Micro-Layout in HO Scale (and a bonus layout in N scale)

Who says layouts have to be big?  I hear people say “if I had room, I’d have some trains”.  What they mean is if I had room, I’d have an oval for trains.

Those folks need to check this layout out.  Spotted at the International Railfair in Roseville, CA about 2 weeks ago, this layout has 3 industrial spurs, a sector plate that allows the locomotive and one car to move between tracks, and requires about 45 minutes to complete an operating session.  The spur closest to the backdrop reaches a hidden opening in the backdrop that allows loads to be moved on and off cars spotted at the opening.

According to the owner, he built the layout from scrap lumber and parts, with only about $50 of new parts for shipping containers.  The scrap all came from his main home layout.  However, in my opinion, a small layout like this would be perfect for someone in an apartment, a dorm room, or with limited resources.  One small locomotive and a few cars, a power pack, and you’re basically out of the armchair.

Bonus Feature:  “Food Train Layout”

At the train show, my wife found a “Terrain for Trains” plastic-formed layout.  Since I gave up my N scale plans about a year ago, she’s wanted to find a way to run her “Food Train”.

You see, she’s a baker.  The fact that she loves to bake had lead her to collect N scale rolling stock with food-related products or decoration.

Tis being a light week, we’ve ben working on the new 3 foot by 5 foot layout in the evenings (my ow Yosemite Valley layout is waiting for a Boy Scout event to occupy the layout room one more time in early December before the benchwork starts going up).

Here is a shot of the little laout.  By the time we tested the track last night with a GP7, we discovered that all the turnouts were bad and need to be replaced.

Keep watching, I’ll post pictures as we make progress.  This is going to be a family project, so you’ll get to see our different interests occupy different spots on the little layout.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Jeremy

Railfanning the Sacramento Valley

Here’s a really neat video chronicling the modern-day action in the Sacramento River Valley. See hy-rail trucks, military flatcar loads, and even the return of a consist of california zephyr cars to mark the anniversary of the original WP-CB&W-DRGW name train.

 

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Northern California Narrow Gaugers On30 Sectional Layout

The highlight of all the layout displays I saw at the recent 2009 Roseville “International Railfair” (medium sized model train show, don’t get too excited) was the Northern California Narrow Gaugers On30 Sectional Layout. This beautifully detailed layout features craftsman-level modeling and some excellent structures and weathering.
To see some photos of the layout from a few weeks previous at the Concord hobbyshop show, look here.

I talked to Dave Silvernail, a self-described greenhorn to the club. He built this impressive little class A climax from a backwoods miniatures kit.

Here’s a view entering the major town on the 8X16 layout.

The detail on most of the modules is fascinatingly meticulous.

There are plenty of great miniscenes, and the orientation of the structures on the modules add interest as well.

Layout Tours: Reno 2009

Reno Layout Tours 2009:

 

Happening Friday through Sunday this week around Reno/Sparks/Carson City in Nevada, the 2009 layout tours sponsored by High Sierra Hobbies, could not have had a better fall weekend.  Crisp weather in the 60’s, sun, and lots of model railroad fans out to see the layouts and have fun.

 

Living more than 100 miles from Reno, going to all 3 days was not in the cards.  However, a friend and I did drive up to Reno on Saturday to see layouts, and we managed to fit visits to 6 layouts in.  While I’ll cover each one in separate posts as I go through my photos, I thought I’d share with you one thing from each layout that I liked and intend to incorporate into my own layout.  You’ll remember, I’m just in the early stages of construction, so doing this kind of idea-borrowing is important now.

 

First was a visit to a massive layout under construction by Jim Price.  This massive layout will eventually depict the Southern Pacific from Oakland, CA to Reno, NV.  At the moment, the Oakland area is nearing completion.  Jim and his wife actually live ABOVE the layout.  (I tried, but my wife wouldn’t go for the same idea).  While Jim’s layout is massive, and early in construction, there was still something to learn here.  The picture is of a portable programming track, on top of a case.  There are plugs on one end to attach to a computer running decoder pro.  This setup allows Jim and his crew the ability to program any locomotive, anywhere, anytime, and not have to include a dedicated programming track.  On a small layout, or even on a layout like mine where locomotives will be all over, this idea is something I can see myself borrowing and using.

 

Next, we visited the outdoor layout of Fred Twigge.  This G scale layout is complete and running.  It is a beautiful example of G scale garden railroading, and it is built to do what I feel G scale layouts do best… run.  A three times around design with only two turnouts on the whole layout, makes the need for turnout maintenance minimal.  What could an HO scaler learn from a G scaler?  I learned an important lesson in display of a layout.  You need to have your most reliable locomotive on the track, tested, running, and ready to roll before you open for tours.  While we visited, Fred had to troubleshoot a new locomotive that was going to break in that day.  While he got it running, it showed me again the need for reliable motive power.

 

Now later in the day, more layouts were opening.  Our next stop was Kevin Caldwell’s N scale layout depicting Southern Pacific (and adjacent railroads) in 1984.  This bedroom sized N scale layout is quite well done.  In the middle stages of scenery construction, the code 55 track is beautifully installed.  I was impressed with long run that Kevin managed to get for his trains in a 10×10 bedroom.  The thing I’ll take away from this layout to use myself is the high standards set for the rolling stock.  Kevin has made incredible progress on his layout, and it is noticeable that no freight equipment hits the layout without being properly weathered to his standards.

 

Before lunch, we stopped at Jim Petro’s for a visit to the D&RGW Joint Line.  I’ll have a detailed report on this beautiful layout another day, but Jim has done something that I found amazing with his turnout controls.  As you walk along the layout, the controls are all recessed into the facia of the layout.  This method of installation makes it possible for controls in tight spots to avoid being snagged on clothing of operators.  That is something I will be using on my own layout.

 

After lunch, we visited Charley Lix and his atic-located harbor terminal.  Showing that you can build a railroad in just about any space you have, Charley’s layout demonstrated to me that my plan to have the bottom deck of my 3 deck layout sit at about 30″ from the floor will work as operators sit in chairs.

 

The last visit of the day was to the layout built by three persons in the Kuczynski family.  This nicely sceniced 13×15 layout located in the garage was a great way to cap the day.  The scenery on this layout, done with plaster cloth over packing peanuts, is simply amazing.  It captures the look of the area around Tehachapi that they had hoped to capture.  My learning experience here was the recipe for the rolling hills.  Needing some of that myself, we’ll look at the technique later in a trial I’m planning to do for my own layout.

 

Most of these layouts, and many of the ones I didn’t get to see, will be open for the NMRA Pacific Coast Region convention in Sparks for 2010.  I hope to make return visits and see the progress everyone has made!

 

-Jeremy

Small Downtown Buildings For Your Layout

Just thought for Friday I’d give you some ideas for downtown structures for your model railroad, all buildings still exist as of 2009. Take a close look at the pipes, vents, boarded up windows, painted signs and unique architectural detail that would make a striking model in any era.

Here’s an example of a poorly modernized storefront in Crockett, Calif. The freight door has destroyed a more formal entrance and bricked up the remaining space. Not beautiful, but realistic.

Here’s a more dilapidated I.O.O.F hall in Crockett, note the boarded up blanked windows along the side.

Here’s the main downtown portion of Crockett, a classic little downtown that’s very modelgenic.

Here’s some 1880’s era victorian storefronts in Oakland, Calif.

Another view in the same location..

Here’s an interesting Chinese style structure just a few blocks away.

Here’s a ceramic tiled Art Deco storefront from the 1920’s. What an amazing building it would make on your layout if you could figure out how to scratchbuild it.

Here’s a classic Brick hotel that was built circa 1915. The painted sign and the neon sign below are nice touches.

Building the Yosemite Valley Railroad in Miniature

This will be the first post of a lengthy series on the construction of a model of the Yosemite Valley Railroad as it was in the late 1930’s.  The layout updates will henceforth be posted by Jeremy, our newest contributor. HO scale was chosen after his many years working in N scale.   Since I’m working with him on custom building rolling stock, locomotives and other details, there will be more than a few articles about modeling a variety of YVRR equipment in the near future. I hope you enjoy this interesting project as it takes shape. [-Editor]

Layout Space:

 

This is the do-it-yourself project of the month.  It was supposed to take us a few hours to put up this monster, but it’s been much more than a few hours.

 

It started with the need to change the floor plan for the layout room (read garage).  Animals, kids, and my wife all have uses for some of the space in the garage.  Then again, I bought this house with the intention of being able to watch trains from in the layout room, so I would not be denied.

 After some internet searching and reading of DIY websites about putting up walls, I drew up a materials list, checked it three or 4 times by making a drawing, and went shopping.  A month later, with the new shed up outside for the yard tools and bicycles, the wall is now under construction. 

 

The hardest part to this whole thing was drilling into the concrete floor  I had decided that I was going to drill holes for the shoe plate.  That used up three trips to the hardware store as I burned up a drill, and 5 bits (that’s some HARD concrete.  The rest has been pretty easy.  I’m no professional, but with the help of my wife (and the dog) we’ve gotten this thing up in what amounts to about 6 hours of work.  It’ll take another two or so to finish it to the point where I can mud the joints and paint.  The “inside” is going to wind up being storage shelves for my wife, so I’m not drywalling there.

Like I said, I’m no super-construction expert.  I’ve read some instructions, bought some materials, asked some questions at the hardware store, and just jumped in and done it.

 

In the end, I’m going to wind up with a layout room that will keep kids, cats, dogs, and other layout-damaging household occupants out.  That, and the pride of having built the wall myself.  The skills practices will help with the benchwork and other projects I’m sure.

 

Keep watching as my layout starts to take shape! -Jerermy

(*Also note the new tag to be applied to all related YVRR projects “Yosemite Valley”)

Full Side Freight Car Graffiti in HO

If you’re interested in having one of these cars painted for you, please visit www.weatheringman.com  

This is definately a trademark of my weathering business, and one I’m very proud to work on. Real cars like this are surprisingly prevalent in the modern scene, and each is a real astounding study in color and detail. So, let’s take a look at some graffiti.

Each of these takes more than a dozen hours of really careful detail painting and variety of specialized materials and techniques to capture the graffiti in HO scale. Some people try to do these cars using decals, but I believe it’s more engaging to paint them yourself. As far as I know, I’m one of the very few who take this route in HO or N scale.

It all started a few years ago with this test car, the Atom(ic) Age boxcar (the “IC” obscured by a replaced door) and caught the interest of a couple of clients of mine, who over the next couple of years would comission me to build the rest of the cars you’ll see here.

After a few smaller graffiti pieces, I was comissioned to do the quartet of cars you see above, each stylistically different from each other. Each one was painted using really tiny brushes following prototype photographs, each an exact copy.

Some, like the three you see here, are based off caligraphy.

The one below was one of my favorite projects, it was my first comissioned full car graffiti, and its challenge is something I still relish today when I’m working on my latest car, perhaps to be featured soon.

Even if you don’t like the graffiti, the attention to detail is still fascinating, at least to me.

What do you think of these cars?

The C&H Sugar Plant at Crockett, Calif.

Crockett is a very rare town for the West Coast. It’s a very gritty unincorporated blue collar town nestled beneath the massive pair of bridges that carry Highway 80 over the Carquinez Strait. The 3,200 souls that live in the town enjoy impressive views from impressively old victorian-era structures that climb their way up the very steep hillside. Each building is nicely weathered from the various airborne particles from the refineries and the plant itself, it’s a very modelgenic town to say the very least.

The Plant is really quite impressive and like no other (surviving and operating) industry in Northern California, a classic multi-story brick edifice that would be more at home in the hills of Pennslyvania. The amazing thing is that over the last century, the plant has been extensively modernized, but overall still looks remarkably original.

As far as one can infer, bulk cargo ships convey their loads of raw sugar into the plant for processing into a variety of products and leave the plant in Insulated boxcars (in sacks) and as molasses or sugar slurry in tank cars. They might also use airslide covered hoppers but I didn’t see very many of them or a means by which you can load them.

On to the photos!

Overall View.

End of an Era: Half a Century Of Blue Box Kits

Athearn announced this Morning that they decided to discontinue the manufacture of their iconic “blue box” kits….this is truly a sad day for HO modelers everywhere. Some may shun them for their detail, but we all know they all reinforced our love of the hobby to some degree. I can honestly point to them specifically for holding my interest in the hobby from toy trains to scale modeling during my teen years. Getting my first blue box locomotive a Union Pacific SW7 (which I still have) is a memory I shant forget. Read the announcement for yourself.

Affordability and Selection were their strong points without a doubt, an average middle class kid could build a roster of freight cars and locomotives in a fun and regular manner $5 and $25 at a time instead of saving up for a $30 pre-built car or $150 RTR locomotive. For those who love seeing a sea of freight cars in their yard, perhaps this will be somewhat harder now and undoubtedly more expensive.

For those learning, impatient or unskilled it was satisfying to build a kit with nothing but a small flathead screwdriver and seldomly some model glue and have it look nice and complete. It’s always been a good entry-level modeling project for beginners, and actually how some of the older modelers among us started; not with a train set, but with an individual model freight car kit. On the kitchen table, working those stamped steel sides, ends and wooden floor onto some sprung metal trucks was an accomplishment! For the younger modelers, the injection molded plastic with sharp lettering provided a satisfying 10 minute assembly and hours of fun running it around your small layout behind your trainset equipment. There was practically something for everyone too, between the MDC roundhouse and the blue box kits, from 1860’s to 1990’s equipment, you could practically model any era.

The Diesels, even with their quirks (like the widebody hood units) were still reliable, powerful locomotives that could outpull practically anything and do so with that classic gear growl that sounded very diesel like…who needs sound? Their flickering cab light and the bevy of blue sparks coming from their cast steel wheels as they yanked a colorful consist of “shake the (blue) box” kits bobbed behind them is still an iconic scene of the hobby.

So, I bid Adeiu to the staple of our HO scale hobby and perhaps the most influencial million pieces of plastic to turn thousands of hobbyists into model railroaders.

Layout Tour: Hidden Lionel Empire

Okay, who says a layout has to be accessed through a boring old door? How about searching for a rectangular portion of carpet, and uncovering a HIDDEN trap door to a magical LIONEL empire!

I witnessed just that, and I was impressed.

Through the trapdoor at the foot of his youngest sons’ bed one of my friends has built an impressive empire, hidden away to all; except the invited. After descending a ladder, you are sitting in the middle of an around-the-walls three-rail O scale mainline operation. At least 4 mainlines and plenty of secondary trackage weave their way around the nicely sized room carved into the hillside below his home.

He prides himself on collecting a vast majority of very rare LIONEL post-war equipment, like the SOO and Monon boxcars that were very realistic in appearance, but poor sellers thanks to their normal boxcar red color. Plenty of flawlessly operating 2-8-4’s, 4-6-4’s and first generation diesels ply the racetrack, the smell of ozone quickly fills the room as 3-5 trains loop around the layout creating the deafening roar of steel wheels on steel rail.

The layout itself was based on a childhood memory of a friend of his. One of the richer kids on his block when growing up had the same fantastic set up, albeit a bit more crude. You entered through the middle of the kitchen floor, into a recently excavated series of tables dug out beneath his friend’s house. The memory stuck after all these years, and now the finished product is quite spectacular.

Plenty of operating accessories and other authentic and original postwar accessories dot the unscenicked layout. When asked about the scenery, he suggested that it’s perhaps more authentic scenery for a LIONEL layout to be on bare plywood than be dressed up with all sorts of scenery. After seeing this layout, I’m definitely inclined to agree, it’s playing with toy trains at its Zenith!