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CATEGORY: Layout Designs
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, September 09, 2023 at 1:33:28 ADT.)
Saturday, September 09, 2023
HO SCALE: Burnside Industrial Park (ISL)
Back in October of 2019, a client asked if I could design a modern switching layout for him in his very limited space. He then proceeded to say that he wanted a layout to fit in his 2x4-foot space, and he was wondering what I could do with it. Now, if you know me, I am always up for a challenge, but I also knew that such a space was...
Views: 3131 | Comments: 7
TAGS: Design Feature: Folding Designs, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 08, 2023 at 20:00:14 ADT.)
Friday, September 08, 2023
O SCALE: Southside Connecting RR
One of the members of my JoMRD Facebook group was looking for an O-scale track plan to fit his 2x14-foot space. Since I hadn't designed very many O-scale switching layouts for a small space, I figured that I would give it a hook. After just a few attempts, I came up with a rough draft that I liked. The track plan has 11 car spots, and has room...
![2023.02.16B-[AB].jpg (253448 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.16B-[AB].jpg)
Views: 351 | Comments: 1
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, September 01, 2023 at 1:00:03 ADT.)
Friday, September 01, 2023
HO SCALE: Cascade Paper Recycling Plant
This track plan was done for a client back in December of 2021. When he contacted me, he was looking for a pulp and paper mill to fit in his 18x84-inch space. He also dropped a bit of a challenge on me to squeeze in as much track as I could, since his interests focused mainly on switching puzzles in the past. Since my client left the track type up to...
![2023.02.21D-[AB].jpg (205415 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.21D-[AB].jpg)
Views: 893 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 19:13:49 ADT.)
Saturday, August 26, 2023
HO SCALE: Lake Superior Railway & Navigation
This modern-day HO scale layout was done for member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts group and his Lake Superior Railway & Navigation layout which is based on GN, DM&IR, and SOO on Michigan's upper peninsula. The owner wanted a car float and lumber transfer warehouses included in the design. I also threw in a small grain elevator (which could be bigger)...
Views: 2491 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Car Float, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Waterfront, Theme: Yard Operations, USA (States): Michigan
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 10:33:49 ADT.)
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
N SCALE: Norfolk Southern (Switching Layout)
This is a modern-era freelance Norfolk Southern N-scale switching layout loosely based on NS lines in eastern Pennsylvania. The track plan is designed to fit in a 8'8" x 11'8" L-shaped space using 18-wide shelves and 12-inch minimum radius. The design also has a continuous run option that will be used as...
Views: 2734 | Comments: 6
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, June 06, 2023 at 15:19:52 ADT.)
Tuesday, June 06, 2023
HO SCALE: Brownville & Ashland Railway
This design was done back in February of 2019 for a client who had plenty of high end custom locos and freight cars that he wanted to showcase on the layout. The layout was to depict a modern day paper mill setting in a remote part of Northern Maine. Boxcars would transport raw pulp wood and bales of recycled scrap paper into the mill...
Views: 3947 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Drop Down, Theme: Single Industry, Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (States): Maine, Types of Industries: Pulp and Paper Mills
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, May 26, 2023 at 8:45:44 ADT.)
Friday, May 26, 2023
HO SCALE: Westbury (Urban Industrial Area)
This design has a bit of a back story to it. Back in March of 2017, a client of mine was looking for suggestions for an urban industrial area on his HO scale layout. His only request was that the area must include a few tall brick buildings, and have a downtown small city feel to it. After searching online for a few ideas...
Views: 3279 | Comments: 8
TAGS: Design Feature: Urban Scenery, Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Single Station / Town
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 14:11:26 ADT.)
Sunday, May 21, 2023
HO SCALE: Vandelay Industries (Single Industry Inglenook)
This HO-scale design was done for a client that wanted a small layout that he could practice his skills on before attempting a larger layout. He wanted a design that included as many aspects of modeling in a small space as I could possibly squeeze in. Initially, he only wanted to use a 12-inch x 60-inch board, but I convinced him to move up...
Views: 4748 | Comments: 10
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Single Industry, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Beginner Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 2:03:58 ADT.)
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
HO Scale: Hiseler-Johnston Manufacturing & Fabrication Co. Ltd.
This was done for a client back in January 2018. The original was done in a 4-foot long space with an hidden 36-long sector plate. But for this version, I used a 3-way turnout to eliminate the sector plate. I had started the 3D work back in 2018, but it was never completed until recently. This is a pretty relaxed plan with lots of room for...
![2023.02.17C-[AB].jpg (222383 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.17C-[AB].jpg)
Views: 542 | Comments: 0
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 8:04:49 ADT.)
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
HO SCALE: Coastal Industrial Park
This design was done for a friend of mine that really liked my Northside Industrial Park track plan, which done in a 1'4" x 9'0" footprint. My friend had a shelf that was 2'0" x 16'0", so a great deal of extra square footage was added to the original after the expansion. With more width available, I was also able to...
![2023.02.17E-[AB].jpg (178867 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.17E-[AB].jpg)
Views: 989 | Comments: 2
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, May 07, 2023 at 11:14:07 ADT.)
Sunday, May 07, 2023
On30 / On2 / Sn2 SCALE: Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
Anyone that is familiar with my interests will know that I have a fondness for Maine 2-footers. While the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway is my favourite (and I also have another unfinished design based on that line as well) this design is of the longest 2-footer: the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (SR&RL). This is another design that...
Views: 878 | Comments: 3
TAGS: Design Feature: Helix, Layout Size: Large Layouts, Theme: Maine 2-Footers, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Maine, American Railways: Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes RR
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, May 07, 2023 at 11:11:42 ADT.)
Sunday, May 07, 2023
HO SCALE: Detroit Connecting RR (Detroit, MI)
Back in May of 2020, I was contacted by a member of my JoMRD Facebook group who was trying to building a reasonable representation of the Detroit Connecting Railroad (reporting mark DCON). The DCON is a Class III shortline railroad owned by the Adrian and Blissfield Rail Road, which began its freight operations in December 1998 with 2ΒΌ miles...
![2023.02.17B-[AA].gif (47002 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.17B-[AA].gif)
Views: 406 | Comments: 2
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, April 28, 2023 at 1:57:54 ADT.)
Friday, April 28, 2023
HO SCALE: Meteghan Valley Railway
This HO scale design was done for a client back in September of 2011. The bench work had already been in place from a previous layout, and although I was given some leeway to change it, I decided to keep it as built. Most of the shelves were 24-inches wide, and I think that is overkill for shelf layouts and adds too much unneeded space...
![2023.02.18B-[AA].gif (48777 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.18B-[AA].gif)
Views: 363 | Comments: 2
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 16:52:27 ADT.)
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
I was asked by a member of a rail group that I belong to, to do a freelanced end of branch line HO layout based on the Maine Central to fit his 18-inch by 8-foot space. The layout owner wanted the design to include an interchange with the Bangor and Aroostook and a few online industries to switch including a...
Views: 5258 | Comments: 3
TAGS: Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, USA (Regions): New England, American Railways: Boston & Maine RR
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 18:44:05 ADT.)
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
HO SCALE: Barchester on the Pennsylvania Railroad, by Robert (Robin) Mountenay
Back in August of 2019, I designed an HO scale L-shaped layout to fit in a corner of Robert (Robin) Mountenay's basement space. Since that time, Robin has transformed my original design into what is quickly becoming a beautiful piece of 3D artwork. It has been absolutely amazing watching the layout progress from empty bench work to finished scenes. The layout depicts the fictional town of Barchester on a fictional branch line of Pennsylvania Railroad during the summer of 1949. The layout was just featured in the 90th anniversary issue of Railroad Model Craftsman (March 2023) and I am collaborating with Robin on an article for Model Railroad Planning 2024. Before the RMC issue went to press, Robin asked me to create an updated version of the track plan, now that the types and names of industries and structures had been finalized. Here is the final draft of that revised track plan. In the near future, I will also put together a layout tour of the layout.
![2023.02.21C-[AA].jpg (308212 bytes)](uploads/2023.02.21C-[AA].jpg)
Views: 378 | Comments: 3