Model railroad layouts plans

Jim’s been in touch with his 4×6 N scale layout.

“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.

Jim”

(Jim’s layout reminded me of Richard’s: 4×6 N scale layouts.

Now on to Gordy:

“Things I have found useful:

Mix latex paint with wet Plaster / Basecoat, same color of scenery if chipped will not show. When applied, sprinkle fine mixed scenery material (sand, leaves, wood chips, twigs)
Chop up in an Old Blender.

Leave gaps/( loose Joiners) for tracks to expand / contract track gets out Of gauge on curves & switches.

The greatest frustration is to have derailments in an operating Session. (Losing an ore train, with loose iron ore is really bad — worse in tunnels, you can’t reach)

After years of running trains, when we dismantled layout, we found some ore cars inside the tunnels.

Good wiring, 16 ga. minimum Size, clean joints, use 60 / 40 solder with liquid rosin flux, DON”T MOVE JOINT UNTELL SOLDER HARDENED!

Cold solder joints are a railroaders dilemma (and electricians ) use color code – or have fun tracing wires. Same on circuit boards. Engines etc.

Make use of weeds, some bushes makes fine Trees, spray with cheap hair Spray, sprinkle with Leaves, (Model Woodland Scenecs eg.)

Easy way- (Shake & Bake Method ) Put Sprayed Tree, in Plastic Bag with Foliage, and Shake.

Gordy”

“After 40 years of being away from model railroading, I jumped back in on or about January of this year.

I’ve purchased some engines. 15 received so far, and about 50 pieces of rolling stock, more coming.

Not being as proficient as my colleagues on this blog, I bought folding tables, 2 x 2 foam board, the easier to take apart my dear and have raken over a good part of our sun room.

My usable space is 7’5″ x 15″0″ and this is what I have accomplished so far.

Ken”

I love what Ken has done – purely because it’s making a start, and that’s what it’s all about.

A huge thanks to Jim for sharing his 4×6 N scale layout, also to Ken and Gordy.

I know I keep saying it, but I do love seeing what is going to pop up in my inbox each morning.

Please do keep ’em coming, folks.

That’s all for today folks.

And if you’ve decided you’re going to make a start, just like Ken, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet here.

PPS More N scale layouts here if that’s your thing.

Jim’s been busy on his N scale modular layout for his model railroad club:

“Alastair attached are photos of the 2 6foot modules that myself and another member of our model Railroad Club are building.

Still needs more detailing but we do have N Scale trains running.

Our club layout has always been HO so members of our club running N scale were not able to run our trains with these new modules we will be able to and club members can cross these modules with there trains on the upper level.

I have sent a total of 9 photos 3 on this email and 2 more with 3 each

Jim
Moose Jaw, SK. Canada”

Jim’s modules reminded me of Gary’s: N scale modules.

Now on to Eytan:

“Hi Al,

I m a newcomer to that game, When I lived in London in the 60-70s, I bought from Hamleys a Fleishmann set.

For 30 years it was laying in an old suitcase.

Cov-19 made me do work at home and I found the suitcase…

I started reading on the internet everything about layouts and how to start.

Your site is my daily teacher and master.

I table is 330cm u shape and 150 deep (on both sides and 80 cm at the centre).

I used only wood from old pallets. I have started building 8×4 feet, but very soon realised that I would not be able to reach all points on the table.

Then I decided to change it to U shape.

not knowing/having a computer programme, I started with my own planning.

I m enclosing my layout without and scenery.

I m sending a few photos.

Many thanks indeed for all I have learned from you

Regards Eytan from Israel”

A huge thanks to Jim for sharing his n scale modular layout and to Eytan too.

I really do enjoy reading about how you all fell back into the hobby, and seeing the pics of your endevours make it even more special.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you pick the hobby back up, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Jack’s been in touch with a bit of ‘forced perspective’, which reminded me of Ken’s model train 3D backdrop.

“After spending time under the layout wiring, I started to think about the backdrop.

The easiest (I think) is to do mountains. The problem is that I have a street which terminates at the center of the back of the layout (see photo). Where is it going to go?

I got some of my granddaughters’ drawing paper and taped it to the back of the layout. I then drew a freehand road continuation, curving it to the left. I then used the edge of my paint palette to draw curved lines. I drew a hill in front of the curve.

There are two perspective issues. One is the parking lot and wall at the station. The other is the road. Using trial and error I adjusted everything until I got something I could live with.

I’ll have to transfer the scene to the Masonite backdrop. I’m not sure whether to try to paint the entire backdrop or to buy a backdrop and integrate the road into it. Any comments are welcome.

Continuing on the preliminary work on my backdrop I found another perspective issue.

I have the beginnings of a parking lot at the edge of the layout, so I need to continue the parking lot onto the backdrop. I taped some tablet paper to the layout edge and marked the edges of the parking lot on the paper.

From the area where the scene is viewed I approximated the angle needed to continue the edges of the parking lot onto the backdrop.

I then took the paper down and from the point where each lot edge meets the background I drew a number of lines at different angles like spokes.

Reattaching the paper, from my viewing area I chose the lines representing the best angle for each side of the lot. I then drew the lot on the paper and quickly sketched in some scenery.

The photos show the final sketch and what it looks like from the viewing area.

I transferred the parking lot onto the Masonite and sprayed it to match the blacktop on the existing lot. I photographed cars on the lot from the perspective of the viewing area, printed them out, cut them out and pasted them on the lot. They aren’t perfect, I may redo them, but it gives the impression of cars parked on the lot.

For the grass, I used spray glue and sprinkled Woodland Scenics blended turf on it.

I painted the sky blue, added some darker streaks and clouds.

My real problem, and I could use some comments on this, is that I wanted to make it look like you were looking off into the distance. It just doesn’t look like I imagined it would. I think maybe my horizon is too high. Maybe I should start it just behind the parking lot.

Maybe I should start a hill just beyond the parking lot.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Jack”

A huge big thank you to Jack.

Perspective can play a big part in a layout, and there are lots of posts on ‘forced perspective’ and creating a focal point.

But do you know what? The post it made me think of most, was Tony’s.

And what a theme, and what a project too. He based it on a painting and recreated it:

Have a look and see how he did it, step by step.

And there’s Ned’s too: Painting backdrop.

I thought it was really clever stuff.

I have no idea why Jack’s post made me think of Tony’s – there is no scenery melting into a backdrop, there’s no backdrop at all.

The same goes for Fred’s, again, it’s clever stuff:
Forced perspective model train backdrop.

Another great example of making backdrops ‘less flat’, is Ken’s:

You can see Ken’s 3D backdrop, step by step, here.

Well that’s all for today folks.

It’s been a long old week for me, there seems to be one techical problem after another at the moment, but I’m determined to press on.

Please do keep ’em coming – it’s the easiest way to put a smile on my face.

Even with the technical gremlins tormenting me, I always look forward to see what’s landed in my email.

And if today is the day you get stop dreaming and start doing, just like Jack, Tony and Ken, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.