Layout Designs

© Lennart Elg

Lennart wrote:

“This is a small spare-bedroom sized layout inspired by the Dolly Varden Mines railroad (see Darryl Muralt´s 1985 book “Steel Rails and Silver Dreams” for more info on the prototype - if you are lucky enough to have it, Caboose Hobbies sell used copies at 190 dollars). The room size is 7ft 4 inch x 11ft 8 inch.

“Given the prototype´s location on Observatory Inlet, British Columbia (not far from the Alaska border), it should make an ideal home for Boulder Valley Models enclosed cab version of the Dunkirk, or 0-4-2 Bachmann Porters dressed up in Bill Banta´s “All weather cab”. If you do not want to wait for the promised dump cars from Bachmann, Grandt Line has several suitable models, with a supporting cast of 16-20 ft flat and box cars from Chivers, Foothill Model Works, Design-Tech etc. (You can also use a broken Bachmann Mogul rusting on a siding. The company bought a Mogul which was too heavy and rigid to handle the grades and trackwork..).

“Minimum radius is 22″, I needed the spiral to gain enough elevation for the dump track leading to the ore bunker. The small sawmill making props for the mine is not prototypical, but was added to give more operation opportunities.

“Also, note that after unloading ore trains must proceed down to the yard before the locomotive can run around its train - backing the train up the hill would be cheating.”

Lennart Elg

Although this plan was designed for On30, it would also be ideal for an HO scale standard gauge line.

©Geren W Mortensen

Geren W. Mortensen is planning (and building) a series of modules that go together to create a larger layout but that work perfectly well on their own - a great way to build up to a large layout of your own.

Geren models in On30 scale and so can plan for 9″ radius curves with O scale scenery.

Geren wrote: “Here’s another design I’ve been working on - construction is actually started on this. This one’s a loop plan, with a sorta timesaver flair. Eventually, the Crisfield Industrial module will be connected to the street track that runs off the left end of the street (see sceniced drawing to see where the street is) via a transition module, and a yard section will dangle from the lower right where a wye is starting to develop.”

The unscenic version

Stuart Edmundson first posted this plan to the On30 Conspiracy group at Yahoo!, but has kindly agreed to its publication at LayoutDesigns.com as well. “On30″ models are O scale models running on HO gauge track, representing 30″ gauge prototypes. The beauty of plans in this scale, however, are that they can usually be used for standard gauge HO layouts (albeit with smaller scenery).

Big Foot Lumber started life as a shelf layout - shown at the bottom of the plan as ‘Existing Module’ - and this portion is an interesting switching layout for either a narrow gauge or small standard gauge operation.

The key to building this layout is to ensure that you can access the hidden sidings at the top left of the plan, just in case of a problem arising. One option would be for a single track to descend after entering the tunnel and swing around to a fiddle yard area under the sawmill, but this would be dependent on space and the maximum gradients your trains can comfortably handle.

© Stuart Edmundson

This layout offers out-and-back operation and is intended to be put into practice in 009/H0n3 or a similar gauge. If offers a small terminus at the top level (top right on the plan) from which trains depart, dropping out of sight before emerging a seaside through station (bottom left). Trains that continue into the tunnel either come out at a dockside goods yard (bottom right) or go around the hidden loop and come back out of the tunnel ready to stop again at the beachside station before heading on up to the terminus.

Sunny Bay © Emrys Hopkins

The layout is designed to fit on two 4′ x 2′ boards for portability. Dotted lines indicate hidden tracks. The minimum radius on the plan is 7″ (the curve to the very left of the plan). The reversing loop has a 9″ radius.

Possible improvements: Where should I start?! A sector plate underneath the terminus to replace the reversing loop would allow a greater variety of rolling stock (as well as making the wiring easier!). I would suggest that a purely scenic board be added to the front of the layout showing the headland (with a lighthouse?) between the beach station and the dock scene.

Knotter Yard © Emrys Hopkins

This was designed for the Small Layout Design mailing list’s Christmas 2001 competition. The challenge was to build an HO scale layout less than 30 inches long and up to 16 inches deep.

You’re limited to short wheelbase locomotives and rolling stock, but you can’t claim you’ve not got space for a layout any longer!

The layout is based around a double slip and a three-way point, both from Peco. Add a few inches of track off each end and a few low relief buildings and you have a switching puzzle which can keep you occupied for a quick half hour’s shunting.

Carl Arendt put together a version of this plan as a narrow gauge Gn15 layout and published details of how he got on on his website - (now moved here) - take a look around his site anyway as it’s full of inspirational ideas.

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