Model railroad layouts plans

Dean’s been back in touch with his rolling stock weight problem.

Thanks to you lot, he’s solved the issue of adding weight to his freight cars

Here’s his first post if you missed it: N scale weights.

“Al, cheers again from Dean in New Mexico.

This is a short follow-up to my last video on tuning up my freight cars.

In the earlier video I admitted that I couldn’t adjust the weight of my 3-dome tank car because I couldn’t think of a way to add weights.

There was a good response in your blog with several suggestions from your readers. One reader suggested I pour sand through the small holes in the bottom. Another idea was to add something like epoxy then let it set.

But a couple of modelers pointed out that it was easy to pry apart the two parts of the body of the car.

With a little trial, I found it was indeed easy using a small Allen Wrench as you can see.

After that, there was no problem with adding weights, although I used smaller (10-24) nuts and bolts than before.

A little Super Glue and Bob’s your uncle.

After the Super Glue set, the final assembly looked like this, and it was easy to put the car back together again.

I’ve put out a video that shows the assembly in more detail and a 5-car train running with the tank car in the middle.

Before adding weights, I could never include the tank car except at the very back of the train.

Hope this is of interest to others,

cheers and thanks,

Dean”

A big thanks to Dean. When it comes to freight, I’m always reminded of Jim’s: N scale freight.

Now on to Craig:

“Greetings,

Enjoy seeing and learning from all the railway layouts that get published here..Am enclosing a few snaps of my own…

Had some Lionel as a boy, now retired and am busy modeling after the Duluth Mesabi + Iron Range railroad here in Northern Minnesota.

I ply this hobby in O-Gauge, easiest for me to handle. Rolling stock 90% MTH, with some Williams and Lionel. The O size is, as we know, quite a space challenge. Design becomes critical; achieving realism definitely requires an effort.

I use GarGraves trackage, wood ties. Rust colored paint sprayed on rails sections before installation; as well as black spray paint misted on from overhead to color ties. After installed, top of rails clean to a shine with sanding block.

Ballast is actually small size chicken grit, which starts out a reddish color. I soak it in water with a little black paint dissolved, and it comes out a great shade of dull brownish-black.. then spread it out, spray w 50-50 mix of white glue and water. Stays, and no dust.

The MTH ore cars are exact replicas, but the phony plastic loads need help. After coating the load with some white glue/water mix, I sprinkle some real material on them. I use real Taconite that has been screened thru to the right size.So that’s 100% realism!

I live in Ely, Minnesota, where the iron ore mines have been supplying hi quality ore for over 100 years. Both surface (pit) mining and underground mining supplied much of the ore used to produce the steel needed for WW1 and WW2. The heart of it all here is the Ely Depot- and so the Depot is the scene for the heart of this layout.

The original building still stands, but the rails have been removed and the building repurposed since the 1980’s.

I researched with old newspaper photos, tax maps, and interviewed the few remaining that remember the way things were there in the 1940’s.

Found a set of architects drawings, and that added to personally measuring the dimensions, I built a model out of wood.

The roof design and angles took much time; the cedar shingles are actual cedar paper, individually cut to scale, and glued on. (over 1,000).

The platform is made of wooden coffee stirrers- at 1/4inch width, they are perfectly to scale for the 2 X 12 boards originally used. The window and door frames are the only premade pieces.

For window glass, I used microscope slide covers; little pieces of crystal clear glass, that look so much better than clear plastic.

Also needed to build a roundhouse- not really round, the square one here in Ely was actually for repairs of ore cars, which always took a beating. It housed a small “drop table”.

The ore cars were pushed over this small round lift, small enough the car body sat on it, and the trucks did not. Raising the body, they could drop off the trucks and service wheels, axles, etc. Built the structure out of wood, covered sides w plastic brick material, and then the roof.

Duplicated roll roofing by cutting lengths of black 180 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Looks Perfectly real.

Here are a few pics

Craig Loughery Ely, MN”

A big thanks to Dean and Craig.

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.

David has been in touch with his HO scale 4×11 layout.

He’s a man of few words, but that doesn’t matter as he’s made a start and it looks like he’s having fun.

And that’s what it’s all about…

“This is my HO scale.

I have been doing this for 3 and half year, still not much, but here goes.

I hope you like my pictures

I’m not good at showing these things but im doing the best I can.

I have taken some showing the lights on my layout

David”

A big thanks to David for sharing his HO scale 4×11 layout.

(It reminded me of Yale’s: HO scale layout 14×4.

He did a great job with his lights – but there’s only one layout I think of when it comes to LED lights: Fred’s LED lights.

And lastly, I do just want to say thank you to everyone who supported the blog by grabbing the Beginner’s Guide.

I know I lot of you buy it just for the printable buildings that come with, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing any of the buildings on your layouts soon.

Anyhow, without your support, there wouldn’t be a blog, so thank you.

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.

Brian’s been in touch with his model train tunnel entrance:

“Hi Al,

Back in March I sent you a description of my model railway. I thought it may be interesting to send you a small update resulting from a recent visit to the UK.

In May, I had a couple of weeks in London and my 2 children and their spouses joined me. We decided to go for a hike on the South Downs, aiming for the Devils Dyke in Sussex and so we caught the train down to Hassocks station.

The first mile of our walk took us parallel to the railway track and at the end of this path we had the most wonderful view of the entrance to the Clayton Tunnel, on the London to Brighton line.

If only British Rail would build tunnel entrances like this nowadays, maybe we should suggest it for HS2!

The tunnel was built in 1839 under the South Downs when they built the line from London to Brighton, and the house was built for the tunnel keeper and his family.

However, in 1861, there was a major crash in the tunnel resulting in the deaths of 23 passengers and it is said that the house is now haunted by some of the victims.

On my model railway, I have not tried to emulate anywhere in particular, but once I saw this, I knew I had to create a tunnel entrance to match it, and here is the result-

It was a lot of fun in the making, although I am still trying to work out how to include a ghost!

Thanks, once again, Al for all you do for this wonderful hobby, I look forward to your emails every morning.

Brian

(The Brit living just outside of New York)”

A huge big thank you to Brian – I think he has done an excellent job!

If you’d like to see his last post, it’s here.

And now on to another Brian:

“Hi Alastair,

I continue to have fun with the hobby and mixing in my other hobby of video.

I worked in television news as a News Director and Executive Producer for many years. Big, bulky and heavy gear that over the years became lighter and well, today we all have television studios in our pockets, aka Smart Phones. In my case it’s an iPhone 14 Plus.

This video demonstrates a couple of tips modelers can try. In this case we have three scenes:

1. N Scale UP 844 Train seen from a distance arriving.

2. Train passing by station in Saddlestring WY

3. Rear shot as the train continues out of frame.

OK, how did that News Helicopter get there? And that American Flag, it’s waving in the wind! More in a moment.

OK, the three scenes are something called “Video Sequencing.” The same scene shot from three different angles.

No, you don’t need three cameras. Just one to shoot the scene three different times from three different views. Then you edit together.

In this case I’m using a video editing software called Videoleap. It allows me to trim the video as needed to make the overall production flow.

It also has sound effects including train sounds. I added in audio from a video I did of UP’s Big Boy. My feeling is if you’re going to see a steam engine, you should hear one!

As for the helicopter and flag, those are “stickers” also concluded with the editing software. Ditto for the Saddlestring Sign on the rail station.

The call letters of the helicopter are from the first station I worked at early in my career, KGWN-TV in Cheyenne. It’s “their video” of the last scene in the video.

I can see all this sounding a bit geeky to folks, but give it a try! Another way of adding life to our layouts. Or at least videos of our layouts!

Brian”

A big thanks to the two Brians – hope you’ve enjoyed today’s bonus post.

And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Just so we’re all clear – this silly sale is only for a day or so.

PPS Also, any purchase on the blog comes with a no quibble, money back guarantee, no questions asked – I really do want you to be delighted with your purchase.