Confessions of a Model Train Geek

CARM 2012 in Regina

2011-12-19T15:10:00.003-06:00

Mark your calendars for CARM 2012, the annual Canadian Association of Railway Modelers convention in Regina, Saskatchewan. The show will be held from June 28 to July 1, 2012 at the University of Regina campus.

Registration forms are now available on their web site.

PS - I have no involvement with the event other than the use of a few of my pictures (with permission) on the home page.

Fredericton Model Train Show

2011-11-28T22:21:00.001-06:00

If you're in Fredericton on December 3, check out the model train show! It will be at the Fredericton High School on Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM in the cafeteria. Admission is $5 for adults and free for those 12 and under. Have fun!

Here are my photos from the 2008 Fredericton Train Show.

Railflyer Sale

2011-11-25T16:09:00.001-06:00

Railflyer Model Prototypes is having a cyber sale, from now until Tuesday:

50% off decals
40% off coupler plates, EMD step kits, GMDD ditch lights and step kits, and much more
33% off speakers, LEDs, bells, flags and more
24% off their GMDD wide cab kit

Check their web site for more details.

FPA4 Models Coming... In 2013

2011-10-24T21:26:00.003-05:00

Rapido Trains is making FPA4 and FPB4 models!

I'm super excited about this... they fit right into the era I want to model and love Alcos. I have a number board from VIA 6765, the same engine that is in the Canadian Railway Museum, and I have blogged about VIA 6765 many times.

Sadly, we have to wait until 2013. But at least they are coming...

Hat-tip to CP Rail Manitoba & Minnesota Sub blog for the information!

Cool Crossing

2011-09-27T21:32:00.002-05:00

This is a super-cool grade crossing - very realistic!

Want to know how Jamie made it? Well, read on!

Automated Staging Yard

2011-07-26T21:05:00.000-05:00

Here's a video of something quite cool - an automated staging yard. I am very impressed by the engineering and craftsmanship behind this.

Hat tip to the excellent blog CP Rail Manitoba & Minnesota Sub for linking to the video.

Portage Model Railroad Train Day

2011-05-27T08:06:00.000-05:00

Come one, come all, to the Portage Model Railroad Train Day on May 28 (Saturday) at the former Canadian Pacific Railway station in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

"This event takes place at the Portage CP Station from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm with a BBQ from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be model railroad displays running and model railroad supplies and souvenirs available for purchase."

Contact: Charlotte Jones: 239-1803 or email bjonesph@mts.net

I'm planning on being there, probably later in the afternoon.

Truro Model Railroad Association

2011-04-25T18:56:00.000-05:00

Jeff Keddy sent along a link to this cool video about the Truro Model Railroad Association.

The Truro Model Railroaders Association - The History Part 1 from Jonathan harnish on Vimeo.

It was done by the Nova Scotia Community College Radio and Television Arts course.

The TMRA have their own web site.

Moncton Model Railroad Show

2011-04-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

Don't forget the Moncton Model Railroad Show, this Saturday April 23rd from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Coverdale Rec Centre, the usual venue here. It's always a good show with lots of stuff to see and purchase.

I have photos of the 2007, 2008 and the 2009 show online.

Fantasy Locos

2011-03-25T22:55:00.000-05:00

John Longhurst's latest post featured a few photos from Jeff King's Milwaukee Road Train Shop site.

Jeff does model painting as a job, and he does it well. The photos that John linked to are really special, as they are "fantasy" paint schemes that do not exist in real life. For example:

Wouldn't that be great to see at the head of a set of Saskatchewan hoppers?

How about a John Deere loco?

Get a Train!

2011-03-01T20:49:00.002-06:00

Railflyer Sale!

2011-02-17T07:36:00.000-06:00

I received an email yesterday, announcing Railflyer Model Prototypes' 24 hour, 24% off sale. If you haven't seen Railflyer's shop, do so! They have a great line of detail parts and decals for the serious modeler. If you're interested, go visit their shop!

15 Mind Blowing Model Railway Layouts

2011-02-01T13:12:00.000-06:00

Here's an interesting blog post that was referred to me. If you've done any looking, you've probably seen some of them. #1, the Wunderland layout made by two German brothers, is well known. I remember seeing #3, the Great Train Story in Chicago, IL, in Model Railroader. Long-time modelers will remember #11 and #12, Allen McClelland's V&O and John Armstrong's Gorre & Daphetid, from many articles in Model Railroader. I would argue the order and perhaps a few items in the list, but in general I think it is a good list.

Fredericton Train Show Tomorrow

2010-12-03T08:04:00.000-06:00

The Fredericton Train Show will be open tomorrow (Saturday, December 4) from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Fredericton High School in the cafeteria. Come one, come all!

I went to the first one in 2008.

Givens and Druthers

2010-11-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned, I am starting to plan for my new layout.

Two layouts ago, I made a list of givens and druthers. That term was coined by John Armstrong.

Givens are features or limitations you must have, either forced on you by the size or shape of the room, economics, etc., or your own desires. For example, in my case the size of the room is a given. It's not going to change and I have to live with it.

Druthers are things you'd rather ("you druther") have, so they are negotiable. List all your druthers and accept that you are not going to get them all.

Raildreams has a great givens and druthers questionnaire. There is some good discussion about Armstrong's "givens and druthers" here.

Here are my givens and druthers.

GIVENS
Room size - 20 feet by 8.5-12 feet with a door in one corner and a window on one wall
Mainline curves have minimum radius of 24" to handle 89' cars
HO scale in standard gauge
Capability for continuous running
DCC operation

DRUTHERS
Two-cab wiring so one cab can be DCC and one DC
Signaled operation (ABS or CTC)
Minimum 24" aisle width
Duck-under or lift-out bridge will be required
No need to reach more than 24" into the layout
Designed for realistic operations - this means numerous industries
Interchange(s) with other railroad(s)
Longest main line runs possible
10-12 car trains
More than adequate staging
Yard switching

Note that none of these talk about the track plan at all. It's important to record what you want the end result to be before you figure out what to build to get what you want. You need to know the destination before you pick the route. I haven't talked about whether it will be single level or multi-level, about helixes, wyes, and other somewhat exotic track arrangements. Those will come soon.

Did I forget anything? What are your givens and druthers?

Planning for the New Layout

2010-11-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

It's time to start planning for my next model train layout. Hallelujah!

In my life I have had two serious layouts: the Nova Scotia Eastern and CN in Bathurst, NB (circa 1975). The NSER was torn up in 2004, and the CN layout lasted until 2009. Both were removed prior to moving.

As I write this, workmen are in the basement putting wallboard up. Soon my train room will be boarded, painted, and carpeted, and I'll be ready to start pounding spikes. Thankfully I am not doing the room preparation this time.

I don't have a track plan yet, nor even much of an idea where and when the layout will be set. I think my next step will be to update my givens and druthers list.

Here is a diagram of the room and an idea of how the mainline will run. You can see the room is not exactly rectangular. It is a little over 20' long but only 8' 6" wide at the smallest, or 11' 11" wide at the widest.

I would like a peninsula to use more of the space in the middle of the room. This track layout gives 80' 10" of mainline running.

So... any thoughts on track plans? :)

Dartmouth Model Train Show

2010-11-11T21:02:00.000-06:00

The annual Sportsplex Model Train Show is on this coming weekend, Saturday Nov 13 from 9am to 4:30pm and Sunday Nov 14 from 10am to 3pm.

On display will be the Dartmouth Club and the On30 scale layouts, Mike's G scale layout, Errol's Z scale layout , another Z scale layout, and a LEGO layout and robotics display. Of course, a wide selection of vendors will offer new and used items.

Door prize this year is a great Bachmann train set, courtesy of Maritime Hobbies and Crafts.

Admittance: Adults $5, Kids 5-12 $2, Family $10, kids under 5 free!

My 2007 photos of the show

Winnipeg Train Show October 2010

2010-10-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

I visited the Winnipeg model train show on Saturday (Oct 16). There were several impressive layouts at the show, and here are some photos and video of the event.

The photo above, and the video below, show a model Ontario Northlander running around the Free-Mo layout on the ground floor. I like the Free-Mo idea but I was a little disappointed that it was formed in a traditional rectangle. I understand the need for continuous running but the best part of Free-Mo is that you can join modules together in different configurations.

My son liked this layout.. actually, he liked any of the larger scale layouts. This one had a couple of flashing pumpkins on the layout, which were fun for the kids to find.

This busy layout had Thomas (with Annie & Clarabelle) running around the oval. My son liked that the train disappeared behind the backdrop and came out the tunnel. Even when he discovered where the train went, he was still excited. Note to self - need tunnel on home layout.

I was really impressed by the realism of some of the layouts. Here's one module on an N-scale layout.

This layout by Paul Ullrich was my son's favourite. Paul set up several log cars on the side for children to play with. Press the button and the logs dump... reset... repeat... I think my son would have stayed there for hours if I had let him.

A very close second for my son was this layout. I really liked the handcart following the train on the outside - very inventive.

Here's a portion of the Win-N-Trak layout.

I bought a few intermodal well cars, an autorack, and a used DCC locomotive... my first DCC loco. Soon I will have to buy a DCC starter set!

View the full gallery.

Congratulations and a hearty "well done" to the organizers, exhibitors and vendors.

Great Winnipeg Annual Train Show

2010-10-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

Come visit the Great Winnipeg Annual Train Show, this Saturday and Sunday October 16-17 at the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate, 180 Riverton Avenue. The show is open on Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 11 AM to 4 PM. I plan to visit on Saturday afternoon and maybe Sunday as well. Last year's show was good!

Priorities

2010-05-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

This model railroader with a heart problem has his priorities mixed up. Or perhaps his priorities are correct? ;)

Tracks and Tides 2010

2010-04-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

Don't forget that the Saint John model railway convention, Tracks & Tides 2010, is coming up fast. May 20 - May 23... be there!

TrainPlayer

2010-04-04T15:11:00.000-05:00

My friend Ron sent a link to TrainPlayer.com, where you can download software for model railroaders. I haven't tried the software yet but I thought I'd pass on the link for those who might want to give it a try.

This blog has moved

2010-03-05T12:15:00.001-06:00

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A Site For F40PH-2 Fans

2010-02-28T20:09:00.000-06:00

If you are interested in VIA's F40PH-2 engines, you need to visit this site. It has prototype photos, a modeler's "how to" page, and rivet-counting detail photos for the common VIA units.

As well, under the "for sale" link you can see they are planning on offering a brass sheet of detail parts to superdetail your Walthers, Kato or Life-Like F40PH-2.

Check it out!

There's a Prototype for Everything

2010-02-22T17:15:00.001-06:00

Proving the old adage that there's a prototype for everything we do in model trains, here's a tank car body on a flatcar. I spotted the remnants of GATX 54324 strapped on flatcar CP 315208 in Winnipeg. This would be a quick little modeling project. Note the dent in the far end of the tank, easily done with a touch of a soldering iron.

tjmfishing's Layout

2010-02-19T17:00:00.000-06:00

Taylor is building an HO layout and he has a tour video up. It's a great walkthrough of the layout and his future plans for it.

He also did a few railfan videos on his layout, complete with sound added.

I Want, I Want

2010-01-29T21:09:00.001-06:00

Pacific Western Rail Systems has announced that they will be producing an Alco C-630M model for all major Canadian railroads, with or without sound.

An Amazing Layout

2010-01-19T23:45:00.001-06:00

My uncle pointed me toward this story. Quite a layout.

Model Railroad Hobbyist

2010-01-07T12:14:00.001-06:00

A new issue of the online model train magazine Model Railroad Hobbyist is now online. Give it a read!

Winnipeg Model Train Show 2009

2009-12-21T17:00:00.000-06:00

I'm very late in posting these, but here are a few photos from the October model train show in Winnipeg. I didn't take a lot of photos.

Gallery

The Intercolonial (Model) Railway

2009-11-20T21:51:00.002-06:00

I stumbled across this great web site by Andrew Chisholm. It features his model railroad layout, the Intercolonial Railway: New Glasgow and Pictou Landing Branch. Check it out!

Phoenix Area Model Train Stores

2009-11-10T22:35:00.002-06:00

This is mostly a placeholder for me. Here are a few links to model train stores in Phoenix, Arizona.

Fredericton Modular Layout

2009-10-16T14:08:00.002-05:00

I found these on my camera from May 9, 2009... I think this was the Fredericton modular layout club's layout at the Home Show.

Don's HO Service in Moncton

2009-09-15T07:32:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to point out that Don's HO Service in Moncton has a new web site, www.donshoservice.com. Chuck runs a good shop and it is worth a visit.

BNSF 12580

2009-09-06T08:08:00.002-05:00

Someone pointed out that Overland Models is coming out with a model of Operation Lifesaver caboose BNSF 12580. This caboose is a semi-permanent resident of Winnipeg at the BNSF short line in town.

The model will be "only" $300! I don't think I will be ordering one.

Here's a shot I took of BNSF 12580 in Winnipeg on a cold December 28, 2004.

Last Freight

2009-06-03T10:24:00.001-05:00

I am moving in a month or so and my layout has to go. I started removing track two nights ago and it is going fast.

Here is the last freight train on my model train layout. CN 3125 collected one hopper car and the work train from the Bathurst yard, then did one circuit of the layout.

Moncton Model Railroad Show 2009

2009-04-12T09:42:00.001-05:00

My oldest son and I went to the Moncton Model Railroad Show and took some pictures. By all accounts it was a great show, with good attendance and good displays. I was glad to talk to a bunch of old friends and catch up.

View the gallery

New Model Train Auction Site

2009-03-02T05:09:00.001-06:00

I received an email from ETrainz.com announcing their new site. "Trainz.com is a bid site dedicated to train enthusiasts, built by train enthusiasts."

There are no fees for buying and selling, as far as I can see. There are fees to highlight or promote the item you are selling, and also if you have a store there.

Looks interesting.

Model Train Cars For Sale

2009-02-26T10:48:00.004-06:00

I am cleaning out the items from my model train collection that do not match the era I am modelling. The complete list is on my web site. These prices are in Canadian dollars and do not include shipping. If shipping is required, I would charge actual cost for shipping with no markup.

UPDATE: All sold.

Photos from the Fredericton Model Train Show

2008-12-07T07:07:00.002-06:00

Here are my photos from the Fredericton model train show.

It was a good show. There was a good assortment of displays, from the Fredericton modules to the N-Bender layout to the O-Scale layout from Fredericton, even to the wooden trains my son fell in love with. It was good to catch up with a few old friends there, too. The only problem came when I tried to leave - my son did NOT want to go!

Fredericton Show

2008-11-30T14:03:00.005-06:00

As previously announced, the Fredericton model train show is Saturday, Dec 6 from 9:30am to 4:30pm at the Fredericton High School. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 students and children 12 and under free. The maximum cost per family is $10.

Shapeways

2008-11-26T04:40:00.002-06:00

I was contacted by a company called Shapeways. They provide an interesting model-making service where it appears you send them a design, and they print it out as a 3D model and send it to you.

For example, here's an N scale railway station one of their customers made.

They use several different kinds of material.

Just thought you might want to check them out. :)

DISCLAIMER: I have no relationship with this company, other than the unsolicited email they sent me.

Halifax Model Train Show

2008-11-13T16:19:00.002-06:00

The annual Halifax Sportsplex Model Train Show is on this weekend! It will be open Saturday Nov 15 from 9am to 4:30pm, and Sunday Nov 16 from 10am to 3pm.

I will be at the show with the kids on Saturday, and probably on Sunday as well.

Photos from last year

Photos from November Quispamsis Train Show

2008-11-12T19:30:00.004-06:00

Here are some of my photos from the model train show in Quispamsis this past Saturday, November 8.

Jamie loved this table.

Part of Mike's layout.

It was pretty busy when I was there.

A very busy module.

Gallery

Saint John Fall Show This Saturday

2008-11-05T18:42:00.002-06:00

The Saint John Society of Model Railroaders are holding their fall show this Saturday, November 8, at the Island View Lions Club in Quispamsis from 9 AM to 4 PM. I'm not sure if I'll be there or not, but I'd like to go!

I definitely will be attending the Dartmouth Model Train and Hobby Show at the Sportsplex in Halifax, NS next weekend, November 15-16.

Fredericton Model Railroad Show Announcement

2008-09-15T14:39:00.003-05:00

The Fredericton Model Railroad Club will be hosting a Model Railroad Show at the Fredericton High School on Saturday December 6, 2008 from 9:30am to 4:30pm.

For tables ($15.00 each), contact Paul Bourgoin at (506) 455-4479.

Thanks to Richard Curran for the information.

EDIT: Changed date to new one.

New Peninsula Added

2008-08-30T22:56:00.002-05:00

I have added a peninsula to my model railroad, finally! Here's a video of the first train taking a test trip around.

Obviously a tremendous amount of work remains to be done.

Upcoming Model Train Shows in the Area

2008-08-09T16:28:00.002-05:00

Miramichi 3rd? annual train show, September 27 and 28. Location unknown, probably the Douglastown Mall.

November 8 - SJSMR 24th annual show, at the Islandview Lions Club in Quispamsis. New date, new location.

Carnegie Science Center Model Railroad

2008-05-05T14:29:00.001-05:00

This is a marketing video, but it shows the controls used to operate the Carnegie Science Center's model railroad. I saw that railroad back in 2000 or so when I was in Pittsburgh, but it was down for remodeling at the time.

view the video

Moncton Model Train Show Pictures

2008-04-15T21:13:00.002-05:00

I put some photos from the Moncton Model Train Show in my gallery.

I thought the show was very good. I was there for about 3 hours and had a great time. I chatted with some old friends, spent too much money, and my kids even had a great time too. Well done!

Moncton Model Railroad Show Video

2008-04-15T10:14:00.001-05:00

Here's a little video I took with my Canon S3 of an N scale military train at the Moncton train show.

More to come...

Chasing Trains on the Island Central

2008-03-22T11:43:00.001-05:00

Bob Boudreau put a nice video railfanning the Island Central on YouTube. Very nice.

Moncton Model Train and Car Show

2008-03-20T13:29:00.003-05:00

Don't forget the next train show in New Brunswick, April 12 at the Coverdale Rec Centre in Riverview, NB. I plan to be there, assuming the weather cooperates!

Moncton Model Train and Car Show web site

My photos of the 2007 show

Photos from the Saint John Show

2008-03-13T05:04:00.001-05:00

Ron Grant and Bob Boudreau posted pictures of the Saint John model railroad show. It looks like it was a good one!

Model Train Show March 1

2008-02-18T10:01:00.000-06:00

Just a quick reminder that the next model train show is on March 1 in Saint John. The Saint John Society of Model Railroaders is holding their annual event at St. Malachys High School from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. I plan to be there with my kids.

Show details

Track Cleaning

2007-11-24T14:46:00.000-06:00

Everyone who has a layout knows you need to keep the track clean. Without it, trains stutter and frustrations grow. There are different ways to keep your track clean:
- use a "track eraser" like a Bright Boy
- use a chemical track cleaner
- use a cleaning pad on a train car

Normally I use a Bright Boy but it is totally clogged with debris now. I decided to try the third method, a cleaning pad. I went to Fredericton's only hobby shop, Thomas Hobbies, to see what they had. There was one track cleaning car there, a Trains Canada CN through baggage car.

It has a cleaning pad mounted between the wheels on a spring-loaded pad. The springs help keep the pad pressed against the rails. Here's a shot of the clean pad before use on my layout:

I coupled it up to one of my diesels and took it for a drive around the layout. I let it run several times around the continuous running loop, on the main line and through sidings. After that, I ran it into some of the staging yard. Here's the result:

It seems to be picking something up! All in all I would say this first run was a success. I will have to pick up some replacement pads soon, of course. The only negative thing I will say about this particular car is that it is too light. You can't push it backward through a switch without it derailing. It needs a little more weight to keep it firmly on the rails. Perhaps once the springs wear a bit, it will stay on the rails better.

What do you use to clean your tracks?

Dartmouth Model Railroad Show

2007-11-21T18:52:00.000-06:00

On Saturday November 17 I visited the Dartmouth model railroad show with my two youngest kids. I was pretty impressed with the displays - some really nice work there. The usual vendors were there and I walked away with a 3-pack of container cars and a signed copy of Jay Underwood's new book From Folly to Fortune: The Firing of James Richardson Forman. I look forward to reading it!

I put a bunch of photos in my gallery but here are a few for your enjoyment.

Here's a Lego train running around the layout. Note the display screen on the wall showing what the steam locomotive is seeing.

Kevin G took video of quite a bit of the show:

The circle is restored

2007-11-13T21:17:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I put the Bridge of Death back across the layout room door. I call it the Bridge of Death because any train that should derail on that bridge is in for a long fall to the carpeted floor. I keep meaning to put rails on the bridge (OK, plank) but so far I haven`t.

By putting the BoD in, I now have continuous running on the layout. My kids are fascinated by the trains running around and around without stopping, my baby son especially. My daughter keeps stopping the train and changing the cargo. :)

A short train crossing the Bridge of Death

Dartmouth Model Train Show

2007-11-06T10:10:00.000-06:00

I will be attending the annual Dartmouth model train show Saturday November 17 (and probably Sunday too). My two little kids and I will admire the many displays, hopefully buy some employee timetables and train orders, and have a good time. I'll try and get a few photos to post afterward!

Nashwaaksis Baptist Church Train Contest

2007-09-26T19:44:00.000-05:00

On September 9 I had the pleasure of being one of three judges in a train contest at the Nashwaaksis Baptist Church here in Fredericton. Members of the congregation were to make some kind of train and bring it to the church.

All of the entries showed imagination and there were some truly excellent entries. I've put photos of the event in my gallery.

I had a great time. Everyone was very friendly and made me and my son Nick feel very welcome. The service was good and the corn boil afterward was excellent. My thanks to the church for inviting me!

Model Train Show in Miramichi this Saturday

2007-09-20T21:24:00.001-05:00

No, I haven't forgotten about this blog. I'm finally starting to uncover my layout now that the basement is finished.

If you're in the Miramichi area this Saturday (September 22), take in the 4th Annual Model Train Show, sponsored by the Miramichi Crime Stoppers. It's at the Northumberland Square Mall (in Douglastown) from 10 AM to 4 PM. For more information contract W Blake Johnstone at 773-6859.

I went to the 2006 show and I liked it. It's one of the smaller shows but still good. Model train photos

Moncton Model Railroad show

2007-04-14T22:56:00.000-05:00

My two oldest kids and I went to the Moncton model railroad show Saturday. We had a great time. I enjoyed meeting some people I only knew online, and chatting with old friends. I didn't come away with too much - five timetables and a few Aroostook Valley cars.

I put some photos in the gallery and Bob Boudreau posted photos too.

Model Railroad Wiring

2007-04-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

Railroadman posted a great post about his model railroad's wiring recently.

Wiring can be intimidating but it is necessary. The most important thing to do is PLAN AHEAD. Don't add just enough wires for what you need right now. Plan ahead for what you think you will need. Don't hang them by the most direct route. Plan the routing and make things neat. Have a wiring diagram. Try to colour-code the wires if possible.

All that being said, I don't have a wiring diagram for my layout yet. However, I haven't done any permanent wiring yet either. I have soldered drops from the rails and strung some temporary bus wiring to get trains running, but I have nothing permanent. So far my colour standard is red for one rail and green for the other.

The first thing I need to do is figure out where the blocks should be. :)

Still Here

2007-04-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

I haven't forgotten about this blog, honest! Alas, my train room is currently a storage room. We are getting most of our basement refinished, so the stuff that was in the unfinished area has overwhelmed my train room. Once the work is done, in a few weeks, I hope to get back to running trains.

Building a layout - shelves

2007-03-15T17:46:00.000-05:00

My new layout is an around-the-walls style layout, with a peninsula coming from one end of the room. I decided to build the layout on shelf brackets screwed into the wall studs, with shelves cut from 4x8 foot sheets of plywood. This way, I would not have legs under the layout, leaving room for storage of my model railroad equipment and railroad ephemera.

I started by deciding what height to make the layout. As I mentioned before, the whole layout is on one level. Most people say you should build it somewhere between belt height and shoulder height. I chose a height of about 44" from the carpet to the top of the plywood. I wanted it a little on the low side so kids would have a chance of seeing what's on the layout with a little stool.

After borrowing a friend's stud finder, I set about marking where the studs were on the walls with a pencil. I used a laser level on my tripod to make sure I was building the layout perfectly level.

Maybe I was geeking out a bit too much. Maybe I just wanted to use my Christmas present. :)

I screwed the supports into the wall at each end of the plywood sheet, then screwed the supports into the sheet from below to ensure no screw heads would be on the top. I then filled in the supports between the ends and screwed them into the board too. The result was a very very firm layout with no wobble. I'm pretty sure I could stand on it, but I haven't tried. :)

In the corners where I couldn't get supports in, I used little metal connectors to screw the two boards together and prop up pieces of plywood I cut to fill the corners. I reasoned there wouldn't be much weight there so they didn't have to be as strong as the rest of the layout.

For the end with the peninsula, I built a traditional box structure and put legs on it. The peninsula is going to be on legs and I figured it would need a firm, rigid structure to attach to.

I haven't built the peninsula yet, since my layout room is doubling as a spare bedroom for a few more weeks. Soon, soon!

So far I'm very happy with the method I used to build the layout. It has made tracklaying a breeze and I appreciate the rigidity of the structure. The NSER was built on legs, and wasn't attached to the walls, so it was a little wobbly until the whole thing was built. This layout is rock solid.

Latest layout plan

2007-03-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

Finally we come to the plan I am building to, version 5.

This version features four long tracks of staging each for Miramichi and Campbellton, as well as a single track of staging for each of the Caraquet Subdivision, the Nepisiguit Subdivision, the Irvco spur in Belledune, and the Smurfit-Stone industry in Bathurst. Can you ever have enough staging?

I wanted to model the Smurfit-Stone facility because they had their own switcher, caboose and plow. I thought that would be a nice feature to show them come up to interchange with CN at the junction, just like the prototype did.

There are no provisions for grades in this, which may make it boring from a scenic perspective. Obviously my layout is skewed toward operation, given the number of interchanges and online industries.

I would appreciate any comments, good or bad! :)

Track Planning For The New Layout

2007-03-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

With my new layout room, I needed a new plan. My initial thought was to continue with the Dartmouth Subdivision idea that the NSER used.

This plan is basically a single-level dogbone with some around-the-wall staging. No doubt you can see a number of problems with the design, including restricted aisle space. On the plus side, I would have had a wye for turning and fairly good switching opportunities.

I decided I wanted to try something fresh. Based on my own railfanning experiences, I settled on a layout loosely based around the Bathurst area in the early 1980s before CN started ripping up the old subdivisions. The layout would go from "Moncton / Miramichi" (staging) through Nepisiguit Junction, Bathurst, and Belledune before "Campbellton" (staging). It would feature run-through trains that just went from one staging yard to another, switching along the way, as well as VIA's Ocean and local passenger service.

This is a very rough around-the-walls plan just to get an idea of where the stations would fit. I kept the around-the-wall staging and obviously designed for continuous running. Time to flesh it out.

It's almost the same plan, with more detail. Notice how the staging for both "ends" is in the same place. This is still very rough as the space allocated for switches is not realistic. One must always use real switch dimensions to ensure you don't get impossible angles.

I had this idea that I could get more track into the same space by doing a twice-around layout, spawning this plan.

This time the staging is on both sides of the room. The twice-through idea does give long main line runs but I decided it would not look realistic.

Next time I'll show you the "final" version. It does away with the twice-through idea but looks a lot like this one.

Saint John model railroad show pictures

2007-03-08T14:41:00.000-06:00

I put some photos I took at last Saturday's model train show in Saint John in my photo gallery.

As usual the Saint John Society of Model Railroaders did a fine job organizing the event. The usual displays were there, with the SJSMRR modular display front and center.

For the four and under crowd, my daughter liked the O scale displays on the left of the venue as well as Hazen Middleton's Thomas train and the Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck speeder.

I enjoyed the chance to talk with some old friends, like Bill Linley, Ron Grant, Art Clowes and Tim Dryden.

I didn't buy much - two covered hoppers for $5 each and a little toy engine for a quarter.

Good show!

Room Preparation

2007-03-01T21:02:00.000-06:00

I tore the Nova Scotia Eastern Railway up in the summer of 2004 to get ready for our move to a larger house. Being a good railway baron, I ensured I would have (more) space for a new layout in the new home. I ended up with a 10x16 foot room, which is about double the area of the NSER.

The first trick was to get the room ready. It had four walls, if you could call them that. Two of the walls were the concrete foundation, and the other two were framed but had no electrical work done. There was one heater in the room and one single-bulb light fixture. The floor was concrete and there was no ceiling. Clearly a lot of work needed to be done!

My father-in-law and I put the framing, insulation and wallboard/gyproc up. The ceiling is gyproc as well. I painted the entire room light blue, including the ceiling. I had a flooring dealer come in to install dark grey carpeting with an underpad, for comfort.

We put in six electrical outlets, two each on the long walls and one centered on each of the short walls. I wanted to have plenty of light, so we put in four two-tube flourescent fixtures on one switch plus provision for a track light on a dimmer. The baseboard heater remains on one of the walls, controlled by a thermostat in the room. There is no telephone connection in the room yet, but I plan on installing one as well as a network port for a future computer.

I think the finished product looks pretty good. I'm glad I decided to go with the four light fixtures. It may seem like overkill but I like being able to work without having shadows in the way. I think it will work well when it comes time to take "railfan" photographs. I still haven't put the track lighting in, but that will come in time.

I should mention the two floods we had in the basement. We had a problem with the drain tile around the house, and in the winter of 2005-2006 our basement flooded several times. There were two times in particular where the train room was flooded enough that the carpet became saturated. Both times I had to rip the carpet up and bring in blowers and heat to dry it out, after sucking up whatever water I could with the shop vacuum. Fortunately no model railroad stuff was damaged and the carpet seems to have survived. Even though our flooding problem is fixed, I still don't leave anything on the floor - just in case.

The Nova Scotia Eastern Railway - Photos

2007-02-22T05:28:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are some photos of my old Nova Scotia Eastern Railway layout.

A passenger train goes by the station on the main line, while a CN switcher shunts the Windsor & Hantsport siding in the background.

The NSER 76493 caboose brings up the rear of a short freight as they pass some rather desolate terrain on the approach to Windsor Junction.

Two CN diesels begin the long haul down the escalator track from the Dartmouth Subdivision toward the junction with the CN main line. The Dartmouth yard is on the top level at the very back, behind my son.

A view of the temporary Dartmouth yard. None of this track was intended to be permanent. The layout was torn out before any permanent trackage was laid in this yard.

The Nova Scotia Eastern Railway - My Druthers

2007-02-21T15:15:00.000-06:00

In this post I will discuss how I designed the Nova Scotia Eastern Railway to achieve my "druthers"/modeling objectives, under the limitations of the "givens".

Given that I had decided on HO scale, I had a limited amount of space to work in and a lot of operation I wanted to cram in there. I initially started with a single-level plan but realized I didn't have enough room for staging AND a decent main line length. So multi-level it was. I shifted to a two-level design with a helix, but the helix ate up so much space in the room that it was impractical. I finally settled on a two-level design with a long, steep "escalator" track to connect the two.

I did not use any published model railway track plans, since I was basing this on the real CN Dartmouth Subdivision. I did have to make some compromises to fit the trackage in the room:

no space for a wye at Windsor Junction
no double track east of Windsor Junction (fiction becomes reality, as the double track has been removed on the prototype)
simplification of the Burnside Industrial Park trackage
gypsum facility in Dartmouth moved to staging

Since operations was a high priority for me, I included lots of switching opportunities. I set up a spreadsheet with a list of industries, what car types they accepted, and the length of each siding. This gave me an idea of how many cars I would need for the layout and how much operation could take place in one operating session. I tried to base the industries on real ones, but had to make some adjustments to get a good mix of cars.

I designed two staging yards, one at each "end" of the CN main line that the NSER interchanges with. Given the size of the room, they could not be too long, but I could stage three or four 6-7 car trains (plus engine) in each yard. That would give me enough room for a passenger train in each direction, plus a couple of mainline freights.

The penalty for having a multi-level layout was the connecting track between levels. To avoid looping around the room too much I made the track fairly steep, hence the name "escalator" for it. I think the grade was a fairly constant 4%. It became a bit of a challenge to get trains up and down the escalator, as some engines were just not powerful enough to "make the grade". I expect that if I had continued with the layout for much longer it would have become an operational problem requiring double-heading most trains.

Another penalty for using a room of that size was the radius of the curves. I decided on a minimum of 18" radius, which fit well into the room but did not permit reliable operation of cars longer than 60 scale feet. That ruled out modern autoracks and containers, which is a real problem when you want to model modern railways. I never progressed enough on the railway for this to become a problem, but it would have been an issue.

In the end I had the following standards:

Code 100 rail
18" minimum radius
Peco medium radius switches for mainline, small radius for industrials and yards
Two cabs for operation of two trains simultaneously
Manual switch operation using Caboose Industries ground throws

In my next post I will share some photos of the layout at its most complete, just before tear-down.

The Nova Scotia Eastern Railway, part 1

2007-02-21T10:20:00.000-06:00

My first model railroad was the Nova Scotia Eastern Railway. It was a two-level around-the-walls layout built in an 8' x 12' room. The NSER was a fictional shortline that took over CN's Dartmouth Subdivision in Nova Scotia, and interchanged with CN and the Windsor & Hantsport Railway at Windsor Junction. The Junction itself was a centerpiece of the railway.

The station at Windsor Junction

The NSER was never completed (are any model railroads actually finished?). In the end I had completed the lower level with track and scenery, and had track up to the upper level and had begun the Dartmouth yard. I had begun operating on the upper level to some extent but there was no scenery there.

Modelers may be familiar with John Armstrong's "Givens and Druthers". The "givens" are what you cannot change and the "druthers" are the key features of your layout you want. For this layout...

GIVENS
Room size - 12 feet by 8 feet with a door in one corner and a window on one wall
No room for expansion into other rooms
Cannot make permanent changes to the room (i.e. no holes in walls, no additional walls)

DRUTHERS
H.O. scale
Semi-accurate depiction of the modern Dartmouth Subdivision
Designed for operations
Longest main line runs possible
6-8 car trains
Adequate staging

In my next post I'll talk about how I designed the railway to achieve my "druthers".

Introduction

2007-02-19T18:40:00.000-06:00

Hi, I'm Steve Boyko and this is my blog about model railroading.

I plan on describing the construction of my own model railroad, talk about my previous railroad, and provide some links and pointers to anyone looking to get into the hobby. I am by no means an expert but I hope I can get some discussions going on techniques and how to get the most enjoyment out of the hobby.