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Hand laid track – Lou’s

Lou’s been in touch with his hand laid track:

“Here’s some photos I just took. I laid Atlas track 4 months ago with 50 peco switches.

I am now removing all the atlas track and hand laying my own track along with hand made turnouts.

They are much smoother and the trains run incredible…

Lou”

I think Lou’s layout is going to be very impressive when it’s finished. I wouldn’t have the patience to do the scratch built tracks. It does look fantastic though, it’s impressive stuff.

John’s comment pretty much sums it up:

“Beautiful work… Are the dark ties “PC Board”? That would explain their regular spacing and obvious color difference.

I have a deep and abiding respect for anyone who can hand lay track in the smaller scales.

As to Atlas Track, while I have not had any problems with their code 100 product, I find the code 83 to be more than a bit finicky.

There are many tutorials available on how to improve the reliability of that commonly used product. In my experience, PECO offers a more continually reliable product and a more useful range of turnouts (switches/pointwork)

As an added note… I have found Bachmann’s EZ-Track to be very reliable and useful when young children are about. While my son did in both PECO and Atlas track when he was about 4 or 5, my daughter crawled all over my EZ-Track when she was of that age and climbed like a home-sick angel: no damage to the Bachman track with either my son or my daughter’s not-so-gentle ministrations. What it lacks in authenticity and range, it more than makes up for in durability! This is especially true if it is fastened down to a solid baseboard.

John”

A big thanks to Lou.

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

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.

Wonderful weathered locos

“Dear Al,

Here are some pictures to illustrate the work I’m doing here in Belgium. Actually I’m planning a small portable layout based on the GWR in early 1944 (with US & British troops waiting for D-Day).

But I already have done several dioramas based on the Belgian Railways prototype. Photographs shows a diorama of a Belgian Railways goods shed (with interior details)

Also, you’ll find pictures of a scratchbuilt Belgian Railways signal box (who could be found in Liège) with the interior fully detailed (model now displayed on my club layout)

The last pictures shows the weathering I’ve done to my Airfix BR “Royal Scot” steamer and two “Hogwarts Express” based LMS coaches from Märklin.

You can publish them on your website, just indicate that the models were made by Eric Sainte, from the Liege’s Train Fan Association (ALAF Asbl) in Belgium.

Best regards,

Eric.

P.S. : If you’d like, I can send you an article about how I weathered the Marklin LMS coaches and my Airfix steam locomotive in PDF format (I’d just have to translate it in English)”

Amazing pics, Eric, I’d love to see your weathering guide!

“Hi Al, few picture for you , just a couple of handy tips , a piece of garden trellising from the big D.I.Y. Store , cut a few cuts off, and ready made Logs , for the log carriers , then a new light for the buffers , it just clips on to the rail DCC or DC and it light up and at only £4 , If any use to you pick out which could be useful, will post a video within the next week or two featuring these two new additions

Regards

Dave”