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Posted in My Projects by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 22, 2023 at 21:21:12 ADT.)
Friday, September 22, 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: 1779 | Comments: 12
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
Posted in Resources by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 22, 2023 at 21:18:08 ADT.)
Friday, September 22, 2023
RESOURCE: 3rd PlanIt by El Dorado Software
I have been asked many, many times what software I use to create my track plans, and 3D renderings. For those of you that don't know, I have been using 3rd PlanIt by El Dorado Software exclusively for over twenty years. In those two decades, the program has never once failed to meet my requirements or my expectations. In fact, it has proven to include far more features than I will ever use. In the interest of full disclosure I should also mention that for the past year or so, I have been part of the development team that tests new versions of the software before the updates are released to the public. It has been an honour for me to be part of that group of people, and to see firsthand the dedication and effort the developer continually puts forward to roll out the best track planning software on the market today.
LINK: 3rd PlanIt Website
Views: 1141 | Comments: 7
Posted in Industry Database by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 19:26:19 ADT.)
Tuesday, September 19, 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: 1026 | Comments: 1
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Types of Industries: Bakeries
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, September 09, 2023 at 1:33:28 ADT.)
Saturday, September 09, 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: 3132 | Comments: 7
TAGS: Design Feature: Folding Designs, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 08, 2023 at 20:00:14 ADT.)
Friday, September 08, 2023
O SCALE: Southside Connecting RR
One of the members of my JoMRD Facebook group was looking for an O-scale track plan to fit his 2x14-foot space. Since I hadn't designed very many O-scale switching layouts for a small space, I figured that I would give it a hook. After just a few attempts, I came up with a rough draft that I liked. The track plan has 11 car spots, and has room...
![2023.02.16B-[AB].jpg (253448 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.16B-[AB].jpg)
Views: 352 | Comments: 1
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 01, 2023 at 1:00:03 ADT.)
Friday, September 01, 2023
HO SCALE: Cascade Paper Recycling Plant
This track plan was done for a client back in December of 2021. When he contacted me, he was looking for a pulp and paper mill to fit in his 18x84-inch space. He also dropped a bit of a challenge on me to squeeze in as much track as I could, since his interests focused mainly on switching puzzles in the past. Since my client left the track type up to...
![2023.02.21D-[AB].jpg (205415 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.21D-[AB].jpg)
Views: 894 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 19:13:49 ADT.)
Saturday, August 26, 2023
HO SCALE: Lake Superior Railway & Navigation
This modern-day HO scale layout was done for member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts group and his Lake Superior Railway & Navigation layout which is based on GN, DM&IR, and SOO on Michigan's upper peninsula. The owner wanted a car float and lumber transfer warehouses included in the design. I also threw in a small grain elevator (which could be bigger)...
Views: 2492 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Car Float, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Waterfront, Theme: Yard Operations, USA (States): Michigan
Posted in Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 8:44:34 ADT.)
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
ARTICLE: The Sangaree Valley Railway - a branchline in a bedroom
It has been awhile since I bored you with the article on representing a branchline operation in a small room, so I thought I would mock up another design and discuss another favourite premise of mine. Some of you may be aware that I have quite a fondness for prairie branchline operations, and I have created a few designs over the years with...
![2023.02.18A-[AB].jpg (189239 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.18A-[AB].jpg)
Views: 934 | Comments: 5
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 10:33:49 ADT.)
Wednesday, June 14, 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: 2735 | Comments: 6
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, June 06, 2023 at 15:19:52 ADT.)
Tuesday, June 06, 2023
HO SCALE: Brownville & Ashland Railway
This design was done back in February of 2019 for a client who had plenty of high end custom locos and freight cars that he wanted to showcase on the layout. The layout was to depict a modern day paper mill setting in a remote part of Northern Maine. Boxcars would transport raw pulp wood and bales of recycled scrap paper into the mill...
Views: 3948 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Industry, Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (States): Maine, Types of Industries: Pulp and Paper Mills
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, May 26, 2023 at 8:45:44 ADT.)
Friday, May 26, 2023
HO SCALE: Westbury (Urban Industrial Area)
This design has a bit of a back story to it. Back in March of 2017, a client of mine was looking for suggestions for an urban industrial area on his HO scale layout. His only request was that the area must include a few tall brick buildings, and have a downtown small city feel to it. After searching online for a few ideas...
Views: 3280 | Comments: 8
TAGS: Design Feature: Urban Scenery, Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Single Station / Town
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 14:11:26 ADT.)
Sunday, May 21, 2023
HO SCALE: Vandelay Industries (Single Industry Inglenook)
This HO-scale design was done for a client that wanted a small layout that he could practice his skills on before attempting a larger layout. He wanted a design that included as many aspects of modeling in a small space as I could possibly squeeze in. Initially, he only wanted to use a 12-inch x 60-inch board, but I convinced him to move up...
Views: 4749 | Comments: 10
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Single Industry, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Beginner Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 2:03:58 ADT.)
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
HO Scale: Hiseler-Johnston Manufacturing & Fabrication Co. Ltd.
This was done for a client back in January 2018. The original was done in a 4-foot long space with an hidden 36-long sector plate. But for this version, I used a 3-way turnout to eliminate the sector plate. I had started the 3D work back in 2018, but it was never completed until recently. This is a pretty relaxed plan with lots of room for...
![2023.02.17C-[AB].jpg (222383 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.17C-[AB].jpg)
Views: 543 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 8:04:49 ADT.)
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
HO SCALE: Coastal Industrial Park
This design was done for a friend of mine that really liked my Northside Industrial Park track plan, which done in a 1'4" x 9'0" footprint. My friend had a shelf that was 2'0" x 16'0", so a great deal of extra square footage was added to the original after the expansion. With more width available, I was also able to...
![2023.02.17E-[AB].jpg (178867 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.17E-[AB].jpg)
Views: 990 | Comments: 2
Posted in Structure Plans by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 8:02:40 ADT.)
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
STRUCTURE PLAN: Lineside Shed (Small)
At one time, small lineside sheds like this could be found everywhere since it is a very simple structure that would be common to many railways. Even today, if properly weathered to a dilapidated condition, it could still find a home on a modern layout. It could be used for a small section house or yard office, a tool shed, and even a hard cart...
Views: 812 | Comments: 3
TAGS: Structure Plans: Small Sheds / Buildings