# First Layout: Hillside



## NYC 5344 (Dec 26, 2012)

I figured it was about time for me to post pictures of the HO layout I've been working on for a couple of years. As some of you may know, I am 17, and have been enthralled by model trains since I was really young. 5 or so years ago, my dad and I finished the "train room" (framed, drywall, paint, drop ceiling, cabinets, workbench, table) so I could pursue my dream of building a model railroad. The room is about 14 feet by 10 feet, so I knew we could fit a lot of trains in there. I originally thought of doing it in O scale, because they are my absolute favorite, but then I realized there wasn't enough space in the room for a decent length main line. Also, the Lionel trains were special for Christmas with our "yard", so I wanted to keep them special. We decided to build it in HO, and use only a simple rectangular 4x12 table. With my dad's help, we built the table, laid down some pink insulation board, and started laying track.

Of course, we needed a mountain tunnel for the trains to run through. I think just about every good layout has one. I then wanted a double main line, for continuous running of two trains, which was foreign to me. I built a single spur on the main line for loading of lumber from my Atlas Lumber Mill, a couple interchanges to switch between loops of track, and access to the yard from both directions. I then scratchbuilt a 13 inch turntable because the only decently priced one I could find wouldn't fit some of my engines. This was a great project in itself. I also didn't want to rely on commercial switch machines or the ones that come with Atlas track, so I built my own, all 13 of them. I designed them with limit switches so that with power applied one way, they only went so far that way and with the polarity reversed, the switch would only go so far the other way. I also used piano wire so the switches were sprung.

I built all of the buildings and structures on the layout. I love this aspect of modeling (I've built a handful of 1/25 cars). I then lit each one of them, and divided the interiors so you can't look through them. I also put people in the windows of a handful of them. I then also used details like Model Power streetlamps and flashing railroad crossings. I put up trees, fences, telephone poles with strung wires, dozens of hand-painted people, cars, and Mickey Mouse (no joke). 

The control panel was also completely my design. I plan on being an electrical engineer when I grow up, so I am very good at wiring. I used a Parallax Propeller microprocessor to control the turntable, which is run by a stepper motor for guaranteed accuracy. I also hand a relay board by which the Propeller can eventually route all of the switches in the correct way for a train. I designed the dual cab throttles, and the power supply for the lights, switches, and railroad crossing. I then used my dad's CNC router table to cut out the control panel with switches for the track blocks and turnouts. There is also a selector knob that allows me to turn on only specific buildings, so they aren't unrealistically all on at once.

I have been working on this off and on for a couple of years now. It is the project I fall back to when I have no other one going on. School let out for me this past week, so I have been working on the layout for the past couple of days. 

Here's some pictures after my long-winded rant. I'll let them do the talking now.


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## john65002 (Dec 30, 2012)

Very nice look layout!


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## skooksteve (Mar 23, 2012)

Wow! Nice job. The amount of time and effort you've put in really shows. I also build all my buildings, structures and so on. Very time consuming but very rewarding. Thanks for showing your work here. I've noticed that many non-MRR people that look at a layout don't have a clue how much work it really takes. Keep up the good work.:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Excellent work in progress. :smilie_daumenpos:

I like the Hess mini tanker truck, where did you find that?
It looks like it took down some power lines. 

I like the culvert under the road, nice job.

The river looks great too, you got to find a couple of canoes or rafts to float down it.
Maybe some people in old tires taking a ride down it would look good.

Too sum it up it all looks great.
Excellent job. :appl:


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## Prospect193 (Nov 30, 2011)

Excellent layout!!!!!

Pat


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

Looks great! :thumbsup:

Dan


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## NYC 5344 (Dec 26, 2012)

Thanks for all the comments, guys. Steve, you're right about how non-model railroad people are clueless about the work this took. But it is kinda nice that my friends are absolutely dumbfounded when I show it to them. Ed, the Hess truck is Hess's mini line of trucks. You can read about them here. I don't know if you might have noticed the Disney Transport bus too. I love Disney World, a big part of my childhood, so when I saw the bus, I had to have it. And yeah, I have to finish those power lines. That's a job for tomorrow.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Love it! that is great detail work, I really like the signal tower, it seams that most layout have that some one. I do. But were is the rat? (Micky mouse)


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## wingnut163 (Jan 3, 2013)

your trees are very nice looking. scratch built i would guess.

very nice work.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Darn nice work NYC. I too like the Hess trucks and I especially like the way you run your roads over the tracks. Nice and neat and smooth.
You certainly do know your electronics and the turntable is super. I'd love to see a build on the turntable sometime. You could post it here for everybody. Electrical things are always a problem for a lot of us so anything you could show us like the switches would be great. Thanks for the pictures. Pete


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I know about the mini trucks, I never knew they had the tanker.

I was told once that the mini trucks were primarily sold on the west coast.

I never saw them for sale in the Hess stations here in Jersey.
Did you get it off the net or from a Hess station?

I seem to remember once I saw a sign in a Hess station advertising them but they went quick and the sign was gone in a day.
I was told some of the first mini trucks were just given away for gifts to big wigs of companies that gave Hess a lot of business..
Sort of like a thank you.

I do see them on e bay.

Nice job on the RR, keep us posted. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## NYC 5344 (Dec 26, 2012)

I don't remember where I got the mini trucks, I think they might have been from "Santa Claus"

I finished the last building for the layout today, an Atlas kit.




















And as per anonymous request:









Big Ed rides again!


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

what HAZ-MAT is Ed dumping on the raod?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Well I did stop for the crossing. 

They should put the burger stand closer to the road so I wouldn't have to jam on my brakes when I have a Big Mac attack. 

Just Texas Tea on the road no need to worry cleanup squad on the way.

I bought the cops donuts, they left, happy to go eat them. :smokin:


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## 05Slowbalt (Dec 19, 2011)

Very nice looking layout. You should do a how to on the turn table and I have been thinking about making one on my own. 

Jake


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## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

What material did you use for the road?


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## Rusty (Jun 23, 2011)

Black sand paper?


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## NYC 5344 (Dec 26, 2012)

No, the roads are just joint compound laid over the pink insulation foam. Then the grade crossings are just .08" styrene. It was the perfect height as the track is code 83. I then just sprayed it all with gunmetal enamel paint. The joint compound gave it a kind of natural texture. I cut painter's tape into strips and laid it all down to spray the center lines. Definitely not the easiest part, but I wanted the double lines so I went through the effort.


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## ns300 (Jan 21, 2013)

Hey! I have that chessie system engine! (in photo 10 from the top) by the way great job on the scenery!!


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## clickharder (May 20, 2013)

really nice work, especially the painting of the roads which can be a challenge to do as well as you have.

looks like it be a fun ride thru Hillside. thanks for sharing


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## cam0527 (May 23, 2013)

Thanks for posting. Very nice work! Gives me some ideas too.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

skooksteve said:


> Wow! Nice job. The amount of time and effort you've put in really shows. I also build all my buildings, structures and so on. Very time consuming but very rewarding. Thanks for showing your work here. I've noticed that many non-MRR people that look at a layout don't have a clue how much work it really takes. Keep up the good work.:smilie_daumenpos:


Well, there's one or two people in this group that can figure out how much work went into it without actually not having tried it themselves. I myself find this layout VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE. I don't have a layout at the moment, but I will someday. And it will be a mixed between Past, Present and Future scenes (can't wait to work on the futuristic scenes!)


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Big Ed has that tanker stuck in the mud trying to turn it around. Wonder what a wrecker will charge him to pull the rig out?
Those Hesss trucks have been sold at Hess stations for as long as I can remember. However they stopped making the realistic trucks several years ago and went to trucks with helicopters and space ships on them. There are two Hess stations near me right across the street from each other. They both get tons of these models in at Christmas time and have them piled five feet high on the floor. They sell like hotcakes at about twenty bucks a pop. Lots of blinking lights and sirens on them too. 
The older models that look like real trucks are collector items and sometimes fetch pretty good prices on ebay. Like $50 or so. Pete


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## FranksHOLighting (Dec 17, 2012)

I really think it's great. I like the drainage ditch tunneling under the road in the one photo. I like the last picture it has a sort of a lonely feel to it. The conductor driving the train past the lone hotdog stand as it leaves town on it long trip across the plains before the next town where it will ultimately pass the last building in that town on it's way to another. The last long blast of the horn that's heard for miles by people who fluff their pillows and drift back off because they still have another hour to sleep before they start their day. 
I debated if I should post this, but what the hell---it's corny, but that's what I see.


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## Chops (Dec 6, 2018)

Impressive. Best of luck pursuing electrical engineering.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I don't know how this happens but you posted on a 7 year old thread. I would have thought it would be buried someplace.


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

Its probably because the "Recommended Reading" list shows some very old threads and you might click on one not realizing its so old. I've started ignoring the "Recommend Reading" list because of this.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I also skip over the Recommended Reading list so I didn't realize it posted old threads. The forum should place some kind of expiration date on threads so they don't appear.


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## The Kid Inside (Feb 29, 2020)

NYC 5344 said:


> I figured it was about time for me to post pictures of the HO layout I've been working on for a couple of years. As some of you may know, I am 17, and have been enthralled by model trains since I was really young. 5 or so years ago, my dad and I finished the "train room" (framed, drywall, paint, drop ceiling, cabinets, workbench, table) so I could pursue my dream of building a model railroad. The room is about 14 feet by 10 feet, so I knew we could fit a lot of trains in there. I originally thought of doing it in O scale, because they are my absolute favorite, but then I realized there wasn't enough space in the room for a decent length main line. Also, the Lionel trains were special for Christmas with our "yard", so I wanted to keep them special. We decided to build it in HO, and use only a simple rectangular 4x12 table. With my dad's help, we built the table, laid down some pink insulation board, and started laying track.
> 
> Of course, we needed a mountain tunnel for the trains to run through. I think just about every good layout has one. I then wanted a double main line, for continuous running of two trains, which was foreign to me. I built a single spur on the main line for loading of lumber from my Atlas Lumber Mill, a couple interchanges to switch between loops of track, and access to the yard from both directions. I then scratchbuilt a 13 inch turntable because the only decently priced one I could find wouldn't fit some of my engines. This was a great project in itself. I also didn't want to rely on commercial switch machines or the ones that come with Atlas track, so I built my own, all 13 of them. I designed them with limit switches so that with power applied one way, they only went so far that way and with the polarity reversed, the switch would only go so far the other way. I also used piano wire so the switches were sprung.
> 
> ...


Really nice!


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## BigGRacing (Sep 25, 2020)

If I do half as well as he did with his layout I will be pleased, what an excellent job !


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