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Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 12:55:17 ADT.)
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
HO SCALE: 4' x 8' Branchline with Intetchange
This layout was designed back in February of 2014 for a client who wanted a layout done on a standard sheet of 4x8 plywood. I was surprised when he said that he wanted to focus more on operations than running a train around a loop. He was also quite adamant that he didn't want any grades, water or bridges. My first step was to look online for some other...
Views: 1504 | Comments: 3
TAGS: Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Branch Line Railway, Type: Beginner Layout
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, October 10, 2022 at 15:01:34 ADT.)
Monday, October 10, 2022
HO SCALE: Canadian National (Sydney Subdivision)
Back in 2014 I was considering a HO-scale layout based on Canadian National's Sydney Subdivision in the 1980s. I had been a rail fan of the trains running on the east end of the subdivision, and came to know the area first hand. At the time I was having a very hard time squeezing everything into my 10'10" by 12'6" dining...
Views: 1936 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Staging Options: Staging Yards, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Canadian National Ry
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 23, 2022 at 11:32:01 ADT.)
Friday, September 23, 2022
HO SCALE: Autumn Park Industrial Lead (ISL)
This is the first design I posted as a new member of Micro/Small Model RR Layouts back in March 2018. The design is based on a fictional industrial park, and I was able to shoe-horn a lot of modern operations into the 14" x 96" space. I really like the unusually track work with the crossing, and the track entering the fertilizer and...
Views: 2964 | Comments: 3
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 23:28:52 ADT.)
Thursday, September 22, 2022
HO SCALE: Great Divide Railway & Mining Company
I spent the last few weeks designing this layout for a client that wanted to model a freelanced iron-ore hauling railway in Australia. The total length of the fictional line would be roughly 90kms from the coastal port to the ore concentrator located in the mountains, and would be based loosely on the Western Australia Pilbara operation...
Views: 1809 | Comments: 3
TAGS: Layout Size: Large Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Mining, Theme: Scenic (Bridges), Other: Australia, Types of Industries: Ore Concentrator
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, September 08, 2022 at 20:23:44 ADT.)
Thursday, September 08, 2022
HO SCALE: Canadian National (Sydney Sub)
This is a small proto-based switching layout designed for a friend of mine back in November of 2014, to fit his 12'6" x 6'0" room. The layout was based on Jefferson which was is located on the Sydney Subdivision of the Canadian National. The time frame was set in the 1980s before the secondary mainline was sold to the Cape Breton...
Views: 1757 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Canadian National Ry
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, August 26, 2022 at 12:20:52 ADT.)
Friday, August 26, 2022
HO SCALE: Brownville & Ashland Railway
I recently did this track plan for a client, but only got around to adding the 3D work today. The layout owner wanted a design that depicted his fictional modern-era Brownville & Ashland Railway set somewhere in northern Maine. It was to occupy a footprint of 10x11 feet and the layout could run around all four walls of the space. My client also...
Views: 4096 | Comments: 12
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, USA (States): Maine, Types of Industries: Pulp and Paper Mills
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 5:40:21 ADT.)
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
HO SCALE: Lockport Industrial (in 4 square feet)
Back in May of 2018, I was asked to design a micro urban industrial switching layout set in the transition era. The client also sent a track plan for a waterfront scene that he liked (I did as well), and wanted it used as the basis for the design that he wished to be mocked up in 3D. I assumed the track plan was from a British source, since it used a...
Views: 4116 | Comments: 11
TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Staging Options: Drop Down, Staging Options: Fiddle Track, Theme: Switching Operations, Theme: Urban Industrial Railway, Theme: Waterfront, Type: 3 Turnout Layout, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Wharves
Posted in Industry Database by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 14:08:39 ADT.)
Sunday, July 31, 2022
INDUSTRY: Fertilizer Dealer/Plant (Marco NPK, Clinton, IL, USA)
Views: 876 | Comments: 1
TAGS: USA (States): Illinois, Types of Industries: Fertilizer Companies
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 13:52:35 ADT.)
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
HO SCALE: Mohawk & Adirondack RR (End of Branch Line Mill Town)
This 12-inch by 84-inch HO-scale layout was done for a client's freelanced Mohawk & Adirondack RR. The owner wanted a layout based on a branch line terminal located in New York State circa 1943 or 1944. He wanted the mini to include a creamery, a produce warehouse, a textile mill, a small freight house...
Views: 3411 | Comments: 13
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, USA (States): New York
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, July 11, 2022 at 6:41:43 ADT.)
Monday, July 11, 2022
HO SCALE: Nova Scotia Railway ( Sydport Industrial Park )
Back in August of 2018, I was looking at building a small HO layout for myself based on an Inglenook design that would keep me occupied switching a few cars around. The layout was only 1' x 6' and would use a hollow core door as the base sitting on a few metal shelf brackets. I planned to put the layout in my spare room, but that changed. (For those that...
Views: 7961 | Comments: 1
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track, Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, My Projects: Nova Scotia Railway
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, June 27, 2022 at 21:55:18 ADT.)
Monday, June 27, 2022
HO SCALE: Hamilton Feeds (Hamilton, MI)
This is a layout based on an actually prototype industry located in the small town of Hamilton, Michigan. It was Marshall Stull (owner of the Small Model Railroads website) that brought the site to my attention. He thought it would make a nice prototype based small layout, and wanted to see what I could do with it.
Views: 4645 | Comments: 7
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Michigan, American Railways: CSX
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, June 27, 2022 at 9:45:09 ADT.)
Monday, June 27, 2022
On30 SCALE: Black Sand Mining & Timber Railroad
For me, one of the most enjoyable side effects of designing layouts is learning new things. And while designing this layout, I learned a lot over the last month and a half. For starters, I never knew that Platinum could be recovered from beach sand. And since I had to build the equipment required to do that in 3D, I also had to learn how...
Views: 1874 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Mining, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Waterfront, USA (States): Oregon
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 5:52:36 ADT.)
Saturday, June 25, 2022
HO SCALE: East Ashley Jct (Industrial Switching Layout - ISL)
This design was done by Sébastien Georges back in February of this year. I made a few very small changes to the original design, and then did the 3D mock up. Every once in a while, a layout designer impresses me with their creativity, and this was one of those few times. I liked Sébastien's concept drawings a lot, and I think he did a most excellent job with the space...
Views: 6302 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 19:55:55 ADT.)
Thursday, June 23, 2022
ARTICLE: Making Reasonable Choices and Compromises
Anyone that has worked with me in the past will hopefully realize that I am not one to impose my views on another modeler. Your aims and goals in the hobby are no doubt different than mine, and I don't think anyone has the right to deter either of us from our chosen path. I have always been more of a "present me with the facts and I will make...
Views: 1624 | Comments: 8
TAGS: Articles: Layout Design
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, June 02, 2022 at 23:47:53 ADT.)
Thursday, June 02, 2022
N SCALE: Central Alberta Railway (A Beginner's Layout)
Back in August of 2018, I had a request to do a prairie branch line in N-scale that had to include a simple grain elevator scene, and a small rural town scene. The client left it up to me the exact dimension of the layout, but he wanted it as small as possible. He also wanted Atlas code 55 track used, and he insisted on having...
Views: 3759 | Comments: 9
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Fiddle Track, Theme: Branch Line Railway, Type: Beginner Layout, Canada (Provinces): Alberta, Articles: Operating Small Layouts