# My HO layout in a small room



## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Mentioned some of this in another thread on this forum... I had a larger HO layout until about 12 years ago, and then it got packed up as we were moving.

We've moved a couple times since, and those boxes have moved with me. Now, it doesn't look like we will be moving again anytime soon, and we decided to try to clean up the basement. One of my daughters mentioned that the only way to deal with all of the boxes labelled "Train Stuff" would be for me to set up a new layout.

My old layout was around the walls of a 16' x 24' room. I don't have that kind of space here. Not even close. The only space I could find was an 8' x 8' space adjacent to the furnace (in the same room).

I had a large box of used flex track I had rescued from the old layout, a bunch of Peco turnouts, so all I needed was benchwork. I solved that problem by ripping some used 3/4" plywood (from some old stage decks I had but wasn't using anymore), and used that to build an open grid bench. 24" deep on three walls, 48" off the floor. The fourth side (with the duckunder) is a 16" deep shelf.

I managed to get the basic benchwork done over the holidays, and then bought a sheet of 1/2" plywood to create the base for the track. I drew up a rough plan in Anyrail using minimum 20" radius curves. They work fine for me - the only longer cars I have are a few passenger cars that I've tested on 20" curves. My biggest locomotives are SD40's - and they are fine as well.

Anyway - since then I've managed to get the main track in place, all of the block wiring and controls are working (lots of soldering last weekend to do that). Earlier this week I even started on a bit of the scenery work (partly to fill holes where errant trains could otherwise find their way to the floor). Today I decided to sneak in a 12" wide staging/storage yard behind the furnace (the whole yard can be removed by taking out three screws).

I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed doing this stuff!


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## leadsled (Dec 25, 2014)

Wow, thats a lot of progress in a short period of time!

Keep us updated.


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Like many people, my model railroading started with a basic train set my dad bought me when I was a kid. Little Pennsy 0-4-0 switcher with a few cars and a loop of brass track... I still have that switcher. It almost works, but the brushes get stuck and seizes up. I might just open it up one of these days.

The skills I first learned while "playing with trains" as a kid are many of the skills I use every day at my job. Soldering, low voltage relays, DC motor control, basic wiring skills - all things I do every day (and get paid for) and mostly taught myself while building my layouts.

In case anybody is wondering - yes I would love to switch to DCC, sometime. But not now - the initial cost to get decoders for all of my locos is just a bit too much for now. I have two good conventional DC controls, and I had a pile of DPDT switches so that will work just fine!

The reason for the Algoma Central focus is simple. As a kid, trains were ACR to me. My father worked for the ACR from 1956 until 1995 (when Wisconsin Central took over). I used to ride those trains for free all the time! Sometimes I even had my own private coach to Canyon and back... I also remember the time I rode around a wreck in Agawa Canyon while sitting on the front walkway of a SD40. Memories...


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

leadsled said:


> Wow, thats a lot of progress in a short period of time!
> 
> Keep us updated.



That's the way I am - when I get an idea in my head, I go nuts on it for a while. I also had a contracting business for a while, so tools are plentiful around here and I can get things built in a hurry!


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Update as of this morning... Just finished some more base scenery. Just trying to get the "openings" covered up.









Industry/switching plans are to add a small mine scene to the left side (just off the left of the photo, along the wall). At the far side, in the lower area where the yellow and blue train car is sitting (it's my tallest car - I use it for clearance testing), there will be some warehousing and other industry. The turnouts are already installed. Planning on shallow, two or three story buildings to disguise/hide a section of the tracks the SD40 is sitting on at the back.

Foreground areas will get a lot of trees, and perhaps a pond in the front/left corner. The storage/staging is just off the right side of the photo, and also has a couple of sidings for switching.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

that's some pretty impressive progress,


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

wvgca said:


> that's some pretty impressive progress,


For now, maybe... But I know what I'm like. It will slow down dramatically once I get to the fine details. But that's ok. I get through the first, really messy stuff (and that's why I'm pushing to get this part done - to get the mess under control, and I don't like looking at bare plywood), and then I can relax and enjoy it.

Then I can run trains, finish building some car kits I got over a dozen years ago and are still sitting in boxes - unopened, and try scratchbuilding some industry buildings. That won't happen nearly as fast!

Then comes more complex control of turnouts, lighting, detailing scenes. The fun stuff!


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Decided to take a quick shot (with my phone) of one of my steamers sitting on some track I ballasted last night. Think I better clean the dust off the loco next time!


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Looks darned good to me.......and I understand your MO 'cause I'm the same......get something in my head and can't quit till it's done. :dunno:
Have fun,
Bob


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## IlliniViking (Dec 13, 2009)

RH1, love the steamer pic, and nice work on the layout. :thumbsup:


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Thanks! It's been good to actually have some free time to get this layout started. I've been doodling plans for it for a long time, but just had no time to do anything!

This winter is different though - my employer is forcing me to cut back my hours to compensate for all of the overtime I have on the books, giving me some time to do something with my trains.


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Did some work on my rock cut today. Took a shot of a train in front of it... Still needs some work along the tracks, but it's a start!


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Okay... I just have to say that the last time I built/had a layout, over a dozen years ago, I didn't have a digital camera, let alone a cell phone that takes great pictures!

I'm having a great time taking pictures and video of every little bit of progress - it's fun to see it from a different point of view.

The following pic I took about a half hour ago - just to see how my scenery work is looking in a photo.


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

RH1 said:


> The reason for the Algoma Central focus is simple. As a kid, trains were ACR to me. My father worked for the ACR from 1956 until 1995 (when Wisconsin Central took over). I used to ride those trains for free all the time! Sometimes I even had my own private coach to Canyon and back... I also remember the time I rode around a wreck in Agawa Canyon while sitting on the front walkway of a SD40. Memories...


That's neat RH.

I'm modelling the ACR in the 1980s. No permanent layout for me yet, but working on various related rolling stock and structure projects.


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

cv_acr said:


> That's neat RH.
> 
> I'm modelling the ACR in the 1980s. No permanent layout for me yet, but working on various related rolling stock and structure projects.


I've looked at your photos and other information on your various web sites. Great info, keep up the great work!

I saw your pics of the station house you built. I'm thinking of something similar - maybe the one at Agawa. For a few years when I was a kid, we used to ride the train up to mile 131 1/2 (at least I think that's what it was - near Agawa) in the winter, and then hop off and snowshoe an hour and a half into one of the lakes in the park. After a couple nights of camping in the snow, we would snowshoe back to the tracks to catch the southbound train - with our limit in lake trout.

BTW - you have a picture of my dad's old workshop at the ACR on your website here:
http://trainweb.org/algoma/Images/Locations/Sault/IMG_0142.JPG


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

RH1 said:


> BTW - you have a picture of my dad's old workshop at the ACR on your website here:
> http://trainweb.org/algoma/Images/Locations/Sault/IMG_0142.JPG


Cool.


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## dsertdog56 (Oct 26, 2014)

Wow...quick but well executed. Enjoy!


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

dsertdog56 said:


> Wow...quick but well executed. Enjoy!


Thanks! The quick part is over... now I'm starting to go through boxes to finish up any kits I hadn't completed when I put it away, doing an inventory of equipment that needs repair after living in boxes and surviving several moves, and just trying to figure out how much stuff I have that I forgot about!

Dug out my old airbrush today, got it cleaned out thoroughly (needed a bit of acetone to dissolve some of the crud), and tested it with a bit of weathering on a couple of things. It actually works. Looks like my paint shop is back in business after 12 years...


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

cv_acr said:


> Cool.


cv_acr,

Would you happen to have any photos of the 57 Willys wagon the ACR had as a track inspection/work vehicle? I know they had it - because my dad bought it from them in the mid/late 70's (forget the year), and I got the job of peeling the ACR logos off the doors before we painted it...

It was orange until we got it. Had metal flanges on the inside of the wheels for track use, and a manual "turntable" attached to the bottom to spin it around on the tracks.

The wheel flanges and turntable had been removed before we got it, of course.


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

RH1 said:


> cv_acr,
> 
> Would you happen to have any photos of the 57 Willys wagon the ACR had as a track inspection/work vehicle? I know they had it - because my dad bought it from them in the mid/late 70's (forget the year), and I got the job of peeling the ACR logos off the doors before we painted it...
> 
> ...


Nope, sorry.

I found a photo here of what according to the caption is a '67 AMC wagon in the ACR shop (I'm not a car guy, but sure, it look sixties, that's about the limit of my specific knowledge) which was probably the replacement for the one you mention:

http://yourrailwaypictures.com/MaintenanceEquipment/


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

cv_acr said:


> Nope, sorry.
> 
> I found a photo here of what according to the caption is a '67 AMC wagon in the ACR shop (I'm not a car guy, but sure, it look sixties, that's about the limit of my specific knowledge) which was probably the replacement for the one you mention:
> 
> http://yourrailwaypictures.com/MaintenanceEquipment/


I saw that earlier. Thanks. No big deal, but just thought it would be a fun thing to find - nostalgia and all that!

My dad was always buying bits and pieces of stuff they were getting rid of for scrap prices. When he built our first garage, we ended up using the original windows from the Agawa (their private car) when they re-built the car - as our garage windows. Curved tops and all!

Later, he built a bigger garage in the back, and used old coach windows standing on end for garage windows.


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

Haven't done much work on the layout itself in the past week, decided to dig through the rest of my boxes and try to organize the rest of the accumulated junk!

Painted some rolling stock that had either never been painted, or needed a re-paint. Waiting for some lettering I ordered to show up. I then went through all of my rolling stock and replaced a pile of bent/broken couplers. Many years of storage and multiple moves wasn't nice to at least one box of cars.

I did shoot some video earlier today, on the one corner of the layout that has some scenery.

Posted in the video section here: http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=71706

I have a few vacation days this week, hoping to get back to the layout itself to figure out the next steps!


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## RH1 (Jan 4, 2016)

About a month ago, I ordered a pack of trees from a Chinese seller on eBay. Cost me around $4 for 10 trees, free shipping. Wasn't expecting anything amazing - but for that price, I figured they were worth a try.

They arrived today. Perfectly usable, if maybe a bit shiny. Might give them a shot of dullcoat or hairspray and see what happens.


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

RH1 said:


> About a month ago, I ordered a pack of trees from a Chinese seller on eBay. Cost me around $4 for 10 trees, free shipping.


I've ordered a couple 10-packs from there as well. I was happy with what they sent, and when I put them on my layout, they looked great! As much as Chinese products annoy me, there is the odd thing from there that stands out, and make me glad I bought them.

-J.


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