I don’t think I’ll ever tire of your model train layout tips – even after all these years they 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.
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.
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.
Tom’s been in touch with his HO scale scrap yard layout:
“My Two Tier HO Scale Model Train Layout – Baltimore & York Railroad (B & Y)
The B&Y Railroad is a two level model train layout which wraps around the perimeter of an 8 by 22 foot room.
A hinged swing gate opens to a 38” center aisle. A single track helix measuring 4 by 4 feet is adjacent to the layout which connects the two levels.
Each level has north and south bound main rail lines and numerous service sidings.
The layout supports up to 10 rail operations simultaneously, along with trucking services for several industries and retail stores.
The lower level encompasses a retail district and the Catons industrial park. The retail district features a dozen or so shops plus the J. S. Wilson lumber yard, suppliers of lumber to the growing community.
An Amtrak passenger/commuter train station lies adjacent to the retail district along with a small freight depot, a parking garage and two apartment buildings.
The industrial park is home to Nick’s Scrap Metal Yard, Clearwater Freight Company, CSX Intermodal Container Yard, Allegany Power & Light (APL) and Wonder Baking Company.
The East Side CSX rail repair facility is also situated on the first level.
The upper level is home to several key businesses that supply goods and services to the retail district and industrial park customers.
Rail and trucking services deliver coal and coke from the Davis Coal & Coke Mining Company which supplies coal to APL for the generation of electricity. Catons, a fuel oil distributor, supplies fuel oil, gasoline, and other petroleum products to customers throughout the community.
Petroleum products are delivered to Catons by rail and distributed to its customers by tanker and delivery trucks.
Wilkins Flour & Milling company supplier of baking products to Wonder Baking Company and other customers.
The Heritage Furniture Company manufactures wood furniture with a retail store in the business district.
Mission Electric Engine Company manufactures small, medium and large industrial electric engines as well as parts; like Heritage they have a small retail store in the business district.
Layout Specifications
Name: Baltimore & York Railroad (B & Y)
Scale: HO (1:87.1)
Room Size: 8’ x 22’
Helix: 4’ x 4’ single tack
Prototype: Freelance
Location: Mid-Atlantic
Era: 1980s to mid-2000’s
Style: Double deck on all four sides of room with center isle
Mainline run: 60’ to 230’
Minimum turnout: #6
Minimum radius: 24”
Maximum grade: 2 percent
Benchwork: Open grid with ½” foam board on top of ½” plywood
Height& Width: lower level 42” H – 30”W, upper level 65” H – 16” W
Track: Code 83
Scenery: Cardboard lattice covered with Hydrocal plaster towels. Fall season is depicted on the layout
Backdrop: Wallpaper with clouds and mountains
Control: Bachmann E-Z Command controller
Access to Train Room: Duck under lower level or engage swing gate
