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 Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 12:49:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
HO SCALE: Paducah & Tennessee Midland (Dredson Branch, Tennessee)
Back in September of 2018, I was asked by a member of a railway forum to design a small shelf layout to fit along two walls of his bedroom. The layout was to be based on the Dredson Branch of his Paducah & Tennessee Midland RR (P&TM) located near McKenzie, TN. Since the layout owner only had limited spare time to dedicate to...
Views: 3520 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Tennessee, Types of Industries: Clay Processing Plants
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 11:45:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
HO SCALE: Delaware & Hudson RR (4th Subdivision)
This design was done back on October of 2017 for a client from Switzerland. The benchwork for the layout was all ready in placed, but the owner was willing to make some minor changes of needed. One of his favorite lines was the 4th Subdivision of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad which ran along Lake Champlain between Rouses Point...
Views: 1294 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Mainline Trains, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): New York, American Railways: Delaware & Hudson RR
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 10:21:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
HO SCALE: Hawthorn Industrial Sidings
Back in 2016, I was contacted by a member of a railway forum that wanted me to help design a modern switching district that would fit into a 18"x16' space on his existing layout. The design was to portray a 1990's era industrial district with some big online industries, and had to fit in an 18"x16' space. My client was very specific...
Views: 1811 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 7:44:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
This design was done for a client back in May of 2018 who wanted an HO-scale layout to fit in his spare bedroom plus it's closet space. The layout was to be set in northern California sometime during the fall in the 1930s. Since this was my client's first room-sized layout, he didn't really want anything too complex, but he did...
Views: 1145 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Staging Options: Car Float, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, USA (States): California, American Railways: Sacramento Northern
Posted in Custom Logos by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 6:38:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
CUSTOM LOGO: Prince Edward Island Railway
Views: 684 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 6:22:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
On30 SCALE: Small Engine Terminal
Back in February of 2016, I was asked to design a small engine terminal in On30. The space was only 12" x 72", but I was able to come up with a workable plan based on a inglenook design. The owner was looking to build his very first On30 layout, and he only had very limited shelf space available. Although my client wanted something that...
Views: 2539 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Engine Terminals, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Beginner Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track
Posted in Custom Logos by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 5:13:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 29, 2020
CUSTOM LOGO: New Brunswick Railway
Views: 657 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 10:04:00 AST.)
Saturday, February 22, 2020
HO SCALE: Stewartstown RR (Stewartstown, PA, circa 1966)
A member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group asked me to do a layout based on Stewartstown, PA in HO scale. The reference material for this layout came from an article which appeared in Model Railroader ["A Railroad You can Model: Stewartstown RR," October 1966, pg 50.] The layout era is circa 1966, and of course I had to take...
Views: 2676 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Pennsylvania, American Railways: Stewartstown RR
Posted in Paperwork Samples by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, February 09, 2020 at 11:12:00 AST.)
Sunday, February 09, 2020
This is a draft copy of the Time Table I plan to use on my On30-scale Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company layout. It actually took me a while to come up with a working version of this, and my original version had eight daily trains (four in each direction) to handle the daily traffic load. I used the operating mode of 3rd PlanIt to...
Views: 707 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Paperwork: Time Table
Posted in Paperwork Samples by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, February 09, 2020 at 10:58:00 AST.)
Sunday, February 09, 2020
This is a first draft of the switchlist I plan to use on my On30-scale Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company layout. I looked at several prototype swicthlists from my early 1900's era and ended up combining features from a few of them to produce my version. Once waybills are printed from my traffic generating spread sheet, I will hand write the needed information...
Views: 699 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Paperwork: Switch List
Posted in Structure Plans by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, February 06, 2020 at 11:21:00 AST.)
Thursday, February 06, 2020
STRUCTURE PLAN: Small 1-Stall Engine House (24x60-feet with a 10x38-foot addition)
I needed a small 1-stall engine house for a layout, but couldn't find an appropriate structure in my library files, so I decide to design one. I wanted a building that appeared to be an updated version of an older structure that was originally built on a stone foundation. The main building measures 24x60-feet, and a newer 10x38-foot addition...
Views: 1120 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Structure Plans: Engine Houses
Posted in Railroad Terminology by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, February 06, 2020 at 7:21:00 AST.)
Thursday, February 06, 2020
GLOSSARY: Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER)
The Official Railway Equipment Register is the standard reference for the rail transportation industry. It is published quarterly (January, April, July and October) and provides freight car information for most railroads and private car owners in service on the railways in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The book includes a complete listing of railcar number series, reporting marks, car ownership information, AAR car type code, dimensions (inside and out, width and height)...
Views: 620 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, February 05, 2020 at 12:24:39 AST.)
Wednesday, February 05, 2020
HO SCALE: Saint Boncathe (Single Station Design)
This HO-scale design was done for a client back in 2018, and it is a modified version of another layout design that I had designed and posted to a model railroading forum. The owner was looking for a redesign of one of his towns on an existing layout, so the benchwork was already in place. This represents a single station design and the premise is a fictional mill town...
Views: 1653 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town, USA (Regions): New England
Posted in Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, February 04, 2020 at 20:08:00 AST.)
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
ARTICLE: My Layout Design Philosophy
Whenever I'm designing a track plan for myself, I always keep an open mind and I'm willing to explore all options. I am not opposed to using anything in a design that will allow me to get the most out of the space I have available. Although I like to keep a layout easy to build, I am not opposed to using multiple deck options or other creative...
Views: 948 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Articles: Layout Design
Posted in Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, February 04, 2020 at 14:10:41 AST.)
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
ARTICLE: Duplicating prototypical track work as a small end-of-line station
This design was just completed for a member of a the Railroad Line Forums, who was looking for some inspiration for a small layout project he was considering. The design depicts the small rural station of Werley (WI) on the Chicago & North Western RR's "Dinky Line". Although the diagram below is not entirely accurate, it is a simple rendition of the...
Views: 2623 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Theme: Single Station / Town, Type: 3 Turnout Layout, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Wisconsin, American Railways: Chicago & North Western RR, Articles: Operating Small Layouts