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Theme: Switching Operations

Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 10:38:05 ADT.)

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

N SCALE: Reading Blue Mountain & Northern RR (Humboldt Industrial Park)

This design was done for a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group, and is an N-scale version of the Humboldt Industrial Park served by the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern RR (RBMN) in eastern Pennsylvania. While the industrial park is a fair size, the layout owner was able to narrow his selection of companies down...

2020.02.29B-001.gif (21320 bytes)

Views: 4676 | Comments: 3

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), USA (States): Pennsylvania, American Railways: Reading Blue Mountain & Northern RR



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 10:21:00 AST.)

Saturday, February 29, 2020

HO SCALE: Hawthorn Industrial Sidings

Back in 2016, I was contacted by a member of a railway forum that wanted me to help design a modern switching district that would fit into a 18"x16' space on his existing layout. The design was to portray a 1990's era industrial district with some big online industries, and had to fit in an 18"x16' space. My client was very specific...

2020.02.29H-001.gif (13378 bytes)

Views: 1781 | Comments: 0

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



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: 3812 | 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 Tuesday, May 05, 2020 at 14:01:07 ADT.)

Tuesday, May 05, 2020

HO SCALE: Allied Manufacturing Company (Single Industry Design)

I just completed this design for a client who wanted a HO-scale layout of a modern single industry using an Inglenook. The space available was a generous 16-inch by 9-feet but the layout had to be self contained without any additional staging tracks or add-ons. Although my client hasn't determined what type of industry he will eventually model, I decided...

2020.03.05B-001.gif (19121 bytes)

Views: 2635 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track, Articles: Minimalist Approach to Layout Design, Types of Industries: Manufacturing Plant



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...

2020.03.07D-001.gif (17731 bytes)

Views: 7932 | 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, December 04, 2023 at 21:08:24 AST.)

Monday, December 04, 2023

HO SCALE: L-Shaped Modern Industry (ISL)

This was done as part of a challenge on the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group to design a HO-scale layout to fit in a 6'x6' corner. For this attempt, I decide to go with a modern single industry. Although I didn't specify the type of industry depicted, it could easily work for a few types. The plan is self- contained, with a reasonable sized...

2020.03.08B-001.gif (37218 bytes)

Views: 4454 | Comments: 1

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: No Run-Around Track



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 17:12:04 AST.)

Thursday, March 11, 2021

HO SCALE: Lakeshore Industrial Spurs ( Mid-West Setting )

This layout was designed back in September of 2018 for another member of a railway forum I joined. The client wanted a very modern layout with only a few large online industries set in the mid-west. I tried to get as much variety in rolling stock as possible, while making the structures very visually appealing. The 16" wide shelves...

2020.03.08I-001.gif (33831 bytes)

Views: 4619 | Comments: 3

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Industrial Park / District, Theme: Switching Operations, USA (Regions): Mid-West



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 18:07:29 ADT.)

Sunday, March 29, 2020

HO SCALE: Port Able Railway (ISL)

This HO scale Port Able Railway industrial switching layout design was done for a member of Micro/Small Model RR Layouts to fit his 18-inch by 96-inch space. The line is located in the Northeastern United States during the 1979 IPD box car era. The layout owner wanted to include a food processing company, a manufacturing company, a furniture...

2020.03.08P-001.gif (21425 bytes)

Views: 2592 | Comments: 2

TAGS: Design Feature: Modular Benchwork, Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Theme: Switching Operations



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, May 09, 2020 at 7:31:00 ADT.)

Saturday, May 09, 2020

HO SCALE: Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Ry (New Glasgow)

Back in September of 2019, I wanted to offer a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts Facebook group my ideas for his planned HO-scale Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Ry (CBNS). The layout was to be L-shaped and would occupy a space 73" by 118" on shelves no more than 18" wide. I offered my rough draft, and suggested...

2020.05.09A-001.gif (27002 bytes)

Views: 1588 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Compact Layouts, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: Based on Actual Location(s), Canada (Provinces): Nova Scotia, Canadian Railways: Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Ry



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...

2020.05.09B-001.gif (18741 bytes)

Views: 4094 | 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 Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, October 03, 2021 at 11:36:55 ADT.)

Sunday, October 03, 2021

HO SCALE: Leslie Falls

This design was done for a client back in February 2017, and was originally done in an 24" x 96" space with a staging yard added to the left end. The owner wanted to depict a small New England railroad branch line set in the transition era, using smaller diesels as motive power. He wanted smaller, mostly wood foreground structures, two to...

2020.05.09M-001.gif (27487 bytes)

Views: 3242 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Mini Layouts, Staging Options: Cassette Staging, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, USA (Regions): New England



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Thursday, March 03, 2022 at 22:13:42 AST.)

Thursday, March 03, 2022

HO SCALE: Sterling Warehouse District

This was an interesting small HO scale layout to design, and offered a bit of a challenge. My client wanted to depict a warehouse district in his 18x72-inch space, and wanted to include a few warehouses with as many car spots as possible. Although he didn't know what types of warehouses that would be included, he was only looking to use box cars...

2021.02.14D-001.gif (19182 bytes)

Views: 2344 | Comments: 4

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



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Monday, March 28, 2022 at 15:45:23 ADT.)

Monday, March 28, 2022

HO SCALE: Langsport & Southern Ry

This design from February 2021 turned out much differently than my client initially wanted. When originally contacted, my client was only looking for a 1-turnout layout based on one of Lance Mindheim's track plans with a modern bakery as the single industry. During the discussion, I showed him my Sweet Tooth Bakery & Milling Co done in a 14x72-inch...

2021.06.24A-001.gif (45654 bytes)

Views: 1518 | Comments: 1

TAGS: Layout Size: Small Layouts, Theme: Regional / Short Line Railway, Theme: Switching Operations, Types of Industries: Bakeries, Types of Industries: Pulp and Paper Mills



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: 1431 | 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 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: 1104 | Comments: 0

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

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