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Layout Size: Compact Layouts

Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 16:11:00 ADT.)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

N SCALE: Florida East Coast Railway (Fort Pierce, FL)

This N-scale design was done for client who wanted to duplicate yard operations in Fort Pierce (FL) on the Florida East Coast Railway. I knew from the beginning that even small yards tend to get visually boring, and looking at the area in street view, I was kind of disappoint with how barren the real yard looks. It wasn't until...

2019.10.13G-001.gif (15186 bytes)

Views: 1760 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Yard Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Flordia, American Railways: Florida East Coast Ry



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, February 03, 2023 at 22:13:29 AST.)

Friday, February 03, 2023

On30 SCALE: Palmetto Brick Company Railway

Back in 2017 I found a thread on another railway related forum that highlighted the Palmetto Brick Company's railway located in Wallace, South Carolina. The 3-foot gauge line used small 8-ton Plymouth locomotive to haul steel side-dump clay cars from its quarry to the brick kilns, which were still in service at that time...

2019.10.12F-001.gif (16248 bytes)

Views: 1897 | Comments: 7

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Type: 3 Turnout Layout, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): North Carolina, American Railways: Palmetto Brick Company Ry, Types of Industries: Clay Processing Plants, Types of Industries: Quarries



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...

2019.10.12H-001.gif (26302 bytes)

Views: 3538 | 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 Thursday, October 08, 2020 at 9:08:34 ADT.)

Thursday, October 08, 2020

HO SCALE: Cunningham's Gap (Single Station)

This is another design for a single station layout, and it was originally designed as two potable modules for a model railroading club. Back in the 1990s, I had been involved in a joint project with the club to develop some standards for their modular bench work system. The original standard called for 24-inch wide modules as a minimum, but...

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Views: 2138 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town



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...

2019.10.12N-001.gif (39350 bytes)

Views: 6212 | Comments: 2

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



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 11:25:00 ADT.)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

On30 SCALE: Juniper & Alamosa Valley Railway

This is a plan for a single station 2½-foot by 12-foot module in On30 with a western theme that I designed back in 2014 for myself. The hardest part was fitting in the 15-inch turntable required to turn the locomotives (a D&RGW K-28 is shown on the plan). After placing the turntable and the station, I then squeezed...

2019.10.13C-001.gif (24189 bytes)

Views: 3881 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, USA (Regions): Southwest



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 14:19:37 ADT.)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

HO SCALE: Pence Junction (Single Station Design)

This design was done for a client back in August of 2017, but I just recently got around to adding the 3D work. The client had a 2-foot by 12-foot space available on his shelf layout and wanted me to come up with a design for an interchange with another railway. The layout is set in the transition period, and it was left to me...

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Views: 2981 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Interchange, Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 15:46:30 AST.)

Sunday, January 31, 2021

O SCALE: Canadian Pacific Rail Barge Scene in Proto48

Here is something a little different. It is a 3'x10' layout (with a staging cassette added) done in O-scale of a rail barge operation. One possible locale for the scene would be on the Canadian Pacific somewhere in British Columbia in the mid 1970s. If I was doing the layout, I would try using Proto48 standards, since I...

2019.10.14B-001.gif (30682 bytes)

Views: 1778 | Comments: 4

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Staging Options: Car Float, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Waterfront, Type: 3 Turnout Layout, Type: Beginner Layout, Type: No Run-Around Track, Canada (Provinces): British Columbia, Canadian Railways: Canadian Pacific Ry



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, October 21, 2019 at 9:13:00 ADT.)

Monday, October 21, 2019

HO SCALE: Hillcrest Industrial District (ISL)

This HO-scale design was done for a client back in January 2000. The owner wanted a modern switching layout with the potential to be incorporated it in a bigger layout someday. Like me, he preferred a minimum of track with a few big industries, and lots of room for scenery. He was also looking for a modern industrial park...

2019.10.21B-001.gif (31927 bytes)

Views: 4239 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, April 18, 2022 at 11:48:48 ADT.)

Monday, April 18, 2022

On30 SCALE: Lazy Town (Single Station Design)

Judging from the date on this design (2001), I think it is probably one of my very first designs done in On30 scale (On30 was still in its infancy back then). The original track plan was done using PECO HO turnouts, but I converted them to Fast Track #5s. The client I designed this layout for wanted a very simple track plan...

2019.10.21D-001.gif (25065 bytes)

Views: 1891 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Theme: Single Station / Town



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...

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Views: 1845 | 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 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: 1740 | 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 Wednesday, March 04, 2020 at 6:06:12 AST.)

Wednesday, March 04, 2020

HO SCALE: Florida Central Railroad

This HO-scale Florida Central RR design was done for a client back in March of 2019 that wanted a small layout based on an industrial park in Orlando, Florida. I was very impressed with the possibilities in the area depicted on the layout; the curves are sharp and the equipment is modern, making for quite a contrast. Many buildings have rounded...

2020.01.01K-001.gif (43197 bytes)

Views: 3981 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Single Station / Town, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (States): Flordia, American Railways: Florida Central RR



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...

2020.01.05B-001.gif (28156 bytes)

Views: 4301 | 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 Articles by Rob Chant. (Updated Friday, December 02, 2022 at 21:12:05 AST.)

Friday, December 02, 2022

ARTICLE: Branch line operations on a 4x8 sheet of plywood in HO Scale

Back in April of 2019, I was asked to design a HO-scale layout on a 4x8 sheet of plywood based on the same operating scheme that I proposed for use with my Central Alberta Railway (CARY) design. For those not familiar with my CARY track plan, it was an N-scale layout I designed back in 2010 using a hollow core door. How that layout was operated was partly inspired...

2020.01.25B-001.gif (65784 bytes)

Views: 10446 | Comments: 6

TAGS: Design Feature: Continuous Run Option, Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Branch Line Railway, Canada (Provinces): Ontario, Canadian Railways: Canadian National Ry, Articles: Operating Small Layouts

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