Model railroad layouts plans

Another dose of modellings tips for you, starting with a thankful Alan:

“Alastair,

many thanks to those who helped out over the Corrugated Iron. I went shopping on Saturday morning and after 2 hrs. and 30 kms. I found the corrugated card in the 5th shop I tried.

A couple of other tips for your younger readers.

1. Some years ago I held a very small round part in a pair of tweezers. I squeezed too hard and the part disappeared across the room never to be seen again. I purchased a pair of stamp tweezers, two broad flat ends, I superglued two pieces of very fine sandpaper to the blades and have never lost a part since.

2. Tea Lights come with a round aluminium base. Take the base and insert a piece of steel tube that will fit snugly into the base. Hammer it flat on all four sides, paint it and fill with anything. Place around the factory yard and it looks for all the world like a well used rubbish bin.

Glue match sticks on the bottom so the fork lift can move it about.

3. Alternatively screw (2mm) an “N” scale bogie to it. Lay a length of “N” scale line from the engine shed to the ash heap.

4. I have a fair selection of rolling stock from the 1950′s. Meccano Hornby Dublo and Lines Triang. In those days the back to back wheel dimensions were fairly elastic, especially with Triang. Hornby always used a code 100 rail on their 2 rail system, but Triang was at least 150 if not more. Consequently the Triang stock derails on Peco 100 points when branching into the tangent track. I use an Automotive Distributor Points file, which fits perfectly between the stock rail and the plastic check rail on Peco 100. File away some of the plastic. Its a bit of a chore but well worth the effort if you want to keep the old rolling stock. Don’t do it in situ, do it on the work bench, believe you me its much easier.

5. As I am an inveterate scavenger I regularly trawl the Disposal, Junk, 2nd. hand shops armed with a scale model ruler. On one occasion I puchased a large bundle of, scale 1 ft square, plastic strips for a song. It cut cleanly and could be bent by a Tea Light and Aluminium Angle to a perfect 90 degrees without tearing the outside corner. It froze in its new shape in about 10 secs. However nothing would glue it. I tried Poly. Cement, Super Glue, K Bond, Araldite and Aquahhere. In the end I tried “Plumb Weld” PVC pipe cement. It stuck. And it will stick other plastics of indeterminent origin. CAUTION it is Highly Flammable, Poison, and a Skin Irritant. Breathing the fumes wont do you much good either.

Apply with a match stick and not the Yard Broom that comes attached inside the lid. A small container is not expensive and will last for years.

5. Never become a rivet counter. It does not have to be right. It only has to look right. If it looks right, it is right. After all we are only creating an illusion.

With Kind Regards

Alan Warner”

 

 

“If you gather the winter “sprouts of the Live forever  plants the make authentic American Elm trees and you can vary the scale by the clumps you cut off.”

— Michael

 

“I like to paint my rails, but I hate those typical rail colours you get. I use my nail airbrush, fill it with water and black paint (acrylics, inks, and enamels work here) and mist on the lowest air compression settings possible for slightly dulled down and bolder railway track. Really simple homemade idea.”

— J

 

“Rubber cement works well on a flat car to keep loads from sliding off. Brush a little on the car surface.  If the load is wood or plastic, just place it on the rubber cement. If a vehicle is being carried, place a bit of rubber cement where the tires will be (tyres for those of you on the big island.)

The cement can be easily removed by rubbing it with your finger.  It’ll come off in little beads.”

— Ben

 

 

“Have a single ended siding?  Need a bumper (buffer) for freight cars?

Perhaps you need a way to load and unload flat cars, (even TOFC cars).

Here is a good idea.  Take one TOFC car, cut it in half; trim all the details off the under side.  Next remove the couplers.  Then take one half of the car, cement the wheel set at one end to the tracks near the end.  Then, using plaster, or any other type of material, build a short ramp up to the end of the car as it lies on the ground.  Let dry, then color to match the surrounding ground.  Presto – You have a loading/unloading ramp.  You can then use the other half of the car in the same manner elsewhere on your layout.  This idea is not unique, as real Class 1 railroads have used this idea in the past; especially when they had need of a quick way to load or unload flat cars; and didn’t wish to spend the time, or money to build a more substantial dock and unloading ramp.

The project will take from 10 to 25 minutes total, start to finish; but when finished, you have a “prototype” loading/unloading ramp.

For those who don’t understand the short hand letters, TOFC and COFC stand for: “Trailer on Flat Car” and “Container on Flat Car”.  I find it easier to refer to such cars by their short hand names, over spelling it all the way out.

BTW – If you or any of your readers have problems understanding prototype practice, shoot me an email, stating the problem, and I will try to answer it.

Thank you”

— Dragon

Like ’em? Lots more, just like them, here.

Best

Al

 

 

Alan posted the below on one of the previous pages – but I thought it merited its own page!

Thank you, Alan.

Best

Al

“A few ideas I have used over the years

1. Buy a selection of Permanent Marking pens from the Newsagents. They come in a variety of tips and are ideal for very fine detailing.

2. I make scenery by screwing wood to the baseboard, then covering it with flywire which I staple down. I then mix Cornice Adhesive with cement colouring (if it chips its still brown etc) to a stiff consistency and trowel it on. It has a working life of about 30 mins. It dries overnight into a hard shell and will readily absorb kids poster paints. It is about 3 times dearer than casting plaster which is practically impossible to sculpt as it dries in about 5 mins. and any working of it tears it up into lumps. However it is the best thing going if you have a mould.

3. Most building models come with clear polystrene for window glass. I used to use white poly. to cover lavatory and factory windows as no one seemed to make a frosted glass. However I was going to throw away a mince pie packet and noticed that the base was very well dimpled. I cut it up and used it in windows to get a frosted look. I was so impressed that I placed it behind existing clear windows and it looked even better as it had a reflective quality about it. Another tray had a very well defined small diamond pattern to it, so I cut it up and using a fine permanent marking pen I drew in the lead light and then placed it beind the large windows in the Dapol Inn. It looks like genuine leadlight. Only problem is that this type of plastic will only stick using Super Glue.

4. Never throw anything away. I have shoe box’s full of offcuts and old sprues. They can be used to repair or reinforce corners of existing buildings and make very good loads of scrap iron etc. The shape determines the use.

5. Old locos with burnt out motors, remove the motor and double head. Broken carriages and goods wagons that are damaged, remove the bogies and place upon blocks about the track as storeage units etc.

6. I had an old Airfix house from last century, the roof got lost. How I don’t know so I simply turned it into a building site.

7. I came across an old pill bottle which looked for all the world to be a pottery kiln. Wall papering it was a bit of a problem, but tucked away in a corner it looks OK. My Oil Refinery is made from Storm Water plastic pipe joiners. Simply draw up the steel plates on a piece of paper and glue on. Put the join at the back out of sight.

8. Aluminiun angle is extruded and not drawn so the inside is a perfect 90 degrees. A small length by 1.5″ X 1.5″ is ideal to set up the corner of buildings on the inside or outside of the angle. Simply apply the glue and clamp in place on the inside or outside and allow to set overnight. Cover the corner you are using with some masking tape just in case the glue you are using takes a liking to the aluminium.

9. I found a box with an arched lid at the local junk shop. Stuck some legs on the lid, covered it with black paper, glued some corrugated iron to the sides and made a 3 road engine shed for about A$15.

Happy modelling

Alan”

 

I like Alan’s style. A suberb collection of tips. If they struck a chord, I suspect you’ll like the Beginner’s Guide too.

Al.

PS Latest ‘ebay cheat sheet’ is here.

I had the below email in from Pat, which touches a nerve with us all.

But first, we are going to go to John, because his post is very relevant to Pat’s:

“Hello Al:

Some pretty realistic chain-link fence can be made as follows:

1. Acquire some 1″ X 1″ square chicken wire. In my case it came in a roll of about 20 feet. The remainder will be used by my railway model club.

2. Using a Dremel cutting wheel trim off a few lengths (see photo). I left every 4th pole a bit longer for insertion into the ground. I left about 3/8” at the top for barbed wire.

3. Bend top portion for barbed wired – if needed. If not, trim cleanly to the cross bar.

4. Acquire some appropriate chain-link fencing material or “tulle” at a fabric store. It’s very inexpensive. Size of each strip should be slightly wider than 1″.

5. Use some 100% polyester sewing thread and begin the “looping” of the thread around the barbed wire stubs. I added a touch of glue to the thread on each stub. If stringing multiple strands of barbed wire, be sure you slide the first string of wire down to the bottom of the stub. String successive lines above the last line you’ve strung.

6. Apply some clear glue to the chicken wire and lay the strip of material sown ensuring you leave overnight to dry.

7. Spray with a lighty Grey colour.

8. Weather using a light brown for rust and a darker black-brown for additional weathering.

John”

A fab money saving tip from John, which leads us back nicely to Pat.

It’s something we have all mulled over at some time judging by all the comments.

So I thought I’d put it ‘to the collective’ and see what wisdom comes out.

Just post your thoughts below!

(If you read the comments, you’ll see a common thread. And it’s good advice.)

“I really enjoy your e-mails and many of the wonderful attachments as they are very informative and answer many of the questions I have as I return to this hobby.

I owned a hobby shop twenty five years ago but that venture did not go well in a town too small to support it and with the advent of the internet, that was sort of the final straw so to speak.

In those years since, this hobby has changed and modernized to where I feel I am really too far behind to make a correct decision on what to do next.

As I approach retirement, which is four years away, I am looking at getting back into the hobby and have spent many hours “window” shopping in my Walthers catalog and have a building list that is $2,700 long.

That was based on a layout that was five by fifteen feet.

I was under the impression that I needed to determine my industries, locate them on the layout and then lay track based in the corresponding need of the industry (one track, two tracks, or multiple tracks placed so far apart and so on.) Now I have been told that I need to lay the track then place the buildings. I am now just more confused.

Then, in reading some articles, it was suggested that a modular layout was the best to have and in some respects that does sound practical.

So what I am asking, is what is your opinion on how I should proceed. Industries first or tracks? Large layout or a modular one? Any thought and comments are welcome.

Pat”

Not that I’m biased or anything, but you could do a lot worse than starting here…

Anyhow, post your thoughts below and let’s see what we can do for Pat – and the rest of us!

Now on to Steve in Oz:

“Hi Al,

In Dave’s recent video, he talked about cork underlay, and that he cuts a ‘nick’ on the inside of the cork when going around bends.

Here is how I do it.

When I come to a curve, I cut the cork down the middle (for the length of the curve). This allows me to install each piece of cork from each side of the track.

This makes the cork very flexible and plyable.

The first pic is a straight section.

The second is the curve.

Alternatively, ‘N’ scale cork is about the correct width for doing this. So its up to you as to which method to use.

Regards

Steve (Sydney)”

Thanks to Steve.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming – I’ve never known it so quiet.

And please post if you can help Pat. As you’ll read there is some sensible advice.

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.