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Layout Size: Micro Layouts

Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 9:05:00 AST.)

Saturday, January 25, 2020

HOn30 SCALE: Marble Mountain Quarry Company

I was asked by Marshall Stull to come up with an entry for a challenge he has opened on his Small Model Railroads website. The challenge was to design a micro layout to fit in 13" x 9" x 9" helmet display case that he had just purchased. Since I have never designed a layout for such a small space, I was intrigued by the idea...

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Views: 1262 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Staging Options: Turn Table (Train Length), Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Single Industry, Theme: Waterfront, Type: 3 Turnout Layout, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Quarries



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 14:30:00 AST.)

Saturday, January 25, 2020

N SCALE: Central & Eastern Railroad (A beginner's layout)

Back in March of 2018, I was asked by a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layouts group to help design a minimalist layout with a beginner in mind. The design was to be done in N-scale, and had to fit a 11.5" x 36" space (the size of a 1x12-inch plank) and be based on an Inglenook design. The layout would be set in the American Southwest...

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Views: 1949 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Theme: End of Line Station, Theme: Single Station / Town, Theme: Switching Operations, Type: 2 Turnout Layout, Type: Beginner Layout, Type: Inglenook, Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (Regions): Southwest



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...

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Views: 4084 | 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, February 14, 2021 at 2:02:00 AST.)

Sunday, February 14, 2021

O SCALE: Pickering Valley Feed & Farm Supply Co.

I was asked by member of the Micro/Small Layout group to offer some suggestions for an 20x72-inch extension off his existing circa late 1950's O-scale layout. He wanted to keep trackage to a minimum with an industry suitable for Pennsylvania , southern New York, or West Virginia that was served by box cars and flat cars....

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Views: 1139 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Theme: Single Industry, Type: 1 Turnout Layout, Type: No Run-Around Track, USA (States): Pennsylvania



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 3:04:00 AST.)

Sunday, February 14, 2021

On30 SCALE: Gowrie Colliery Tramway (No Turnout Layout)

I'm in the process of writing an article for my blog that highlights and explains some different types of micro and small layouts and how they are operated. I plan to start with a very simple layout, and then increase the complexity as the article progresses. I will try to go into detail on how I see each one being operated, and the options that can be...

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Views: 1010 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Mining, Theme: Narrow Gauge Railway, Theme: Waterfront, Type: No Run-Around Track, Type: No Turnout Layout, Types of Industries: Coal Mines, Types of Industries: Wharves



Posted in Layout Designs by Rob Chant. (Updated Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 3:56:00 AST.)

Sunday, February 14, 2021

On18 SCALE: Fugere Manufacturing & Fabrication, Limited (Concept Drawing)

Late last year, a member of the Micro/Small Model RR Layout group was discussing building a layout in On18 scale. Since I had never designed in that scale before, I contacted him about designing a layout in a small space using either a sector plate, or a transverse table. While trying to decide what I was going to do in the scale, I came...

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Views: 674 | Comments: 0

TAGS: Design Feature: Train Elevator, Layout Size: Micro Layouts, Theme: Industrial Railway, Theme: Single Industry, Type: No Run-Around Track, Types of Industries: Manufacturing Plant



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...

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Views: 600 | Comments: 0

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



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: 687 | 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 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 ...

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Views: 1091 | Comments: 0

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

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