NOTE: I'm in the process of updating the scripts that run the blog, so there will be changes made in the next few months. Comments no longer need approval, but you must be logged-in to view posts. If you want to become a member of this website, just click on the 'Sign-In' link on the menu bar for more information. Cheers, Rob.
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 21:09:32 ADT.)
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
N SCALE: Central & Eastern Railroad (A beginner's layout)
Back in March of 2018, I was asked by a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts group to help design a minimalist layout with a beginner in mind. The design was to be done in N-scale, and had to fit a 11.5" x 36" space (the size of a 1x12-inch plank) and be based on an Inglenook design. The layout would be set in the American Southwest...
Views: 2075 | Comments: 1
TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Beginner Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (Regions): Southwest
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, March 22, 2024 at 14:58:24 ADT.)
Friday, March 22, 2024
HO SCALE: West 28th Street Erie terminal on Manhattan
Back in February of 2018 I was asked to design a layout based on Baltimore & Ohio's West 26th Street terminal on Manhattan. After completing that track plan, I decided to tackle another similar design. I finally settled on Erie's West 28th Street terminal. The design was a lot more straight forward to duplicate than the B&O one, but of course...
Views: 2081 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Car Float, Theme: Switching Operations, Theme: Terminal Railway, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): New York, American Railways: Erie RR
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 22:40:45 ADT.)
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
HO SCALE: Soo Line (Branch Line & Interchange)
This concept design was done back in March of 2018 for an owner of a partially completed N-scale pike who has grown weary of the level of operations required on the layout. The N-scale layout occupied this space, but had been dormant for a few years. The owner was considering moving up to HO, and from modeling mainline operations to a more...
Views: 1885 | Comments: 8
TAGS: Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Branch Line Railway, American Railways: Soo Line
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 18:31:56 ADT.)
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
HO SCALE: Canadian National (End of Line Prairie Town)
Back in 2017, I had been inspired by a member of a railway forum that was modeling a Soo branch line on a mini HO-scale layout. Since that time, I had taken a keen interest in modeling Prairie towns and grain elevators operations. So I began designing some small modules depicting small stations, with grain operations...
Views: 7141 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Canadian Prairies, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Canadian Railways: Canadian National Ry
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, March 03, 2024 at 8:16:29 AST.)
Sunday, March 03, 2024
HO SCALE: Sugar River Railroad
A member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layout Facebook group requested a HO scale layout featuring an end-of-the-line station to fill his 55x80 inch space. The proto-freelanced short line railroad would be located in South-central, or South-west Wisconsin during the transition era. The member wanted the layout to include ...
Views: 2179 | Comments: 6
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town
Posted in Commentary by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 14:26:10 AST.)
Sunday, January 21, 2024
For anyone wanting to see my new layout designs, please join my Facebook group. We have a lot of talented track planners and professional railroaders in the group. It's a great place to get some help and feedback on your next project.
Just a heads up. This blog is scheduled to move to a new server at the end of the year. I'm not sure how seamless that process will be or how long it will take my blog to be available to the public again. I will not be updating the site again until after the move is done. To stay informed during the transition, I suggest you join my JoMRD Facebook group. You can find a link to it on the menu bar. Thanks.
Views: 610 | Comments: 6
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, January 07, 2024 at 11:35:06 AST.)
Sunday, January 07, 2024
These two 2'x4' On30 portable modules were done for a client's freelanced Cat Mountain Line. The narrow gauge railway runs from a small seaport out into the mountains to a mine in the pacific northwest sometime between 1930 and 1950. My client wanted the layout to include a pier, single track car ferry, mine, simple...
Views: 1794 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Design Feature: Modular Benchwork, Design Feature: Switch-Back, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Mining, Theme: Waterfront, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Coal Mines, Types of Industries: Wharves
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 19:19:47 AST.)
Thursday, December 28, 2023
HO SCALE: Rumington Industrial District
Back in December of 2021, a member on my JoMRD Facebook group, Gary Ruming (I named the track plan for him), introduced me to the Pompano spur in Florida, and I gave him some feedback and help with a track plan to fit his 66x96-inch space on 12-inch wide shelf. I was quite impressed with the area depicted in the prototype, and I wanted to create a...
![2023.02.17F-[AB].jpg (180448 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.17F-[AB].jpg)
Views: 1162 | Comments: 2
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, December 04, 2023 at 21:08:24 AST.)
Monday, December 04, 2023
HO SCALE: L-Shaped Modern Industry (ISL)
This was done as part of a challenge on the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group to design a HO-scale layout to fit in a 6'x6' corner. For this attempt, I decide to go with a modern single industry. Although I didn't specify the type of industry depicted, it could easily work for a few types. The plan is self- contained, with a reasonable sized...
Views: 4502 | Comments: 1
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: No Run-Around Track
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 15:15:53 AST.)
Sunday, November 26, 2023
HO SCALE: Burnside Industrial Park (ISL)
Back in October of 2019, a client asked if I could design a modern switching layout for him in his very limited space. He then proceeded to say that he wanted a layout to fit in his 2x4-foot space, and he was wondering what I could do with it. Now, if you know me, I am always up for a challenge, but I also knew that such a space was...
Views: 3761 | Comments: 8
TAGS: Design Feature: Folding Designs, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 19:14:54 ADT.)
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
HO SCALE: Pel-State Industrial Lead
This modern era design was done for a client who is a professional railroader that wanted a modern era proto-freelance layout based on two industrial spurs in Shreveport, Louisiana where he works. The layout room was 10'6" x 11'6" and had a closet that needed access, but I could use a lift-out across both doorways. There are still a few...
Views: 2279 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Louisiana
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, October 06, 2023 at 5:24:00 ADT.)
Friday, October 06, 2023
N SCALE: Norfolk Southern (Switching Layout)
This is a modern-era freelance Norfolk Southern N-scale switching layout loosely based on NS lines in eastern Pennsylvania. The track plan is designed to fit in a 8'8" x 11'8" L-shaped space using 18-wide shelves and 12-inch minimum radius. The design also has a continuous run option that will be used as...
Views: 3405 | Comments: 8
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 6:30:48 ADT.)
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
The track plan was just completed for a client that wanted an HO-scale layout based on the Central of Georgia Railroad in south Georgia. It was to be based on the "what if" scenario that the Central of Georgia was still operating as an independent line in the 1970s. The L-shaped space was 6x10-foot and would fit along two walls of a small...
![2023.02.21A-[AB].jpg (189664 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.21A-[AB].jpg)
Views: 1219 | Comments: 2
Posted in Industry Database by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 10:59:11 ADT.)
Sunday, September 24, 2023
INDUSTRY DATABASE: Sunrise Baking & Milling Company (HO scale)
While working on a track plan for a client, I stumbled upon this little gem for a bakery complex. Modeling single industries has become an increasingly popular theme for modern-day industrial switching layouts (ISLs), but back in the day, it was very common for layouts designers to stuff as much track into a space as possible, sometimes not even...
Views: 1471 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Types of Industries: Bakeries
Posted in My Projects by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 10:53:35 ADT.)
Sunday, September 24, 2023
PROJECT: Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company
I had a few inquires about the status of my Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company retirement layout, and a few other people asked for an update on the project. I currently have about 75% of all the materials needed to build the triple-deck design. I had to import almost everything from the US, and with the weak exchange rate, I already...
Views: 2136 | Comments: 13
TAGS: Design Feature: Train Elevator, Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Mining, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Co, My Projects: Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Co