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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 Friday, August 27, 2021 at 8:46:56 ADT.)

Friday, August 27, 2021

On30 SCALE: Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Company (Havenside)

As you probably know, I have a very avid interest in the two-footers of Maine. In fact, I have plans to base my On30-scale layout on look and feeling of those lines. One of the most appealing prototype scenes to me is the waterfront in Wiscasset (ME) on the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington RR (WW&F). Through the year, photos...

2020.01.01F-001.gif (27661 bytes)

Views: 1780 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Waterfront, Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, My Projects: Sydney & Louisburg Coal & Railway Co, Types of Industries: Wharves



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, August 06, 2021 at 21:48:49 ADT.)

Friday, August 06, 2021

HO SCALE: Milwaukee Road Beer Line

This design was originally done in April of 2018 for a 4-square foot challenge put forth by the admins of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group. I was asked to redo the design in a larger 12" by 96" space. The layout owner wanted to see an HO-scale switching layout based on the Milwaukee Road Beer Line, and set in the transition...

2020.03.08F-001.gif (15078 bytes)

Views: 2777 | Comments: 1

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Industry, USA (States): Milwaukee, Types of Industries: Breweries



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, August 06, 2021 at 21:30:42 ADT.)

Friday, August 06, 2021

HO SCALE: Brewery Complex (in 4 square feet)

This was an entry in a 4-square foot layout design challenge that was held on an online forum where I am a member. The idea was to design a layout with a foot print less that 4-square feet that was a good representation of an American railway. At the time, I had wanted to do a layout featuring a brewery complex for a while...

2019.10.13B-001.gif (15114 bytes)

Views: 2604 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Industry, Types of Industries: Breweries



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, July 19, 2021 at 21:08:05 ADT.)

Monday, July 19, 2021

HO SCALE: Rearden Metal Products, Inc

Back in October of 2019, a new member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group shared his first post outlining his plans to enhance his programming track module by including an electric arc furnace steel mill within the 24x72-inch space. I felt member could use the space much better than his concept drawing depicted, so I decided to mock up...

2020.05.09N-001.gif (28941 bytes)

Views: 2271 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Single Industry, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Steel Mill (Small)



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 10:04:00 ADT.)

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Z SCALE: North-Eastern Industrial RR

This request from a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts group actually intrigued me from the first time I read it. He wanted a switching layout done in Z-scale to fit an 18x24-inch footprint. Up until now, I never really never considered Z-scale as being any more than a scale best used for train-running in a small space ...

2021.06.26E-001.gif (63609 bytes)

Views: 1133 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 9:33:00 ADT.)

Saturday, June 26, 2021

HO SCALE: Nova Scotia Railway ( Sydport Industrial Park )

This was another attempt from August of 2018 to design a layout based on a small industrial park that is about 40 minutes away from my home. The original plan was to use 1x6-foot board with an Inglenook design, but I expanded that a few times and ended up with the 1x12-foot board used for this design ...

2021.06.26D-001.gif (16833 bytes)

Views: 1408 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, My Projects: Nova Scotia Railway



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 8:20:00 ADT.)

Saturday, June 26, 2021

HOn30 SCALE: Port Haney Brick & Tile Company

Since two member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layout group decided to build an HOn30 layout based on my Marble Mountain Quarry design, it was decided that one would stay with the original premise for the layout, and the second modeler would use another theme for his slightly bigger footprint...

2021.06.26C-001.gif (72614 bytes)

Views: 712 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Staging Options: Turn Table (Train Length), Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Single Industry, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Brick Works



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, June 25, 2021 at 13:07:00 ADT.)

Friday, June 25, 2021

OO9 SCALE: World War One Railway (Arras 1917)

Back in May of 2020, a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group was contemplating a World War I layout (titled "Arras 1917") using a modified version of my Marble Mountain Quarry Company track plan. His 11.5" x 28.5" (29cm x 72cm) OO9 scale layout was designed to fit on a shelf in a bookcase, and would depict...

2021.06.25B-001.gif (49814 bytes)

Views: 622 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Staging Options: Sector Plate, Theme: Military Railways, Other: France



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, June 25, 2021 at 9:10:00 ADT.)

Friday, June 25, 2021

HO SCALE: Switching Spur (Dallas, TX)

This track plan was mocked-up back in May of 2020, but back then I didn't have the time to do the 3D work. Over the last year, I have been picking at adding the 3D scenery as time permitted, and I finally got it completed. The prototype for this layout is a group of neat little spurs located on the Dallas, Garland, & Northeastern RR ...

2021.06.25A-001.gif (31517 bytes)

Views: 1460 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (States): Texas, American Railways: Dallas, Garland, & Northeastern RR



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 16:42:19 ADT.)

Thursday, May 27, 2021

HO SCALE: Walnut Grove (End of Line Station)

I just completed this design for a client today (Saturday, February 8, 2020). The 2x8-foot HO-scale layout depicts an end of line station during the transition era. The owner wanted a small service area for locomotives that included an engine shed, an overhead crane, a sand house and a coaling tower. Although he doesn't plan to run steam on the layout...

2020.02.08A-001.gif (27275 bytes)

Views: 4251 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 20:43:33 ADT.)

Sunday, April 25, 2021

S SCALE: Texas & New Orleans Railway (Llano, TX)

This track plan was started back in June of 2020 in Proto:48, but my client decided to change to S-scale in September. The design is based very loosely on Llano, Texas in the 1970s and is meant to be built in two phases. The first phase consists of an L-shaped layout that includes the shelf on the north wall, and just a single switching lead/staging...

2021.02.14I-001.gif (48853 bytes)

Views: 1257 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Branch Line Railway, Theme: Single Station / Town, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Texas, American Railways: Texas & New Orleans Railway



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, April 05, 2021 at 7:04:17 ADT.)

Monday, April 05, 2021

HO SCALE: Northside Industrial Park

I just finished this for a client who wanted a small generic industrial switching layout (ISL) with a 6-foot staging cassette attached to the right end. His list of Givens & Druthers included: enough operation to keep a switching crew busy for about 45 minutes in a modern, industrial setting with lots of chain link fencing; two medium sized...

2020.06.12A-001.gif (18399 bytes)

Views: 5031 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Industrial Park / District



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, March 29, 2021 at 12:31:55 ADT.)

Monday, March 29, 2021

HO SCALE: Railcar / Loco Maintenance Centre

I offered to help a member of a railway forum design a HO-scale locomotive and railcar maintenance centre since I haven't done one before, and I thought it would be something a little different. I knew the layout owner's space would be a good match for the design, and I could really include a great deal of detail and some support structures in the...

2020.03.05A-001.gif (35381 bytes)

Views: 3840 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Railcar / Locomotive Maintenance Centre



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 14:59:57 ADT.)

Saturday, March 27, 2021

HO SCALE: Mountenay Manufacturing Company

This is a HO-scale industrial complex that I just completed for a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts in a 40x50-inch foot print. The track plan really had an easy button on it since I have done a few "industries in a corner" in the past. It was actually inspired by a modified and flipped version of a manufacturing company I did...

2021.02.14G-001.gif (189829 bytes)

Views: 1810 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Single Industry, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Manufacturing Plant



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, March 15, 2021 at 21:37:36 ADT.)

Monday, March 15, 2021

HO SCALE: Glen Oak (End of Line Station)

I started this layout for a Facebook friend of mine back in October of 2018, but I didn't get around to putting the finishing touches on it until February 2019. While the layout has a relatively small footprint, it packs a lot of punch-both operationally and visually-in the small space...

2019.10.14D-001.gif (22298 bytes)

Views: 10234 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town

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