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Layout Size: Mini Layouts
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: 3077 | 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
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 12:34:00 ADT.)
Saturday, October 12, 2019
These two 2'x4' On30 portable modules were done for a client's freelanced Cat Mountain Line. The narrow gauge railway runs from a small seaport out into the mountains to a mine in the pacific northwest sometime between 1930 and 1950. My client wanted the layout to include a pier, single track car ferry, mine, simple...
Views: 1364 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Design Feature: Modular Benchwork, Design Feature: Switch-Back, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Mining, Theme: Waterfront, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Coal Mines, Types of Industries: Wharves
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 7:10:28 ADT.)
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
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: 4533 | Comments: 1
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 Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 9:29:15 AST.)
Thursday, November 17, 2022
HO SCALE (6-foot Broad Gauge): Middleburgh & Schoharie RR in Proto87
I was asked by a member of a railway forum to design a layout based on the Middleburgh & Schoharie RR during its 6-foot gauge era. Although the client only wanted a freelance railway using a combined time saver design and inglenook, I thought that Middleburgh would make an excellent single station LDE design after I did...
Views: 1986 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): New York, American Railways: Middleburgh & Schoharie RR
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: 2866 | 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 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...
Views: 2126 | 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, February 28, 2022 at 8:48:13 AST.)
Monday, February 28, 2022
HO SCALE: Falls Creek Siding (Prairie Branchline)
This freelance HO-scale switching layout was done for a client who was a bit vague when he filled out his G&Ds, so I had to fill in some of the blanks myself. The client wanted a layout that included grain, sand, oil, and a warehouse, but he didn't specify a location. In such a small space it would be hard to include...
Views: 11941 | Comments: 20
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Fiddle Track, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, USA (Regions): Mid-West
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, October 14, 2019 at 11:53:52 ADT.)
Monday, October 14, 2019
HO SCALE: Pennsylvania Shortline Terminal
This design request came from a member of a Facebook group that I belong to, that wanted to expand his current 15" x 48" micro by another 48". This all ready built micro, depicted the terminus of a tiny Pennsylvania shortline. The railroad connects this currently unnamed small agricultural town with a Reading or Pennsy...
Views: 2589 | Comments: 2
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, USA (States): Pennsylvania
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 5:46:08 ADT.)
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
This was done on a special request from the late Jack Shortliner who wanted to see what I could do on an "extended" Iota design. Iota was originally built in HO scale on a 17" x 56" board, and was meant to represent an end-of-the-line station on a short line railway. I lengthened the board another 16"...
Views: 7716 | Comments: 6
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, USA (Regions): Mid-West
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...
Views: 9739 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town
Posted in Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, October 23, 2022 at 20:00:23 ADT.)
Sunday, October 23, 2022
ARTICLE: Operating possibilities on a small, continuous run layout
This design was part of a double deck N-scale layout using hollow core doors, done for a member of another railway group in 2010. The upper deck represented an unrelated coal mining branch in British Columbia, and was a very simple design. The upper deck/door was supported by sides made of ¾" plywood, and the backdrop...
Views: 1877 | Comments: 4
TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Canada (Provinces): Alberta, Articles: Operating Small Layouts
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, October 14, 2019 at 17:58:00 ADT.)
Monday, October 14, 2019
HO SCALE: High Park Industrial Lead (ISL)
This is a very simple modern industrial switching layout (ISL) that I designed back in 2007 to fit a 15-inch by 10-foot space. I can't remember if I designed this for someone, or if I was trying to adapting a track plan to fit space that I had available. I was living in a small apartment then, and I was designing a lot of small...
Views: 2887 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, October 14, 2019 at 20:07:00 ADT.)
Monday, October 14, 2019
HO SCALE: Canadian National (End of Line Prairie Town)
Back in 2017, I had been inspired by a member of a railway forum that was modeling a Soo branch line on a mini HO-scale layout. Since that time, I had taken a keen interest in modeling Prairie towns and grain elevators operations. So I began designing some small modules depicting small stations, with grain operations...
Views: 6000 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Canadian Prairies, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Canadian Railways: Canadian National Ry
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 8:49:20 AST.)
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
HO SCALE: 22nd Avenue Warehouse & Freight District
I recently started going through my old 3PI layout files, and I remembered this design as soon as I opened the file. I played with this for fun back in 2000 and it was my adaption of a track plan that I found online. The original design was for a 1-foot by 4-foot space, and used a track arrangement very close to...
Views: 2945 | Comments: 14
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Car Float, Theme: Terminal Railway, Theme: Waterfront, USA (States): New York
Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Wednesday, January 01, 2020 at 10:37:00 AST.)
Wednesday, January 01, 2020
HO SCALE: Hastings Industrial District (with Cassette Staging)
This design was original done for a client back in February 2014. He only had limited space for a layout, but wanted something that could keep him busy for an hour or so. I introduced him to switching using way-bills and switch lists, and he was quite happy with the layout for the few months it was in operation. The layout didn't progress...
Views: 7897 | Comments: 0
TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations