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Posted in Custom Logos by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, January 05, 2020 at 11:50:00 AST.)
Sunday, January 05, 2020
Views: 676 | Comments: 0
TAGS: My Projects: Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Co
Posted in Railroad Terminology by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, January 05, 2020 at 8:26:00 AST.)
Sunday, January 05, 2020
Doodlebugs were self-propelled rail cars used for light capacity passenger and freight duties on branch lines as an alternative to steam power and coaches. The leading benefit of using a doodlebug was the reduction of operating costs associated with providing passenger and mail services to lightly traveled routes. Some small and regional...
Views: 745 | Comments: 0
Posted in Paperwork Samples by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 17:39:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
This was a first draft of the waybill I planned to use on my On30-scale Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company layout. After looking at a few of prototype waybills appropriate for my early 1900's era, I ended up settling on a version that combined features from a few of them. I was also able to tie these waybills into my traffic generating spread sheet, so the required information would be automatically added. The waybill would then be printed with four waybills per sheet of paper, the cut along the separation lines.
Views: 720 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Paperwork: Waybill
Posted in Paperwork Samples by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 16:42:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
This is a draft copy of the train order I was planning to use on my On30-scale Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company layout. The layout is set in 1916, so "Telegraphic Train Order" is appropriate for the era. Although I am making allowances for having a dispatcher, I really didn't want operations to get that involved. I have been searching for a simpler method to dispatch trains, but I am not having much luck.
Views: 648 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Paperwork: Train Order
Posted in Paperwork Samples by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 11:44:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
A sample of a waybill used during an op-session on a model railroad layout.
Views: 699 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Paperwork: Waybill
Posted in Railroad Terminology by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 11:40:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
This is the height of model rail as measured in thousandths of an inch. Therefore, code 83 rail is .083" tall, code 70 rail is .070" tall, and code 55 rail is .055" tall.
Views: 646 | Comments: 0
Posted in Structure Plans by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 11:26:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
The drawings for this Lineside Supply shed were publish in an article which appeared in the September 1958 issue of Model Railroader written by Jack Work. It was a fantastic article that offered some great tips on how to detail a small scene that included this shed. Sheds like these could find a home on almost any older railway, and in a variety of...
Views: 962 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Structure Plans: Small Sheds / Buildings
Posted in Railroad Terminology by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 11:20:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
Just about anything that was ever owned or used by a railway and its employees holds some value for collectors. If the collectable is imprinted or stamped with the railway's markings then it retains even more value. And as with most collectables, the rarer the railway marking, the higher the value placed on the item. These railway collectables and...
Views: 608 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 11:13:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
This was done for a client who wanted a generic urban switching layout in a New England mill-town setting with just enough action for two operators. He had found a track plan online that he liked, and wanted it adapted for his slightly larger space. His list of Givens & Druthers included several large industries to work, and a minimal of track...
Views: 967 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Design Feature: Urban Scenery, Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Theme: Waterfront, USA (Regions): New England
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 10:18:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
This design was done for a client back in August of 2017. The client wanted a single station sea port layout with schooners and steamers. He was mostly interested in passenger traffic, but also wanted a few industries to switch. The design had to fit in a 10'6" x 12'6" room that also had a work bench and he needed lots of room for storage under...
Views: 908 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Passenger Service, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Waterfront, Types of Industries: Wharves
Posted in Custom Logos by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 9:49:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
Views: 676 | Comments: 0
TAGS: My Projects: Nova Scotia Railway
Posted in Rolling Stock by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 9:36:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
Many times when I am designing a layout, either a structure , or a piece of rolling stock or equipment may not be found in the standard library that comes with the software. In those cases, I must also design the missing pieces needed to complete the layout. The task isn't that hard when working from scale drawings, although it can take a few hours to design the object in 3D. Although I don't like to do it since the quality of the results varies greatly, I can also work from photos and try my best guess at dimensions. One of the great features of 3rd PlanIt is that once the item is designed in 3D, the file can also be exported in STL format which is used for 3D printing. So taking the time to build the missing structures when desiging a layout, will allow you to print those structures for use on your finished layout. The images below, are mock-ups of some double-stack container cars needed for a layout that I did for a client back in February of 2018.
Views: 701 | Comments: 0
Posted in Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 8:42:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
Good presentation of your layout is a great way to leave a lasting impression on any guests you have over to view or operate your masterpiece. There has been a lot of hobby press highlighting some of the most important things to consider when trying to achieve a finished look and feel of your space, while cutting down on the...
Views: 860 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Articles: Room Preparations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 04, 2020 at 8:31:00 AST.)
Saturday, January 04, 2020
This layout was done in October of 2018 for a client that had an entire basement at his disposal, but decide to start small in one corner of his space. He was not very interested in operations, so he just wanted a layout where he could watch trains run through scenery and over a few bridges. I added a coal mine and wood chip loader to offer...
Views: 1362 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Medium Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Mainline Trains, Theme: Scenic (Bridges), USA (Regions): Northwest, American Railways: Burlington Northern
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, January 01, 2020 at 15:30:00 AST.)
Wednesday, January 01, 2020
This HO-scale layout was done for a friend of mine back in 2016. The design was to occupy an L-shape space of 8'0" by 12'6", with 16" wide shelves and using a minimum radius of 24". The layout is based on Canadian National's Kinsington Subdivision on Prince Edward Island in the 1980s. Power is provided by a single...
Views: 2896 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Canada (Provinces): Prince Edward Island, Canadian Railways: Canadian National Ry