Model railroad layouts plans

Bill’s been in touch with some stunning O scale scenery:

“Hello Al and fellow modelers!

It’s been a while since I sent in an update on my O Scale layout.

I’ve been busy working on the layout and I’m getting close to having all major work completed on it. I’m hoping to find another show soon and take it on the road again.

Recently I built a square water tank kit and have been working on other scenic details in the On30 service area.

This is a late 40’s early 50’s era on a logging road that is still cutting and hauling first growth timber from the Appalachian Mountains in the Easter US.

This service area is tucked into the side of mountain and is fairly rustic. I wanted to give a feel that it’s a busy area and seed a lot of trains going through.

I have included a number of pictures showing the area. Much of the figured I have put in place this last weekend.

In the near future I will send in a video of engines working this area of the layout but I still have some more details to add in first then I’ll give the track a good clean and run my logging engines.

All the best!

Bill in Virginia”

A huge big thanks to Bill – I think it’s fitting to say his layout is stunning – I’m really looking forward to see his next video.

Funnily enough, it reminded me of Martin’s O scale because he’s still on the bare bones: O scale layout

Now a really quick video from Bonkers John.

The printable buildings I’m asked most about are the engine sheds.

So I thought it would be fun/helpful to do a super quick video how-to.

If you want to watch the full length version, with Bonkers John at full throttle, It’s here.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming, it’s still ghostly quiet this end.

And if today is the day you poke boredom in the eye and get started on your layout, you can still grab the silly sale here.

But please bear in mind, today is the last day for this offer ($19 gets you 36 printable buildings and the Beginner’s Guide).

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Fred’s been back in touch with some model railroad building lighting that will make your eyes water with envy.

(His last post is here.)

“Hi Alastair –

Check out the backdrop, for which some separate photos, and also some photos showing the weird perspective of my oil refinery access road through the refinery.

It always amazes me to see the kinks in a straight line you have to impose between modeled road and rendered extension on a vertical backdrop.

I think that the visual tricks of backdrop making are probably the most stimulating and satisfying parts of my project.

Amy questions, please let me know.

Fred”

It’s a bit of a squint to see Fred’s video, but sorry, not much I can do about that.

(Here’s the bigger version on youtube.

A huge thanks to Fred – his layout is a real joy to see. It looks just as good at night as it does in the day.

Now on to Mike:

“Hi Al,

With time on my hands, bought a coffee at the local coffee shop and grabbed a stir stick, my imagination went off the rails.

$5 bought me a box of 1000 stir sticks, a quick drawing, small saw and glue and I was off.

The framing is mostly done now the roofing and siding, followed by trim and windows. I can stay locked down for a bit longer.

Shed fits my 4-8-4 American Flyer steamer.

Mike Acebo

East Marion NY”

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget, if want to make your start on your layout, just like Mike did, 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.

Jim’s been in touch with his 1950s HO scale model railroad:

“Hello Alistair,

This e-mail is as much a thank you to you and to the folks who contribute to your blog as it is an opportunity to share some information about my layout.

I started this layout when I retired and unlike many of the folks who contribute here, I did not have a layout as a young man. Growing up in a NYC apartment, well , there was just so much room.

A friend of mine retired a few years back and starting sending me e-mails of a layout he had started. I was intrigued.

But, I found the idea of doing a layout on my own and being an electrician, a carpenter, a modeler, an artist etc. to be overwhelming.

With my friend’s encouragement and with all the wonderful information I was able to gather from the contributors on your blog, I forged ahead.

It did not take long for me to realize that it was really the scenery I enjoyed that is, creating the scene, building the buildings, laying out the street grid etc. Hence, my “railroad” itself is a humble trolley oval.

I learned that many modelers attempt to recreate their childhood home. Being no different, I created a New York City neighborhood circa 1950’s I thank the good people of Pittsburgh for allowing me to use their downtown as my backdrop.

But then again, imagination is what model railroading is all about. I have attached photos.

I hope you will enjoy them.

Jim”

A big thanks to Jim – love the detail. His layout has bags of charm and what a theme, your childhood!

Now on to John, because it’s that time of year again.

He’s been busy on the latest printable buildings, and as always, he’s done a great job of putting them together.

If you are unfamiliar with the printable buildings, you just download them and stick them together:

(Watch on youtube here.)

Here are the three new buildings:

All the buildings are HO scale. Just reduce the print size to 54% for N scale.

You can print as many as the buildings as you like.

When you mix and match the buildings, you can get some really nice effects.

And best of all, you can get these three new buildings – and the latest track plan PDF – for just $19 over the next few days.

Volume 3 of the track plans is made up of another 20 track plans – all new, and featured on the blog, with the links to the posts.

If you’ve enjoyed the blog over the last few months or years, please do help it out and grab the new buildings and track plans.

To keep things simple, I have bundled the new buildings and new track plans PDF with the Beginner’s Guide, so even if you’ve already got the Beginner’s guide (I know many of you have), grabbing it again gets you the new buildings and the track plans.

It just makes it loads easier for me to do it this way.

And of course, if you’re new to the blog, and you’ve not got the Beginner’s Guide and all the bonuses, now’s the ideal time to grab it.

You’re saving $10 on the Beginner’s guide, and $27 on the new buildings, and $10 on the latest track plan PDF.

That’s a whopping $47 saving, and you’ll be directly supporting the blog too.

So there’s big savings to be had, and you’ll also be helping to keep the show on the road too.

Don’t forget, there’s a 60 day money back guarantee on all of the products – the buildings and everything else – so you really have nothing to lose.

You can grab the new buildings and the new track plans PDF here.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

PPS More HO scale train layouts here is that’s your thing.