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Posted in Rolling Stock by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 16:24:00 ADT.)

Saturday, June 13, 2020

ROLLING STOCK: American Locomotive Company (ALCo) RS-1

By far, one of my all time favourite diesel models is the RS-1 built by ALCO, and I have also always loved Canadian National Railways' (CNR) old green and yellow livery, along with a green and yellow paint scheme used on the DEVCO Railway that once operated near my home on Cape Breton Island. I did a few layout designs for branch line operations in the late 60's/early 70's in Nova Scotia, and I knew if I ever built such a layout, it would be home to RS-1's in a CNR inspired paint scheme. For now, I am content to build in the virtual world, and have finally added an RS-1 to my library files for 3rd PlanIt. I'm sure it will be showing up on some future designs.

2020.06.13A-001.jpg (313614 bytes)

Views: 571 | Comments: 0

TAGS: My Projects: Nova Scotia Railway



Posted in Rolling Stock by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 11:58:00 ADT.)

Thursday, June 11, 2020

ROLLING STOCK: Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) M420

After seeing Rapido's up-coming production of HO-scale MLW's M420s (link), I knew that I eventually would want one. I spent many days back in the late 80s/early 90s watching these locomotives on Canadian National's Sydney sub, and they quickly became a favourite of mine. Since I'm starting to revamp some of my rolling stock, I decided to do up an M420 in my fictional Nova Scotia Railway livery. I have a few layout designs on the go that will be based on a modern era version of this freelance railway and I knew that ex-CN units would likely be on the roster.

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Views: 743 | Comments: 0

TAGS: My Projects: Nova Scotia Railway



Posted in Custom Logos by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 12:55:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 16, 2020

CUSTOM LOGO: Canadian Atlantic Railway (CAR)

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Views: 664 | Comments: 0



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 20:04:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HO SCALE: Pennyrile & Western Coalfield

This HO-scale design was done for a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group and his proto-freelanced Pennyrile & Western Coalfield Railway. The layout owner wanted a 1940's era layout based on a small town in western Kentucky where the economy is dependent on tobacco, corn, and coal. He planned to use small L&N or NC&StL steam...

2020.05.09P-001.gif (40276 bytes)

Views: 2315 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Small Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Theme: Single Station / Town, USA (States): Kentucky



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 14:25:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HO SCALE: Engine Terminal (Medium Sized)

This HO-scale medium-sized engine terminal was done for a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group and was to be based on the Santa Fe in the 1950s and 60s. I didn't have any Santa Fe motive power available, so I had to use Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Ry GP7s and GP9s, and a few switchers and vans from that Canadian line. The layout...

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Views: 2622 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Engine Terminals, Type: No Run-Around Track



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 14:05:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

On30: Pubnico & Southside RR

This design was done back in February of 2018 for a member of the Railroad Line Forum. He was looking for a continuous run layout (with a few sidings) to fit on a 36" x 6'8" hallow core door in On30. Although the layout owner just wanted to watch the trains run around the loop, I also decided to allow for plenty of opportunity for some...

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Views: 1114 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 13:36:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HOn3 SCALE: Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad

This is a design I did back in May of 2017 based on the 36"-gauge Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR running about 23 miles north from Colfax to Nevada City. I found an insurance evaluation map of Nevada City online, and first wanted to do only a "one station" layout based on just that location. With the help of another member of the...

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Views: 1278 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Nevada, American Railways: Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 12:22:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

N SCALE: South Carolina Central RR (SCRF)

This N-scale design is based on the South Carolina Central RR, a class III railway that operates 42 miles of former CSX Transportation trackage in South Carolina, from the CSX interchange at Florence, to end of track at Bishopville. Primary commodities include agricultural products, chemicals, construction materials, fertilizers, minerals, plastics, pulp and paper, and steel and scrap. It handles about 30,000 carloads per year.

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Views: 850 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Helix, Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): South Carolina, American Railways: South Carolina Central RR



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 11:17:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HO SCALE: New England & Southern Railway

This is a rough draft (it still needs a lot of polish) of a design that I worked on for a client back in 2017. The client was interested in many aspects of the hobby including passenger train operations, mainline running, run thru and local traffic, online switching, and branch line operations. He also liked yard operations, but didn't want to...

2020.05.09F-001.gif (111104 bytes)

Views: 924 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Freight Yard (Small), Design Feature: Helix, Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Branch Line Railway, Theme: Mainline Trains, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, USA (Regions): New England



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 8:50:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

On30 SCALE: Thunder Bay Railway

This On30 layout was designed for a client's freelanced Thunder Bay Railway set in the late 1930s to early 1950s era. The layout owner wanted a narrow gauge line that hauled supplies and passengers from the landing area to a resort on the fictional Great Lakes island. The owner had allotted a space of 24x96-inches, but I had to increase the left end...

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Views: 1493 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Waterfront, Types of Industries: Wharves



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 8:28:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HO SCALE: Sydney Steel Corporation (SYSCO) at Sydney, Nova Scotia

The owner of this layout liked my plan for the Dominion Steel & Coal Corporation (DOSCO) in the 1950s, which was presented earlier on this blog (see this link). However, he wanted the era shifted to the 1980s, when the mill was owned by the Sydney Steel Corporation (SYSCO), and he also needed the plan adapted to fit...

2020.05.09C-001.gif (39797 bytes)

Views: 1298 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Single Industry, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Sydney Steel Corporation (SYSCO), Types of Industries: Coke Plant, Types of Industries: Steel Plant



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 7:31:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HO SCALE: Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Ry (New Glasgow)

Back in September of 2019, I wanted to offer a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group my ideas for his planned HO-scale Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Ry (CBNS). The layout was to be L-shaped and would occupy a space 73" by 118" on shelves no more than 18" wide. I offered my rough draft, and suggested...

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Views: 1587 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Ry



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, May 08, 2020 at 6:05:43 ADT.)

Friday, May 08, 2020

HO SCALE: New Minas (in 4 square feet)

This was one of my entries in a design challenge that was hosted on a Facebook group where I am a member. The challenge was to create a prototypical HO standard gauge micro layout in only 4-square feet. The admin of the group was looking for American prototypes, but being from Canada, I decide to enter my Canadian version of the...

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Views: 7144 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Station / Town, Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Dominion Atlantic Ry



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, May 05, 2020 at 14:01:07 ADT.)

Tuesday, May 05, 2020

HO SCALE: Allied Manufacturing Company (Single Industry Design)

I just completed this design for a client who wanted a HO-scale layout of a modern single industry using an Inglenook. The space available was a generous 16-inch by 9-feet but the layout had to be self contained without any additional staging tracks or add-ons. Although my client hasn't determined what type of industry he will eventually model, I decided...

2020.03.05B-001.gif (19121 bytes)

Views: 2635 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track, Articles: Minimalist Approach to Layout Design, Types of Industries: Manufacturing Plant



Posted in Layout Tours by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, April 02, 2020 at 21:32:00 ADT.)

Thursday, April 02, 2020

LAYOUT TOUR: Marble Mountain Quarry Company (HOn30)

Over the last several weeks I had the honour of seeing one of my smaller layout designs come to life on the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group. The micro layout was built by Chris Broughton and is based on my Hn30-scale Marble Mountain Quarry Company design, which you can find here. As you can see from the...

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Views: 1192 | Comments: 0

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