Rob’s been back in touch with his small O gauge layout:
And he’s been busy on his layout: as we all know, they are never finished.
(Here’s his last post if you want to refresh your memory.)
“Hi Al,
I know how much you love updates, so here goes…….
I’m modeling O gauge on a small layout so space is a premium.
I had a grade on the right side of the layout that was too steep for an engine to pull more than one or two cars and I found that I wasn’t using it much at all.
Since the track was hardly used, I decided to rip it out and change up the track plan. I took out the grade and built two short sidings in the space.
The upper level became a short siding for the tourist railroad to stop at along the route to allow passengers to get off and stop for lunch.
The main level became an industrial siding for a local business. I built a small building from Ameritowne Models here in the US.
The kits are pretty basic but easily bashed to your liking. I added floors and lighting but didn’t furnish the interiors. The interior lights are LED’s that I scratch built, but I purchased the exterior fixtures, also LED.
Once I had that done I decided I needed something for a backdrop behind the building. I had bought your building prints a while back and decided to use one of the engine sheds as a building flat.
I scaled up the print to get the size I wanted and started printing and gluing, and cutting. I cut out the windows and set the main wall on top of a second full print to give the flat some depth.
I also extended the roof out over the top of the wall slightly by adding a second layer to the facia on the print.
I added a second building print that I found on the web behind the flat. The sky prints were the final touch.
I still need to do some detailing, including one of your fences in front of the flat. The new track plan gives me more operational variety, I like switching, and really improved the look of the layout.
The last pic is before the latest change. As you can see I made use of some otherwise dead space above the file cabinets. Had to get creative since the wife didn’t want to give up much space in our small basement.
Thanks,
Bob from LI, NY, USA”
A huge thanks to Rob for sharing his small O gauge layout.
Great to see a printable building on there too – always makes me smile.
It’s another fine example of how getting your layout ‘just right’ is an endless task.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to get going on your very own layout.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
Rob. A lot of layout in such a tight space. Well done. Especially as it is such a large scale “0 Gauge” . Its good to see enthusiasts for 3 rail track keeping that heritage (because that’s what it is) alive and running.
Great layout you get a lot done in a small space what is the supervisor name money cat or top cat Kudos on a great job to you and your cat
I like how you used the limited space you had too work with. I’ve been building a h o layout in my apartment for the last 4 years, and I get a lot of ideas from guys like you and their great imagination.
Cat looks like she’s plotting an attack nice pics of great railroad
Great use of a small space! Really like the detail you have put into your layout.
Wow… Amazing…
Great work!
Thanks for the nice comments folks.
I used to model HO when I was younger but always loved my dad’s Lionel trains so I decided to go O gauge this time. It does present challenges for sure but as I like to say “three rails are better than none”.
The cat is Cali- she usually leaves the layout alone fortunately.
A big thanks to Al for posting my pix and keeping the site up and running.
Bob
I, too, have lots of O gauge equipment but not a lot of room. Could you share your layout plan?
I love your layout. But I have one question…how do you keep the cat from trying to get a free ride around the track? My cat thinks everything in the house belongs to her.
O Gauge way to go! Nice layout!!
I would like to see track plan laid out
Since you had to scale up the structures sold by Al, may I ask by how much?
I am starting an O scale layout for my granddaughter and this will be my first layout.
Very nice O Gauge layout. I run O and S together. Thanks for sharing.
This Ogauge layout appears to be 027 gauge-big difference
I began collecting MARX trains from my youth (O gauge). They are considered the most “basic” train set on the market at that time. (Those who could afford it bought Lionel). Have not had the time or space to set them up so they are displayed in different areas of the house, always including a section of track to rest on.. Glad you found space for your O gauge. Great job.
Hello Rob,
That’s a lot of O scale fun in a small area. Enjoyed reading your narrative. Thanks for sharing
Cary AKA cbgadget
Makes my heart feel good to see layouts like this. I started out with a Marx O27 set in 1947, still very fresh in my memory. Nice job, a fun layout, sturdy equipment, will run forever, and I like the details. Thanks Rob for sharing your narrative and your work.
Dick (little r) from Hardin Mt USA
Bobby the background is a perfect set for HO scale not O gauge. looks like giant trains invaded your tiny city.