). you alsohave the option of two colours: cool white for fluorescent lighting and warm white for incandescent

2. Want a panal of turnout indicator lights on your DCC layout without the expence and hassle of micro switches? (this method even shows that the frog has connected rather than just showing that the motor has thrown).

Simply add insulating plates to the “V” and solder a separate wire up from under the base board to each arm of the V. run the wires back to the control panel and add a LED and 1k resistor.

All the leds (of the same polarity) then just need 1 common return to the respective output from the control unit or bus. NB not worried about wether the frog has completely thrown – simply wire or solder the anode of one led to the cathode of another (you can even use just one resistor).

In this way you only need to run a single wire from one arm of the V with 2 much shorter common return wires to the respective polarities of the controller or bus. 1 wire being attached to all the led anodes and the other to all the free cathodes

Steve”

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“Hello Al,

just thought I’d pass on a scenery tip that our club had used successfully a number of years ago and I’m sure it’ll still look fine today.

We took the flowering buds from a grove of wild sumac trees and let them dry for a week or so. You can get these in random sizes and they’ll make fine fir trees.

We used an out door oil base stain tinted green for the foliage and clipped the stem level and inserted a 2 – 3 inch long brass thin rod for mounting. Individually placed or clustered on a hillside makes a fine scenery point of interest.

thanks for your tips,

Jim”

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Some nice tips, this time.

And thanks to Peter for sharing his N scale train diorama.

Please do keep ’em coming. You’ve all gone very quiet…

That’s all for today folks.

And if you want to make that start – your layout won’t build itself – 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.

Ed’s been in touch:

“I live in NC and recently visited the Model RR Club of Hendersonville.

Located in a old REA building their 100′ x 18′ HO layout has to be the ultimate one anywhere.

ALL Peco track and expensive switches (galore) 3 connected rooms, multiple thru track systems, local period scenery and very well done.

Here’s what impresses you; real time wireless, moving video at track level, all DCC controled sound, switches and signaling included, video track layout monitors w/touch screen or I Pad interface for trains, switches, uncouplers etc.

Manual switch controls along the track section where the switches are. Multiple members can follow their engines around the whole layout by using an app on their phones and watching some very sophisticated blocking signals.

Big $$. How do they do it? Apparently Hendersonville is home to a lot of retired electrical engineers and wealthy train buffs.

Ed”

Hi Al,

First an update on the under-bed storage 00-gauge layout; for why? Because five trains on six sidings in a wardrobe doesn’t give much room for manoeuvre (which is half the fun!).

The 00-gauge under-bed layout has now been built as a folded triple-loop, overall dimensions 1970mm x 1174mm(6ft 6in x 3ft 10in). Requires a bit of fettling on the curves, occasional derailments still, but a work in progress. And I’ve had all five of my trains running on it simultaneously, using the DCC Controller from my Wardrobe Railway. [Tip: for anyone swapping their controller between different layouts, solder some stiff wire (paper-clip wire is perfect) to the ends of your leads, for simple connection into the controller’s spring-grips.]

More on this layout later when I’ve completed it: how to make quick-fit scenery such as stations with no room for platforms, bridges with no room for supports, lightweight tunnel, all to be kept in a single under-bed drawer; bearing in mind the track under the bed itself must be less than 2” thick including its base-board. I realise this may not be what most of your readers get up to, but that might make it interesting!

Back to my wardrobe, and I find it’s easy to lose track – at 00-scale – of just how big these locos were. A couple of period motorcycle combinations trackside keep things in proportion.

My daughter was having a clear-out and unearthed a Spitfire we made together many years back. That’s 00-scale too, so it sits on a convenient wardrobe shelf. To add a touch of realism, I photo-shopped some sky onto a piece of A4 paper: not perfect, but it is a working wardrobe!

Keep up the good work, always a pleasure reading what others get up to,

All Best,

Robert

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming. Just mail me.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to stop dreaming, and start doing.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Just a quickie today, as I’m up against the clock.

But it’s a goodie!

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“Hi Al,

just posted this video , trying to get closer with the camera.

A lot of your subscribers kept saying why do I not get closer in with the camera , well I have tried with this one , but had to use partly the smaller camera , which does not produce as good a quality picture .

But hope that it will answer some of there requests.

Regards

Dave”

If you’re looking for the ‘ebay cheat’ sheet, it’s here.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if you want to film your very own layout like Dave, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.