Looks awesome!!!
My small HO layout
It's been 2 years since I started a 5 ft x 10 ft HO layout which fits the space available. Track is a folded figure 8 with a passing siding, small yard, industry spurs, and a track which can be used as a reversing track. Track height is 43" with 2" foam on L girder frame. I like modern diesels and steam so I don't model a specific era. Like to have a train running; sometimes with sound, sometimes not, when I'm working on the bench nearby. NCE power cab for dcc and homemade dc throttle which I used for a GP38 & GP40 before they were fitted with decoders.
A friend gave me many of the structures which I modified and reconfigured. A lot of the scenic details were fabricated with items on hand. I really like the idea of utilizing stuff laying around. The tank farm was made from pill bottles. I tried to incorporate a lot of concepts on the layout: areas of water, a must have bridge, mountains, static grass and homemade applicator, crossing signals, and scratchbuilding.
Locos are SD70, GP40, GP38, and 2-8-0 Consolidation. Would like to run bigger engines but just wouldn't look right.
Have run the GP38 & GP40 together which doesn't look too out of place. Perhaps a 4-6-2 doubleheaded with the 2-8-0 would be nice. Having a Big Boy plastic model coming out of a tunnel is a suitable consolation---better than having a $400 engine sitting on a display shelf.
I try to buy vehicles for $12 or less. Train show used vehicles are usually inexpensive. A smattering of Matchbox vehicles ,if they aren't too much out of scale, populate the layout until suitable scale ones are found. I did buy a truck crane kit for $27-----got to have a crane.
Currently I'm updating to a "2ft rule", adding details and redoing some features.
Now that I have 2 years of experience, I have the following takeaways:
Eliminating track elevations for the layout size made everything else easier.
Keeping the layout depth to 5 ft allows reaching everything (few spots require a step stool).
Taking painstaking care on trackwork definitely worth the time.
![Plant Building Urban design Engineering Landscape]()
![Building Motor vehicle Urban design Engineering City]()
A friend gave me many of the structures which I modified and reconfigured. A lot of the scenic details were fabricated with items on hand. I really like the idea of utilizing stuff laying around. The tank farm was made from pill bottles. I tried to incorporate a lot of concepts on the layout: areas of water, a must have bridge, mountains, static grass and homemade applicator, crossing signals, and scratchbuilding.
Locos are SD70, GP40, GP38, and 2-8-0 Consolidation. Would like to run bigger engines but just wouldn't look right.
Have run the GP38 & GP40 together which doesn't look too out of place. Perhaps a 4-6-2 doubleheaded with the 2-8-0 would be nice. Having a Big Boy plastic model coming out of a tunnel is a suitable consolation---better than having a $400 engine sitting on a display shelf.
I try to buy vehicles for $12 or less. Train show used vehicles are usually inexpensive. A smattering of Matchbox vehicles ,if they aren't too much out of scale, populate the layout until suitable scale ones are found. I did buy a truck crane kit for $27-----got to have a crane.
Currently I'm updating to a "2ft rule", adding details and redoing some features.
Now that I have 2 years of experience, I have the following takeaways:
Eliminating track elevations for the layout size made everything else easier.
Keeping the layout depth to 5 ft allows reaching everything (few spots require a step stool).
Taking painstaking care on trackwork definitely worth the time.
1 - 20 of 55 Posts
Thanks to all for looking at my post and thanks for the comments.
![Plant Liquid Fluid Cylinder Gas]()
Here's a closeup of the tank farm. The vertical tanks are made from pill bottles shown in the next photo.
The lip at the opening was sanded off on the belt sander. The plastic easter egg was cut down to make the
tank dome. A little bit of putty and paint completes the tank. The pipes are made from solid wire which was
salvaged from a defunct flourescent fixture ballast transformer. The horizontal tanks were made from diabetic
test strip containers glued together at the open ends. The tank supports were made from a wooden paint mixing
stick you get when you buy paint at a store. Leftover structure pieces were used for the ladder and walkway.
The pump house was cobbled together from styrene scraps. The fire extinguisher is a piece of barbecue skewer
chucked in a drill and one end filed down to make the top. A piece of #24 solid wire was used for the hose.
The shack is a cardstock download available at the Rail Modeller Austraila website. It was printed on regular
paper which was glued to cardstock. The roof was made from thin foam sheet whch I got at Hobby Lobby.
It was weathered with white chalk.
![Table Wood Paint Science Laboratory equipment]()
![Plant Train Building World Track]()
The above photo is one of my favorite scenes on the layout. A plastic model of a Big Boy emerges from a
tunnel. The portal is made from would scraps with a light coat of drywall compound painted concrete color. The
mountain is styrofoam covered with drywall compound. The track bumper behind the white tank is made from
flextrack ties and styrene sheet. All the track bumpers on the layout are of the same construction. The little tuffs
of grass at the front of the Big Boy are pieces of scotchbrite pad.
![Tire Wheel Vehicle Motor vehicle Plant]()
The above photo is a wire & cable factory which is my first scratchbuilt structure. The cable reels are plastic
sewing machine bobbins wound with cable lacing cord. The parking lot is concrete colored paint which I
selected by taking paint chips at Home Depot out to the sidewalk to match the color. After drying, it was
painted black and then immediately wiping most of it off with a paper towel.
Here's a closeup of the tank farm. The vertical tanks are made from pill bottles shown in the next photo.
The lip at the opening was sanded off on the belt sander. The plastic easter egg was cut down to make the
tank dome. A little bit of putty and paint completes the tank. The pipes are made from solid wire which was
salvaged from a defunct flourescent fixture ballast transformer. The horizontal tanks were made from diabetic
test strip containers glued together at the open ends. The tank supports were made from a wooden paint mixing
stick you get when you buy paint at a store. Leftover structure pieces were used for the ladder and walkway.
The pump house was cobbled together from styrene scraps. The fire extinguisher is a piece of barbecue skewer
chucked in a drill and one end filed down to make the top. A piece of #24 solid wire was used for the hose.
The shack is a cardstock download available at the Rail Modeller Austraila website. It was printed on regular
paper which was glued to cardstock. The roof was made from thin foam sheet whch I got at Hobby Lobby.
It was weathered with white chalk.
The above photo is one of my favorite scenes on the layout. A plastic model of a Big Boy emerges from a
tunnel. The portal is made from would scraps with a light coat of drywall compound painted concrete color. The
mountain is styrofoam covered with drywall compound. The track bumper behind the white tank is made from
flextrack ties and styrene sheet. All the track bumpers on the layout are of the same construction. The little tuffs
of grass at the front of the Big Boy are pieces of scotchbrite pad.
The above photo is a wire & cable factory which is my first scratchbuilt structure. The cable reels are plastic
sewing machine bobbins wound with cable lacing cord. The parking lot is concrete colored paint which I
selected by taking paint chips at Home Depot out to the sidewalk to match the color. After drying, it was
painted black and then immediately wiping most of it off with a paper towel.
Thank you all for the replies and comments.
Yes, I am a Conrail fan. Really like the blue & white color scheme. It all started when I found a
Bachmann dc Conrail GP40 NIB for $25 at a tag sale.
I've been working on adding details to different areas on the layout.
![Plant Vehicle Property Building Car]()
The building is scratchbuilt. Need to add jambs to the overhead door and additional details.
The dumpster is scratchbuilt from styrene and wood. Had to Google to find dumster
dimensions. Ended up with a dozen offers of dumpster rentals in the email.
![Tire Wheel Car Land vehicle Vehicle]()
Wood for picnic tables purchased at Hobby Lobby, reasonably priced.
![Plant Wood Urban design Toy Biome]()
Started adding details to rooftops.
![Plant Infrastructure Toy Grass Cemetery]()
A place to warm up down at the yard on a cold day. The fire is 3 LED's with a flickering
affect-operated by an Arduino.
![Tire Wheel Car Land vehicle Vehicle]()
Brand new truck-broken down already.
Yes, I am a Conrail fan. Really like the blue & white color scheme. It all started when I found a
Bachmann dc Conrail GP40 NIB for $25 at a tag sale.
I've been working on adding details to different areas on the layout.
The building is scratchbuilt. Need to add jambs to the overhead door and additional details.
The dumpster is scratchbuilt from styrene and wood. Had to Google to find dumster
dimensions. Ended up with a dozen offers of dumpster rentals in the email.
Wood for picnic tables purchased at Hobby Lobby, reasonably priced.
Started adding details to rooftops.
A place to warm up down at the yard on a cold day. The fire is 3 LED's with a flickering
affect-operated by an Arduino.
Brand new truck-broken down already.
1 - 20 of 55 Posts
