Bob’s been back in touch with an update. He’s added a HO scale track platform to his layout:
“Alastair,
I am sending updates to my HO layout.
Some changes are forced on us. When my Son and Daughter-In-Law saw my layout they sent me a Walther’s Passenger Platform.
I told them Thanks now I’ll have to get passenger cars.
The only place I could see adding a station required me to rework my roads. Before the station there was sort of wye intersection. I changed that to a “Tee” intersection and added the station.
Picture 1 is before the station. Picture 2 shows the Station.
I decided to use the station to run an excursion, so I acquired two 1860 cars and 1860 steam engine.
Since it was going to be an excursion and not running all the time I needed a siding to store the excursion train.
Since it is a wood burning steam engine I built a water tower and a wood shed for the siding to service the engine. The first picture shows the eight inch addition to the layout with the siding and the water tower.
The second picture shows the wood shed with the split and stacked logs.
HO scale track platform:
The first picture shows the siding with the two coached and a pile of logs next to the wood shed. The second picture shows a head on view of the engine on the siding.
After completing the siding it looked like something was missing, so I expanded again. The first picture shows a passing siding connecting back to the main. Picture 2 shows the sidings and the switch controls.
Always looking for more I decided to extend the first siding and make a ladder. Picture one shows the platform extended and the ladder in place. The second picture shows the extension painted.
After extending the siding it still looked like something was missing, so I added a switch to the passing siding to give me three tracks on the ladder and a fourth track off the passing siding. The pictures show the result from two directions.
I can not expand or extend the layout any more and still be able to reach everything. After the recent discussions about kit bashing and scratch building I decided to try my hand at building a locomotive shed for one of the siding. I got out the balsa wood and framed up a shed based on a picture I had seen. The beginning is shown in picture one. Picture two shows the framework on one of the sidings.
The next stage of building the shed was to make the doors and paint the framework before putting on the roof. Picture one shows the shed with the doors. The second picture shows the shed with the roof on.
The final two pictures show the side of the shed and a front view with a locomotive in the shed.
That is all the updates for now. I planning on getting a 1940’s steam locomotive as my next acquisition but until then I will just be adding scenery to the layout and enjoying run trains.
Bob”
And now on to Dave:
“Hi Al, just uploaded Part 6 of my re build, in this one it shows how I add lights to buildings, a few more trees, and a few tips using old fencing, and card from kits that are left over…
Regards
Dave”
Wow! A huge thanks to Bob for taking the time to put his HO scale track platform update together.
Who would have thought a gift would have caused so much trouble? Well, that’s the fun of this hobby.
I do love reading the narratives, you really do get a feel of how much someone is enjoying their layout, just like Bob!
Great to see so much of the printable buildings on there too.
Thanks to Dave, too.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming, just hit reply to any of my mails if you’d like to share something.
Or perhaps you just want to comment on something you’ve seen? Commenting is easy, just scroll down, fill in the box and send.
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
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
Thanks Bob for this update. Really showed how the thought process evolved. Great engine shed!
Mal
(North Wales)
An excellent layout ! You are very obviously having lots of fun with it, and thats what having a hobby is all about ! Enjoy !
Dave, in NY
Wow! Getting such a close look at HO (I’m an N scale fan), it seems to me that building things is more like actually building them in real life. Can’t just paste things together – you really have to construct them as you would a real building! Revolutionary thought, I my part. I like it!
wow BOB .
i like your layout . it is small but packed with lots to do. also it is messy and in constant motion of being worked on true to life. would like to see updates as you get them.
BOB; great layout love the tunnels I’m an HO fan,Now the areas you have painted green if you have a joanne fabrics or a Michaels near you you can buy great looking grass with a little weed mixed in,it’s artificial but looks great. u can get 40 /50% off coupons.
excellent really like this layout.
Thanks for the comments and encouragement. I didn’t want to spend too much time on scenery yet even though I have added some more trees and people on the station platform. I have seven controllers handling the grade crossings. Still need to install one more for the grade crossing on the left side of the tunnels. I mentioned last expansion in this room. Well, soon I will be taking this layout apart and restoring it in a larger space( about half of a 16 x20ft game room. When that happens I will be adding the capability to run three trains at one time. Stay tuned. I will provide the updated track play also.
Thanks Bob. Great layout generates great ideas. Thank you for sharing.
An excellent narrative! A “busy” layout is always an eye catcher. On my layout I also had a separate, but connected, museum with 4-4-0 Rivarossi Virginia and Truckee Wood burner with old time 32 ft coaches. I like the woodpile store. Great post Bob, highly appreciated. Greetings from South Africa.
Hi, Al
Enjoy your emails and the vids/pix from your contributors. Thanks for all you do for us model railroaders. Hope to be a contributor someday myself, but for now I just want to continue getting your emails.
Best regards,
Roy in Maryland
Love the way your planning evolved, one thing leading to another and flexible.
Given you a great result with flexibility.
Family and friends can present some interesting ideas.
Dave You as usual have done a great job of your layout. The side you have just shown us is outstanding. The buildings and there positioning is really well done and the additional foliage really brings the whole thing to life. The only thing I would comment on is the road bridge. It just looks wrong. The cars would never be able to turn the corners and certainly it would only be capable of one way traffic. I appreciate you have to get car transport into the station. This would look good as a pedestrian bridge by removing the ramps and installing steps at either end.Perhaps you could remove vehicles from the station altogether rand have a car park adjacent to ta footbridge.
Bobby Boy nice layout But! you should used a paint pen and a straight edge for the lines in your road. Quick fix though. You can also buy stick on road bed with lines already printed on the paper on Ebay
The Critic
Dangerous Dave, you are simply amazing! i thought that the first layout was great. i would have stopped there. In fact, i am still working on my first layout. Only planning on doing it once. i do not have the patience that Dave has. GOD bless him.
Looks Great, has several scenes of the layout that are outstanding.
Bob
What a great narrative. Its amazing how some one small thing causes a ripple effect and especially in this hobby. Still giggling to myself.
To the infamous Dave- Thanks again
George from LI ,NY
This message is for Dave…
Love your layout…. and love the changes you made and make, and I do enjoy seeing the evolution of your trains. But my biggest question is where did you get your backgrounds… THEY ARE SPECTACULAR…. and go so well with your layout. If you could let us know where and how to get backgrounds like yours I would appreciate it… thanks from the USA.
Comments for BOB: (1.) Like the idea of an Excursion Train, with it’s own little station, siding, engine house and spur tracks. Doesn’t take up much additional space. Though thought the engine shed is a bit tall considering the height of the diesel locomotive parked inside. Comments for DANGEROUS DAVE: (1.) Where did you obtain those narrow background Row House Buildings and those Stone Cottages from? (2) The Road Bridge over the those tracks… the road is a bit steep and sharp corners on each end.. Could do with four “Street Lights”, one on each end, two spaced in the middle for “Vehicle Safety”. (3.) The Walking Bridge over the tracks could use the same lightening idea for people crossing over at night. (4.) The Parking area by the Lake on that dead end road, Maybe you could park the cars at an angle onto the grass area by the lake to give drivers the ability to Pull in off the road? (5.) Regarding the LED Lights, could you use Christmas Lights, the ones that come on flexible strips? Is it possible to cut those from the strip and use Diodes coupled them to make them work? Just wondering. From Across the Pond, ~ Mike in N.H. U.S.A…10/18/2020
Question for Bob: I have just gotten back into HO model railroading after a fifty year absence. Thank you COVID. I love your scenery and the attention you pay to detail. As I am in the layout planning stage am looking for backdrops. Did you paint your own or did you purchase a ready made backdrop. If purchased, would like to know the details. Thank you, From Fullerton, Southern California. Bernie
regarding bob’s layout, looks great and happy he’s enjoying the hobby. i have been playing with trains and having fun for 75 years and still having fun. i would like to offer a suggestion to those who say they have no more space to expand. during my marketing career i moved around a bit from one location to another tearing down and rebuilding. one item that went with me on the moves was a small,18 inch x 24 inch yard layout built on a table with wheels, like a tea cart and always incorperated this into my new layouts. easy way to enjoy model railroading any where you move and a great way to expand a layout. simple to store under you layout when not in use. ike, n.w. pacific coast, usa
To Bob,
Your layout sure looks like it is fun to me!! I’m 86 years old and I love to watch trains go!!
Bob:
Love your layout.
I am an O gauge convert. Howdo I wire HO yard/track lights. My signals has green, red and yellow lights? I am willing to change the lights, manually. What kind of switch should I use.
Dave
Bob, That’s a neat story of how your layout evolved from the simple gift of a station platform. The description of your process to the final arrangement is priceless. I think we may have to dub you “Dangerous Dave Jr.” for the ease with which you undertake layout changes. 🙂
Dave, It’s always good to see your progress and methodology. Your tips are always helpful even if I’m not anywhere near your level of expertise. Thanks again for being such a great contributor to this site.
Great narrative Bob!… isn’t it funny how a “Gift” can change your plans and railroad? Anxious to see your NEW version in the future.
Roger
thanks for your comments re Dave’s Model railway , to answer a few , the bridge has now gone , still deciding what to replace with , I show in my next video how to wire up the lights , think you could use Xmas lights , but better check with someone with full electrical knowledge, the building i have build from carde are all from Metcalfe , and the beacksenes are from Gaugemaster …….Dangerous Dave