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Big-city
railroading
in a small apartment room
This HO scale shelf layout provides hours of model railroading enjoyment
By Howard Scodras • Photos by Peter Nesbitt

ne reason many modelers never shelf layout, a staging yard, spray booth, 1. Above: When Howard Scodras

O build a layout is that they think

they don’t have the space. Well,
I’ve lived in apartments most of my life
and small workbench into a 91⁄2 x 11-foot
spare room in my apartment.
When my wife and I lived in smaller
designed the HO scale Ontabec Cen-
tral, he wanted to re-create a big-city
industrial area with lots of switching
and can tell you that building a model apartments, I built model railroad dio- and street running. As OC Alco RS-1
railroad is possible, even if you don’t ramas. Sure, the dioramas weren’t lay- no. 900 arrives at the Overbrook yard
have much room to spare. In fact, I was outs, but they kept my modeling skills with a cut of cars, a Canadian National
able to fit my HO scale Ontabec Central sharp and allowed me to try different Budd Rail Diesel Car passes overhead.
techniques. When I began work on the
Ontabec Central in 1992, I was able to
apply the skills I gained building diora-
mas to my layout. Even though most of
my model railroad is only 2'-4" wide, I
made it appear bigger by modeling a
big-city industrial area that features tall
buildings, street running, and plenty of
switching opportunities.

A pleasant problem
When my wife and I decided to
move into this apartment, I quickly
commandeered the spare room for my
model railroad. She agreed, but issued
the following caveat: All train-related
activities, including building, painting,
and storage of materials, must be done
in the layout room. With the ground
rules established, I began planning how
to most effectively fit all these elements
into the 91⁄2 x 11-foot room.
It quickly became apparent that I
would have to use the space under the
layout for storage. At first I was con-
cerned that storing items here would
make layout wiring and maintenance
difficult. Those concerns were quickly
put to rest, though. I wired my shelf lay-
out as a single block, and connected all
the track to two no. 14 bus wires that
terminate at a 1⁄4" two-conductor jack
installed on the fascia panel (see wiring
illustration on page 65).
Since my operators have both DC and
Digital Command Control (DCC) loco-
motives, I installed two matching 1⁄4"
phone plugs that are connected to the 2. Scoddy Industries is the biggest business in Overbrook, so it requires regular
DC and DCC power supplies. switching. Canadian Pacific Alco S-2 no. 7019 is assigned to switch the plant
To make troubleshooting easier for today. With only one boxcar to deliver, the crew’s work shouldn’t take too long.
the five turnouts powered by Tortoise
switch motors, I extended the eight con-
tacts of each motor to the front of the DISGUISING hidden storage
layout with eight-conductor cables ter-
minating at screw-type terminal strips.
The power supply for the switch motors
also terminates here, but at a separate
strip. This wiring arrangement makes it
possible to reach all switch-motor con-
nections without having to crawl under
the layout. Even though my layout
wiring is simple, I took detailed notes
and drew diagrams so I wouldn’t lose
track of the under-benchwork circuits.

Taking it to the streets

As much as I take pride in the sim-
plicity of the benchwork and wiring,
the model railroad itself is the center- Since my model railroad, spray booth, workbench, and supplies are all in one
piece of the room. I wanted the layout room, I had to use the space beneath the layout for storage. However, I needed a
to be a re-creation of the scenes and way to hide the stored items.
type of railroading that I recalled as a Since I’m not a seamstress, I knew sliding drapes were out. Then, while pur-
child growing up in Montreal. The tall chasing a Venetian blind for our kitchen, I thought, “These would also work great
buildings, rail lines winding through for the layout.” I purchased enough Venetian blinds to go around the model rail-
the streets, and ample switching oppor- road. The blinds add a touch of class to the layout, and they do a great job of
tunities were all a must for the Ontabec keeping stored materials out of plain view. – H.S.
Central RR.
 Pasch
Jiggs Medical Mitchell Berrigan Ontario Therrien
Hamer Hats Tools Supply Building Bottling Foods Ltd. Meat Packers Scoddy Industrial complex

Office Dominion Street

building
Jiggs
Tools Ontario Street
Conley

d
Clothing
Roa
2
Meekís
ion
Fuel
Stat

Jiggs
Tools
Marshall Phidias 1 OVERBROOK Tank platform
Meek 3
Mattress Aven showroom

Haney
Plumbing
ue

Supplies Phidias
Furniture
Railroad Co.
bridge Filing
cabinet
Mueller Stores
Moving
and Test
track Stand
Storage
(code for air
100) compressor

Scale of plan:
5⁄16"
= 1'-0"
Window
24" grid
Exhaust vent
Workbench
Ontabec Central
HO scale
Room size: 9'-6" x 11'-0" Spray
Layout size: 9'-6" x 10'-6" booth
(includes 93⁄4" x 6'-6" staging)
Scale of plan: 5⁄8" = 1'-0"
12" grid
Numbered arrows indicate Pegboard
Sidebar
photo locations

Bookshelves
Illustrations by Rick Johnson
Cupboard

 Layout at a glance I was further inspired to model large

urban scenes after seeing the work
off at the Meek Avenue siding. The loco-
motive then pushes any cars left on the
of George Sellios and Earl Smallshaw. runaround track from the previous
Name: Ontabec Central However, I kept asking myself, “With my operating session back to staging.
Scale: HO (1:87.1) small space, how can I emulate the work After the OC locomotive is back in
Size: L-shaped 9'-6" x 10'-6" of these modelers?” The answer to the staging, Canadian Pacific Alco S-2 no.
(includes 93⁄4" x 6'-6" staging) space issue was a small switching layout. 7019 begins its work. The crew assigned
Prototype: free-lance The setting for my 1950s-era model rail- to this job faces some unique chal-
Locale: urban road is the streets of an urban industrial lenges. For example, a number of indus-
Era: 1950s area on the edge of a large city. I bor- tries are served by a single siding that
Layout style: shelf rowed the Ontabec Central name (an runs along Ontario Street. To reach
Length of mainline run: 12 feet amalgam of the two Canadian provinces these industries, other cars have to be
plus 6 feet in staging I’ve lived in, Ontario and Quebec) from a temporarily moved off spot.
Layout height: 481⁄2" 2 x 4-foot diorama I had built earlier. The inclusion of facing and trailing
Benchwork: open grid Since my goal was to model big-city sidings offers additional switching prob-
Roadbed: cork on 5⁄8" plywood railroading, structures needed to domi- lems as well. Crews must do some care-
Track: code 70 nate the scenery. I scratchbuilt, kit- ful planning before they begin switching
Turnout minimum: no. 4 bashed, and modified buildings in a as there are several industries located in
Minimum radius: 20" variety of heights, depths, and colors to and around Meek Avenue siding.
Maximum grade: 0 create a realistic urban environment.
Scenery: plaster covered with Small layout, big benefits
ground foam Bringing the OC to life I learned very quickly that careful
Backdrop: foam core A typical operating session begins planning is important if a small layout
Control: DC and Lenz Digital with Ontabec Central Alco RS-1 no. 900 is to be a success. When I was drawing
Command Control leaving the staging yard for Overbrook. the track plan I realized I needed a
The train has up to eight cars that it sets runaround track for the type of opera-
tions I wanted. After studying the lay-
out, I decided the best location would
be Meek Avenue siding because it gives
crews the most room to work.
The lack of a long mainline run is the
big disadvantage of a small layout like
mine. On the other hand I’ve found that
my small layout has some advantages.
From a financial perspective my layout
was ideal because it didn’t require much
benchwork material. I’ve also found
cleaning and electrical troubleshooting
to be much easier. 3. To make his shelf layout appear deeper, Howard used a combination of struc-
Another benefit is the limited amount ture kits, low-relief buildings, and backdrop cutouts. Examples of low-relief build-
of equipment needed. My motive power ings and backdrop cutouts can be seen behind the structure kits. The terminal
fleet consists of a Canadian Pacific Alco strips, control panel, and fascia boards are all visible in the foreground.
S-2 and an Ontabec Central Alco RS-1.
These two units are enough to keep
trains moving during operating sessions.
My freight car roster has approxi-
QUICK and EASY fascia panels
mately 30 cars. Since I knew early on I
wasn’t going to need much rolling stock, The wiring for the switch machines runs to screw-type terminal strips mounted
I purchased high-end kits and added on the face of the benchwork. I didn’t want the wiring exposed, so I decided to
details such as uncoupling levers, brake conceal the terminal strips with fascia panels.
hoses, and underbody details. I also I wanted the fascia panel to have a wood-grain finish but didn’t want to spend a
installed semi-scale wheelsets and Kadee lot of time sanding and staining wood. Then I remembered that prefinished shelves
no. 58 scale couplers before I weathered have a simulated wood finish. I purchased the shelves and had a friend cut them to
the cars and put them on the layout. size in his workshop.
Before I could install the fascia
Always more to do panels, though, I had to install 11⁄2"- PANEL 12V, 20W lamp Opening cut to clear
(RadioShack no. toggles and jack
The Ontabec Central has turned out deep wood spacer blocks. Next, I DETAILS 272-1177)
Bus wires for
to be all I expected and more. Now that secured the panels to the blocks Switch-motor track feeders
the layout is fully operational, I can com- with brass finishing screws. To fin- toggle switches (no. 14)
plete other projects I’ve been meaning to ish the project I covered the front
do. This suits me just fine as I find the of the 5⁄8" plywood layout deck, 1⁄4" two-
building aspect of the hobby most enjoy- which extends 3" over the front 1⁄8"-diameter hole conductor jack
able. I let members of my Friday night edge of the benchwork, with a (RadioShack
operating crew run the layout. veneer wood-grain tape. 153⁄4" x 61⁄2" no. 274-252)
Currently I’m adding details to struc- The fascia panels look great styrene panel
tures such as fire escapes, roof vents and give the layout a finished,
and pipes, and signs. I also have to fin- professional look. – H.S. To DC power supply Power plug
1
or to Digital Command ⁄4" two-conductor phone plug
ish installing sidewalks and assorted Control power supply (RadioShack no. 274-1536)
street-related details. All of these pro-
5⁄8" plywood
jects will greatly enhance the layout’s
panel
appearance and give the Ontabec Cen-
tral a big-city feel. MR
TERMINAL STRIPS AND
8'-0"
FASCIA PANELS

Spacer blocks 24"

11⁄2" deep 18"

28"
 Meet Howard Scodras
1x4
Terminal
white
strips
pine
Howard and his wife Gerry live in Recessed panel
Ottawa, Ont., Canada. He became
Two-conductor jack
interested in model railroading when
he built a Globe HO scale boxcar kit Fascia panels mounted Hole cut in
front of
in 1950. Howard, a retired Bell on spacer blocks with brass
layout
Terminal
Canada technician, credits Jacques finishing screws; 5⁄8" plywood strips
top extends 3" over front edge
Therrien, Mike Hamer, and his wife of layout; edge of plywood top 61⁄2"-wide prefinished
Gerry for making the OC a success. covered with veneer wood-grain tape shelving used as fascia
Ore trains and mixed freights
keep operators busy on this
freelanced On21⁄2 layout
By George Hall • Photos by the author
1. While the amulite mills on Bill
Wilson’s freelanced On21⁄2 Bay Point &
Diablo provide a constant source of
revenue for the railroad, other online
customers keep crews busy. As BP&D
0-6-6-0T no. 5 prepares to depart
Sierra Stoneworks after setting off
three cars, one of the road’s diesel
switchers picks up loaded hoppers
from the local rock company.
 here are many schools of thought

T when it comes to O scale narrow

gauge modeling. You can build
your equipment to On3 (3 feet between
the rails), On2 (2 feet between the rails),
or even Om (meter gauge) standards.
The newest addition to the O narrow
gauge family, however, is On21⁄2 (21⁄2 feet
between the rails). While the gauge was
uncommon in North America, except
for some industrial and agricultural
lines, it has one big advantage for the
modeler because On21⁄2 models run on
HO gauge track.
When Bill Wilson became interested
in narrow gauge modeling, he chose
On21⁄2. He likes narrow gauge so much
that he’s built four layouts in On21⁄2, his
newest being the Bay Point & Diablo.
Bill has many reasons for liking nar-
row gauge, one of which is the space
requirements for a layout. “Visually it’s
bigger than HO, yet it’s operated in a
space that would accommodate an HO
layout,” Bill said.
With lessons learned from three pre-
vious On21⁄2 layouts, Bill made the
BP&D a showcase for what’s possible in
On21⁄2. He now lays track by hand, and
he kitbashes and scratchbuilds locomo-
tives and structures. Even though the
track plan is fairly simple, operators
keep busy running ore trains and mixed
freights on the narrow gauge layout.

Making the switch

Prior to making the switch to On21⁄2
in the late 1970s, Bill was an active HO 2. During an operating session an ore train and mixed freight work the layout. The
scale modeler. He started work on two photographer caught up with both trains as they crossed Diablo Creek. The
small On21⁄2 layouts but moved before loaded ore train is going to the Bay Point Amulite Mill, while the freight is on its
he could make much progress on them. way to Clyde to do some switching.
When Bill started work on his third lay-
out, he decided to make it portable. “I nine-mile line between the northern television, so we developed industries
built the layout on four hollow-core California communities of Bay Point on the layout that handled the product.”
doors,” Bill said. “This arrangement and Cowell during the first half of the Bill and his operators have defined
works fairly well. The layout was 20th century. The railroad transported what amulite is over the years. “Amulite
designed to be moved in four separate cement, agricultural goods, and rock. is a very dense product of unknown
sections, but the flat top made it hard to With a few twists to the real rail- quantity and composition,” Bill said.
do scenery.” road’s history, the Bay Point & Diablo “During an operating session a fellow
Before moving from Washington was born. While locations such as Clyde, was switching tank cars into the amulite
back to California in 1990, Bill sold the Bay Point, and Cowell Junction are real, mill and asked why the cars were
layout and built an around-the-walls other facets of the railroad are made needed. We decided it was oxidizer for
shelf layout in a spare bedroom at his up. According to Bill’s version of his- the amulite.”
new home. The shelves, which are 18" tory, the 12-mile BP&D is a wholly
and 24" wide, are bolted together. To owned subsidiary of the Diablo Amulite It’s all about details
increase the layout’s operating poten- Co. The railroad transports a product On his earlier layouts, Bill used stock
tial, Bill extended the model railroad called “preframulated amulite” from HO track and hid the ties with ballast.
into a walk-in closet. the mine at Diablo to the pier near Bay While the trains ran fine, Bill wanted
The spare bedroom is more than just Point. Bill and his operators heard the track on the BP&D to look closer to
a layout room, though. Bill’s workbench about preframulated amulite during O scale proportions, so he started laying
and spray booth are located underneath a technological hoax on a local televi- it by hand.
the layout. sion station. Bill cut the ties from a piece of first-
“Originally the BP&D was going to growth redwood on a table saw. He
Finding inspiration haul cement, much like the Bay Point likes to use redwood because it’s soft,
The inspiration for the BP&D came & Clayton,” Bill said. “But my friends so spikes go in easily. The only draw-
from the Bay Point & Clayton, a stan- and I wanted something different. We back to redwood, according to Bill, is
dard gauge railroad that operated a got a kick out of the amulite story on that it doesn’t take stain well.
 3. Amulite, a fictitious natural material, is the major commodity shipped on the
BP&D. In fact, the railroad is a wholly owned subsidiary of Diablo Amulite Co.
Here, BP&D Heisler no. 3 spots empty ore cars at the mill in Diablo.

Once the ties were cut, Bill spiked

code 70 rail in place. He laid the
turnouts using kits from BK Enter-
prises [available from Tru-Scale Mod-
els, 12874 County Rd. 314B, Buena
Vista, CO 81211; troutcreekeng.com –
Ed.]. Peco also offers On21⁄2 track with
narrow gauge tie length and spacing.
Kitbashing and scratchbuilding locomotives in 0n21⁄2
Kitbashing and scratchbuilding
Bill enjoys being able to use items
from various scales on his On21⁄2 layout. When Bill got into On21⁄2 modeling, only a small number of locomotives were avail-
For example, he used modified Atlas HO able. This led Bill to begin scratchbuilding and kitbashing to get engines for his
scale water towers in the yards at Diablo layout. The following is a list of components Bill used to make each of the locomo-
and Bay Point. The Warren truss bridge tives shown from left to right above.
over Diablo Creek is also from Atlas. The • BP&D diesel switcher no. 10: Athearn HO scale Hustler chassis, NorthWest
bridge had to be kitbashed to accommo- Short Line power diesel truck unit, scratchbuilt cab, and hood from a Bachmann
date the larger scale trains. Plymouth switcher.
In instances where Bill needs a • BP&D 0-6-6-0T no. 5: Mantua HO scale 2-6-6-2 with lead and trailing trucks
building to fit a specific space, he’ll removed, V&T Shops cab and oil bunker, Tomalco Sn3 domes, and new drive.
scratchbuild the structure. Bill made • BP&D Center-Cab diesel switcher no. 12: Walthers HO scale SW1 chas-
some of the structures, including the sis, scratchbuilt cab, and two hoods from Bachmann Plymouth switchers.
Diablo Creek trestle and all of the tun- • BP&D Shay no. 4: U.S. Hobbies 15-ton Shay with modified cab and Preci-
nel portals, from the same piece of red- sion Scale motor.
wood he used for the ties. “I cut the “I try to make my locomotives look like O scale models, not converted HO
redwood into strips, some as small as a scale models,” Bill said. “I fill every crack on my locomotives with lead for added
scale 1 x 2, on a 10" table saw,” said Bill. traction. I have to overhaul the mechanisms periodically because of the extra
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of waste. weight on the locomotives and the steep grades on the layout.” – G.H.
The saw blade is 1⁄8" wide, so I’m losing
 Closet
Palace Hotel
Oxidizer unloading
Diablo Amulite Mill General store Hardware store Entrance
Water tank DIABLO
Area to
Cafe be developed

Water tank
58"

563⁄4"

3 Freight depot
Clyde and Diablo panel 52"
Freight dock
Clyde

2 Minnetti Machinery
Diablo
Creek
Bay Point & Diablo 4
On21⁄2 scale
Room size: 1 1 x 12 feet
Scale of plan: 1⁄2" = 1'-0", 24" grid Hastings
Numbered arrows indicate photo locations Slough
543⁄4"

Bay Point Amulite plant

Oxidizer loading
5

1 Bridge and building Sidebar

maintenance shed
BAY POINT
531⁄2" Maintenance shed
Sierra Stoneworks yard Main panel Water tank Yard panel
Enginehouse
491⁄2"
RIP track
Rock loader

Oil tank
503⁄4" 48"
Backdrop
61"
Window Cowell Junction

Illustration by Robert Wegner

1
⁄8" to get a ⁄32" piece of wood. For pro-
1
Narrow gauge operations
jects that require smaller strip stock, I An operating session on the BP&D
use Kappler scale wood and Evergreen requires three operators – two who
styrene strip.” serve as engineers and one to be both a
dispatcher and brakeman.
Scenic elements During a session Bill and his crew
Bill made the scenery base for his run two trains. The first is an ore train
layout by spreading Structolite plaster that runs between the two mills. The
over window screen. He added Moun-
tains in Minutes rock castings to give
second is a mixed train with freight cars
and a combination coach.
 Meet Bill Wilson
his scenery more texture. To complete The engineer of the ore train starts
the scenes, Bill applied various shades by getting his locomotive and caboose Bill Wilson has been interested in
of Woodland Scenics ground foam and at the Bay Point yard. Then the engineer prototype and model railroading
installed several of the firm’s trees. backs the caboose hop over to the Bay since childhood. His father worked
The Bay Point & Diablo is populated Point Amulite Mill and picks up empty for the Southern Pacific as a bridge
with figures manufactured by Arttista. ore cars. The train then makes one tender. As a youth, Bill had a Marx
Bill repaints many of the figures so they complete trip around the layout before windup tinplate train and later began
don’t look like those found on other stopping at the Diablo Amulite Mill to modeling in HO scale.
model railroads. drop off its empties and pick up loads.
4. Bay Point & Diablo no. 5, an 0-6-6-0T, leads a mixed train train is responsible for switching all of the industries on the
near Hastings Slough. The engineer assigned to the mixed layout except for the amulite mills.

 Layout at a glance
Name: Bay Point & Diablo RR
Scale: On21⁄2 (1:48 proportion,
21⁄2-foot gauge)
Size: 11 x 12 feet
Prototype: Bay Point & Clayton RR
Locale: San Francisco Bay
Era: Early 20th century
Layout style: around the walls
Length of mainline run: 331⁄2 feet
Layout height: 52" to 61"
Track: handlaid
Turnout minimum: no. 5 (main
line), no. 4 (yard)
Minimum radius: 24"
Maximum grade: 5 percent
Scenery: Structolite over screen
Backdrop: Instant Horizons
backdrops applied to walls 5. Bill used an assortment of commercial products, including Woodland Scenics
Control: Cab control ground foam and Instant Horizons backdrops, to scenic his layout. All of the
scenery products are visible in this photo of a BP&D freight near Diablo Creek.

The mixed freight works the other short enough, a meet can be set up at Down the road Bill would eventually
industries on the layout. The engineer Clyde. Some operators like to do saw-by like to expand the BP&D by adding more
of this train is responsible for dropping meets here.” industries, lengthening the main line,
off less-than-carload lot traffic at the and increasing siding capacity. Since his
Clyde freight station and spotting hop- Future goals model railroad is freelanced, Bill knows
pers at the rock loader. Bill says operat- Bill is working on several small he has some leeway in how he makes
ing sessions, which take roughly two projects to enhance his layout, includ- these additions. “One of the best aspects
hours, can really test the skills of the ing adding interior lighting to the of this layout is that it doesn’t lock me
operators. “With two trains sharing a structures. He is also in the process of into modeling anything specific,” he said.
single-track main line, things can be- equipping all of his locomotives with “But I still want the layout to run and
come hectic,” Bill said. “If the trains are constant lighting. look like a real railroad.” MR
 Start big,
finish small

ike many other model railroad- the Pacific Northwest. The fact that
Dreams of an HO
scale empire yield
L ers, I intend to construct a big
HO scale layout. Someday. As
life would have it, however, those lofty
Great Northern tracks once traversed
the area where I now live made the rail-
road an appealing prototype to model.
aspirations were put on hold several The period for my layout is loosely set
to this compact years ago when I moved into a new between the late 1950s and the early
home with an unfinished basement. 1960s. While I strive to maintain a rea-
Great Northern While waiting for my plans to material- sonable degree of period awareness, I
ize into finished walls, I desperately tend to model simply for the pleasure
N scale layout needed something to model. of doing so rather than trying to recon-
Although at heart I’m really an HO struct a specific time or place.
scale model railroader, I’ve always been
By Don Culp intrigued with N scale trains. More than Framework
Photos by the author once, I’ve thought how neat it would be Measuring only 21⁄2 feet wide and 5
to have a few. Being without any other feet long, the layout is indeed compact.
outlet for modeling, those thoughts I built it 32" high with the thought that
translated into the Havaphew Central, I could sit in a normal desk chair to
my first N scale layout. operate trains. The open-grid frame-
I modeled the railroad to represent work is assembled from 1 x 4 lumber, a
Great Northern Railway operations in 1
⁄2" plywood top, and 2 x 2 legs. Although
1. Powered by Great Northern GP7
no. 624, a westbound local rumbles
past the business district of Ash-
ton, a fictional community on Don
Culp’s 21⁄2 x 5-foot N scale
Havaphew Central.

2. Judging by the array of realistically weathered locomotives and rolling stock

spotted in Welsh Yard, Don’s collection now includes more than just “a few” N
scale items. For Don, collecting equipment is just as enjoyable as operating it.

3. With a day’s work in tow, GN RS-1 no. 183 prepares to switch off the main line.
The crew looks forward to ending their trick in Welsh Yard and heading to the
bustling business district of downtown Ashton.

the layout isn’t particularly heavy, cast-

ers on the legs make it easy to move. CRAFTING the trees
The backdrop, made from 1⁄8" hardboard
fixed to a 1 x 2 wood frame, extends 10"
above the surface of the layout. Although most of the trees on the Havaphew Central are commercial products
To help re-create the rugged skyline from Woodland Scenics and Life-Like, I also made several of my own.
typical of the Pacific Northwest, I first Many of the evergreens are crafted from a material called bumpy chenille found
covered the backdrop surface with light at craft stores. Bumpy chenille is a fine plastic strip material that’s twisted into a
blue (flat finish) latex paint and then wire stem. Each length of chenille has several conical shapes or bumps that
used spray adhesive to apply commer- resemble evergreen trees attached end to end. I used a sharp pair of wire cutters
cially printed background scenes from to cut them apart to form individual trees.
Detail Associates. For model railroad purposes, the material is too shiny and uniform as it comes.
I did a little random pruning with scissors so their shape would be less uniform.
Track and power Then I stuck the tree trunks into a sheet of scrap cardboard to hold them upright
You might recognize the track plan as while I covered them with a dark green (flat finish) spray paint that’s normally used
an Atlas original that I modified into an for painting dried flowers. Once the paint dried, I dribbled diluted white glue onto
expanded double-loop scheme. Follow- each tree and then sprinkled on subtle hues of green ground foam to add texture.
ing the design, I used Atlas Snap Track Other trees and wooded growth I made using ground-foam-coated twigs, dried
secured to cork roadbed with track nails. candy tuft, and some real twigs to represent logs and stumps. – D.C.
The Atlas Custom Line manual turnouts
 Spiniker Passenger Centennial Alís se rvice Blue Note GN Ashton Yard tower Brandee
Park station Mills station Lounge station (Welsh Yard) River

Sentry
Surplus
5

Brooke Ave.
Ashton

Mindy Street
3

Central Gas Belvidere Dayzees Retail 2 Welsh Yard Water Farmhouse

& Supply Theater Pond buildings office tank
1

Don Culp’s Havaphew Central Locomotives and rolling stock

N scale
Scale of plan: 11⁄4" = 1'-0", 12" grid What starts out as “a few” trains can
Numbered arrows indicate photo locations easily turn into a few too many, espe-
6 cially on a small layout. Although I’m
Illustration by Rick Johnson and Elizabeth Kelly
not always certain exactly where an
item will fit on my layout when I
More on our Web site acquire it, I’m never hesitant to add
To view a detailed sectional track plan are operated by ground throws from something to my collection and worry
of the Havaphew Central, please visit Caboose Industries. Following installa- about where it fits on some other day.
our Web site www.modelrailroader.com tion, I sprayed the track with a combi- Like many model railroaders, I’ve
nation of flat rust and black paints, found collecting equipment can be just
applied Woodland Scenics ballast, and as enjoyable as operating it. As it now
then cleaned the top of the rails. The stands, I have a full roster of locomo-
plan also includes a Warren truss tives and rolling stock on the Havaphew
bridge and a plate girder bridge, both Central. All of my equipment is fitted
from Atlas. with Micro-Trains couplers and realisti-
Power to the rails comes from an cally weathered using water-based
MRC Tech II Dual Power 2800 power paints and powdered pastels.
pack. With the double-loop design bro- The appearance of a model is typi-
ken into 10 separate blocks, I can have cally what attracts me first, but reliable,
two trains running at the same time. high-quality performance has become
One train can run continuously on the increasingly important as I gain experi-
outside loop while I switch with an- ence. If rolling stock doesn’t function
other locomotive on the inside loop. well, it can quickly become a source of
recurring frustration.
Landscaping
Hydrocal, paper towels, and card- Structures and vehicles
board forms cover the layout surface. I The structures are all kits from
painted the landscaping with diluted Walthers Cornerstone, Stewart Prod-
acrylic paints and added ground cover- ucts, Plastruct, Model Power, Heljan,
ing from Woodland Scenics. Although I and Atlas. Due to space limitations, I
made several Hydrocal rock castings had to refine my selection to suit a par-
4. Unfettered by the arriving passenger using molds from Woodland Scenics, I ticular need or location. As with my
train, the crew of GN SW9 no. 16 con- also included a few real rocks that rolling stock, I weathered all the struc-
tinues switching at Centennial Mills. A amount to N scale boulders. Hydrocal, tures using powdered pastels and then
double-loop track plan, divided into 10 stippled for a wave effect, provided the sealed them with Floquil Figure Flat.
electrical blocks, makes it possible to basis for water that I painted with The vehicles I have on the layout are
operate two trains independently. acrylics and coated with gloss medium. from Champion, Con-Cor, Detail Asso-
 Layout at a glance
Name: Havaphew Central
Scale: N (1:160)
Size: 2'-6" x 5'-0"
Prototype: free-lanced Great
Northern
Locale: Pacific Northwest
Period: 1950s to 1960s
Layout style: free-standing portable
Layout height: 32"
Benchwork: open grid
Roadbed: cork
Track: Atlas Snap Track
Length of mainline run: 13 feet
Turnout minimum: Atlas Custom
Line
Minimum radius: 93⁄4"
Maximum grade: 0
Scenery: Hydrocal and paper towels
over cardboard forms
Backdrop: 1⁄8" hardboard
Control: cab control 5. Great Northern E7A no. 504 leads an eastbound passenger train over the
Brandee River and into deeply forested terrain.

6. This overall view of the Havaphew

ciates, Mini Metals, and Road Apples. Al- Central reveals just how much Pacific
though the Champion vehicles are actu- Northwest scenery and railroad opera-
ally a collection of toy cars that are tion Don captured in a few square feet.
slightly larger than true N scale propor-
tion (1:160), they are fairly nice repre- hold them close to (but not touching) a
sentations that look fine when placed hot soldering iron, or by cutting away
strategically on the layout. appendages and then gluing them back
All of the vehicles have been detailed in a modified position.
to include painted headlights, tail lights, To add even more visual interest to
and door handles. It really isn’t that dif-
ficult to do in this small scale, provided
the layout, I placed an array of plastic
and cast-metal details including signs,
 Meet Don Culp
you use a very fine brush and a magni- telephone poles, garbage cans, and mis-
fying lamp. cellaneous parts from my scrap box. Don became interested in model
railroading after reading an issue of
Figures and details A start to something bigger Model Railroader magazine in his
The layout population includes an Building the Havaphew Central was junior high school library. He’s now
assortment of figures and animals from both enjoyable and educational. Multi- been active in model railroading for
Model Power, Preiser, and Rustic Rails. ple options in the track plan also make more than 30 years. Don is a deputy
I repainted some of the figures and even it very entertaining. But most impor- sheriff and lives in East Wenatchee,
did a little plastic surgery on a few of tant, in a matter of a few square feet I’ve Wash., with his wife Jan. They have
them to change their positions. been able to practice techniques I’ll two grown children, one daughter
Changing the positions of plastic fig- surely use on my next layout – whatever and one son.
ures, can be done using tweezers to size or scale it might be. MR
Fort Myers, Florida,
made to travel

1. Florida East Coast locomotive

no. 411 brings a cut of cars into the
Fort Myers interchange yard on Ian
Lampkin's portable HO scale layout.

Modeling modern Florida railroading in HO scale from the United Kingdom

By Ian Lampkin • Photos by Andrew Burnham

I
nspiration for my portable HO scale restored coaches pulled by a rebuilt includes the Seminole Gulf Ry. and the
Fort Myers layout came in 1993 dur- Electro-Motive Division GP9. terminus for its dinner train. I added
ing a vacation to Florida. Partway Once I got home, and while the an interchange with CSX, though the
through that trip, I’d visited The Train memories were still fresh, I decided to prototype interchange is farther north
Depot, a hobby shop in Winter Park look at the feasibility of building a lay- at Arcadia. There is also a connection
near Orlando. Having spent the earlier out based on what I’d seen. Impressed with the Florida East Coast Ry.
part of the holiday watching trains with the performance of my Athearn Although Amtrak had ceased run-
around Orlando, I decided to purchase purchases, I pushed ahead and started ning to the area in the 1970s, I rein-
a few souvenirs from my trip, and these some serious planning. stated Amtrak service on the layout to
included an Athearn locomotive and a add operating interest.
several freight cars. Putting the plan together Much of the freight movement on
Later during the same trip, I stum- After sifting through the numerous the railroad is in the form of inter-
bled upon the Seminole Gulf Ry., a short photos I’d taken of trains in the south- change traffic. However, I also included
line running from Arcadia through Fort ern half of Florida, I some local industry, such as an orange
Myers towards Naples in the south- chose Fort Myers juice processing plant and a distribu-
eastern part of the state. In addition to as the focal point. tion warehouse. The warehouse was
freight service, the railroad operates a In designing my originally a cement silo, but the model
dinner train that features a number of layout, this city was too hard to transport to shows.
Orange juice
processing plant Fiddle yard Double-slip switch

Fort Myers Ry.

HO scale (1:87.1)
Scale of plan: 5/8" = 1'-0"
All turnouts no. 5

Highway overpass
Fort Myers on the move
So I can take the layout to train
shows, I built it to be portable. I’ve
always favored simple baseboard con-
struction. (We call the benchwork sec-
tions “baseboards” in the United King-
dom.) I use 1 x 2s for the frame with
either 1 ⁄2" MDF (medium-density fiber-
board) or, as in this case, 1 ⁄2" chipboard
for the deck. My Fort Myers layout is
made up of six 3-foot and two 2-foot
sections. When fully assembled the lay-
out measures 18" wide, 22 feet long, and
48" tall.
I built the layout sections so that they
can be bolted together in pairs to form
boxes for traveling to shows. The boxes
can then be stacked and fit across the
back seat or in the boot (trunk) of most
cars. I’ve used this same design for
other layouts, and it has proved to be a
real boon, since the entire Fort Myers
layout has fit in every car I’ve owned
over the years.
I support the sections on plug-in legs
made from 1 x 2s with 1 ⁄4" plywood 2. A pair of CSX Geeps are tied up on
bracing to give them rigidity. These push buttons on a separate panel. Elec- the engine track awaiting their next
legs are solid enough that I can mount trical connections across layout sec- assignment. On Ian’s layout, Fort
electrical sockets and several drop- tion joints are made with 25- and 37- Myers serves as an interchange point
down tables (for drinks and operating pin computer connectors. These can be for the Florida East Coast, CSX, and
materials and such) to them. And, laborious to wire, but after a few nights the Seminole Gulf Coast Ry.
because the legs simply plug into the in front of the TV with a soldering iron,
layout sections, I can set up the layout I eventually finished the job. The payoff ▸▸ Layout at a glance
in about 10 minutes once it’s unloaded is that setting up and taking down the
from the car. layout is very easy when using this type
Recently, I’ve installed lights under of connector. Name: Fort Myers Ry.
the fiddle yard section on the layout. I originally wired the layout for DC Scale: HO (1:87.1)
The lights illuminate two rolling stock cab control with handheld cabs that Size: 18" x 22'-0"
storage trays mounted under the lay- plugged into the fascia using 5-pin DIN Prototype: Seminole Gulf Ry.
out, so they’re easier to see when swap- plugs. My friends wired their DC con- Locale: Fort Myers, Fla.
ping trains. trol systems in the same configuration, Era: 1990s
The two 3-foot car-storage boxes bolt so this allowed us to share handheld Style: portable sectional layout
to the legs under the fiddle yard. All cabs between layouts. Mainline run: 18 feet
stored trains are kept in designated In the past few years I’ve run the Minimum radius: 32"
slots in the boxes until it’s time for Fort Myers layout with a Digitrax Digi- Turnout minimum: no. 5
them to be put on the track in the yard. tal Command Control (DCC) system. Maximum grade: none
The lights and storage boxes have sped However, I still use the same type of 5- Benchwork: 1 x 2 frame with
up the time it takes to change trains pin DIN cab plugs. I’ve also left the DC 1 ⁄2" MDF top

during shows. cab control wiring in place and run the Height: 48"
DCC system with all the conventional Roadbed: cork
Track and control cab-selector switches set to the same Track: Peco code 75
All the track on my Fort Myers lay- position. This way I can revert to con- Scenery: plaster
out is Peco code 75. The turnouts are ventional DC within seconds should Backdrop: none
powered by Seep switch machines sold there be a problem with my DCC equip- Control: Digitrax Digital Command
by Gaugemaster. These are mounted ment. To date, the DCC equipment has Control
under the layout and are operated by been extremely reliable.

Marks indicate Everglades

Station Rolling stock storage underneath Warehouse
benchwork sections boat rides

Public viewing side Interchange yard

 3. Though he models Fort Myers, the 4. The layout's major industry is an
station on the layout is actually modeled orange juice processing plant. The
Show operation after the one in Orlando, Fla. Ian
scratchbuilt the model from styrene.
large kitbashed factory hides the
railroad’s fiddle yard.

When my Fort Myers railroad is on kitbashed the main buildings and ware- driven airboat, a couple of alligators
display at a show, my friends and I houses using pieces from various Wal- basking in the sun, and a drug bust by
operate the layout. The railroad thers kits, and I added a lot of extra the local police.
normally takes two people to run, details, such as air conditioning units
but sometimes we include a third and piping. I’ve also included detailed A first step
person for short periods of time interiors in some of the buildings. All Building the Fort Myers layout has
during the session. my structures with completed interiors been very enjoyable, and it was my first
I use a sequence system that have lighting so that the details can be step in modeling American prototypes.
has two sets of cards mounted in fully appreciated. Since starting the project, I’ve done a
an old file binder: one set each for The largest single building on the lot more research on American rail-
the two operating positions – the layout is the station. I based the model roads, which has led me to add more
station and the fiddle yard. The on the prototype at Orlando. I chose to details to my layout and rolling stock.
cards are numbered (indicating the build the Orlando station instead of It has also inspired more trips to the
step in the sequence) and provide the one in Fort Myers because I’d not United States and Canada, and I’ve
operating instructions for the crew yet visited that station in the daylight. since built two other North American-
members, such as where a particu- In fact, at the time, I had no idea that it prototype layouts.
lar train is to go and which cars are still stood, so I modeled the ornate Or- What’s next, you may ask? As the
to be picked up or dropped off. lando station. As it turns out, the real layout is now quite a few years old, my
How the crew member carries out Fort Myers station still exists and is thoughts have turned to building a re-
those instructions is part of the now a museum, complete with a coach placement. However, the challenge will
challenge, as not all the moves mounted on rails outside, but by the be to build something in the same
are straightforward. time I discovered that, I’d already built space that would be more interesting.
I like the system as I believe the the Orlando station. So for now, the Fort Myers railroad
switching work keeps the mind I scratchbuilt the station from sty- continues to be improved and travel to
active, especially when the yard is rene. The arches were the biggest chal- shows. MR
nearly full of cars. – I.L. lenge, as each one is made up of four
layers of styrene, and all were cut indi- Ian Lampkin’s story and Andrew
vidually. The time I spent building Burnham’s photos are used by permis-
The big benefit with DCC has been these has been well worth it, however, sion of Peco Publications.
the addition of lighting effects on all my since the structure has shown no signs
engines and sound decoders in many of of warping after more than 10 years. I ▸▸ Meet Ian Lampkin
them. As more friends convert their lay- now have the photos necessary to build
outs to DCC, our familiarity with the an accurate interior for the station and
system is improving greatly. plan to do so, including illuminated Ian was five when he got his first
cold drink dispensing machines. model train for Christmas. Fort
Scenery modeling At the other end of the layout is a Myers is his sixth layout, and he’s
I find modeling scenery to be one of modern warehouse made up from ver- since built two more. Ian lives in
the most enjoyable aspects of model satile Pikestuff/Rix plastic parts (mar- Surrey, United Kingdom, with his
railroading. Florida, however, is pretty keted in the United Kingdom by Mod- partner Sarah. They enjoy foreign
flat, so I focused a lot of my efforts on ern Structures in Miniature). traveling, finding good ale houses
the layout’s structures. The warehouse area features some and micro breweries, and photo-
One of the major structures on the typical Florida scenery, including tall graphing railroads around the
layout is the orange juice processing grass and a few palm trees. In addition, world. Ian’s layout was most
plant, which is located at the left-hand I’ve added a number of details to en- recently featured in the September
end of the railroad. The plant conceals hance the layout. These include a com- 2005 Continental Modeller.
the fiddle yard, so it needed to be big. I pany offering tours via a propeller-
BIG
1. Modeling a big industry on a small
layout isn’t as difficult as you might
think. John Drye, who models a branch
line of the Pennsylvania RR on a 6 x 8-
foot N scale layout, built Schaefer
Paper in just three square feet.

industry on a small layout

A major industry that By John Drye • Photos by the author

occupies just three

W
e normally associate models Schaefer Paper is loosely based on
square feet in N scale of big industries with large the paper mills once common in central
basement layouts. However, Pennsylvania. By kitbashing full kits
through kitbashing and some careful into low-relief structures and setting
structure placement, you can suggest a the buildings at angles against the back-
major industry in a small space. I was drop, I was able to capture the essence
able to model Schaefer Paper Mill, the of a large paper mill.
major industry on my 6 x 8-foot N scale The techniques I used for Schaefer
Pennsylvania RR Bald Eagle Branch lay- Paper can be adapted to any scale or in-
out, in just three square feet. dustry. With a bit of creativity, you can
 Receiving Chemical storage tanks 3 1 4 Packing and shipping 2 Power plant

Scale: 1" = 1'-0", 12" grid, N scale (1:160)

Schaefer Paper mill complex
Illustrations by Rick Johnson

▸▸ Track plan at a glance

Pennsylvania RR Name: Pennsylvania RR Bald Eagle Branch

Bald Eagle Branch Scale: N (1:160)
Scale: 3⁄8" = 1'-0" Size: 6 x 8 feet
N scale (1:160)
Layout size: 6 x 8 feet
Prototype: Pennsylvania RR branch line
Mill Hall Period: summer 1956
Laurel Creek Bald Eagle Length of mainline run: 28 feet
Minimum radius: Visible 18", hidden 9"
Minimum turnout: main line no. 6, sidings no. 4
Maximum grade: main line 2 percent, sidings 6 percent
Track: Peco code 55
Backdrop: styrene sheet over foam board
Scenery construction: foam board
Area shown on plan above TYRONE

convey the impression of a big industry

without taking up much layout space.

A destination industry
Schaefer Paper handles several doz-
en cars a day, including inbound and
outbound boxcars with paper, inbound
tank cars with chemicals, covered hop-
pers with kaolin, open-top hoppers with
coal for the power plant, and flatcars
with manufacturing equipment. There’s
plenty of work to keep one operator busy
during an operating session.
Like many Pennsylvania paper mills,
Schaefer Paper doesn’t handle pulpwood.
Instead, it receives processed pulp in
the form of rolled paper carried in box-
cars. The plant refines this raw paper
into fine writing and drafting products
for other industries.
Because of the traffic, the mill has a
small yard and a dedicated switcher.
Since my model railroad is set in the
steam-to-diesel transition era, either a 2. Pennsylvania RR 2-8-0 no. 8014 shoves a loaded coal hopper into a siding
PRR class H9 2-8-0 steam locomotive adjacent to the power plant. John set the buildings at angles against the
or first-generation Electro-Motive Divi- backdrop so the mill would seem larger.
sion diesel can be found in the yard.
of a large industry. In addition, I modeled decades. I used parts from several kits
Modeling variety a few small buildings to represent the to re-create this variety.
The Schaefer Paper Mill consists of yard office and tool sheds. I added numerous details to the mill
four buildings: receiving, shipping, pro- Mills and other industries that have buildings so they’d look prototypical
cessing, and a power plant. The struc- been around for several years have varied and to conceal gaps and joints in the
tures are strung together in linear fashion architectural styles representing addi- kitbashed structures. Several manu-
along the backdrop to give the impression tions and modifications made over the facturers offer pipes in most common
 only one. I covered the joint between
the wall panels with air ducts.
Where the long wall faces the aisle, I
modeled the overhead door in the open
position so I could add interior details. I
used HO scale woodworking machinery
(lathes and drill presses) to represent pa-
per processing machinery. Though de-
signed for a larger scale, the HO scale
parts work well for simulating heavy ma-
chinery in N scale. I also added a Wood-
land Scenics water tank to the roof of the
processing building.
Finally, I kitbashed Walthers’ North-
ern Power & Light to model the power
plant. Like the processing building, the
power plant has two walls set at an an-
gle to the backdrop. The tracks pass be-
3. Many structures in Pennsylvania were made using bricks manufactured in tween the power plant and processing
the Keystone State. John painted the mill buildings with similar shades of red to building and through a hole in the back-
suggest that the bricks came from the same source. drop. Leftover pipes from the Superior
Paper kit mask the backdrop opening.
I used one of the long walls from
Northern Power & Light to make the
power plant seem bigger. A cast-plaster
chimney disguises the angled joint be-
tween the walls. I replaced the kit’s
peaked roof with flat styrene and added
rooftop vents to help blend the building
into the backdrop.
Though the buildings represent dif-
ferent styles of architecture, I used Polly
Scale Boxcar Red for the brick color on
all three kits. In many towns, bricks came
from the same location, so airbrushing
the structures the same color gives the
industrial complex a uniform look. I
painted the processing building Polly
Scale CSX Tan to add variety.

A new mill
Schaefer Paper was a major indus-
try on my old Bald Eagle Branch, but I
4. John added vents and covered over windows so it would appear the mill has had to dismantle it and the rest of the
been upgraded over the years. Simple tricks like this add realism to any structure. layout in preparation for a move. How-
ever, I’m currently working on a new
scales. Plastic or brass tubing can also A spur next to the receiving building version of the mill.
be used for piping. serves several sets of tanks (from Wal- One of the lessons I learned from
thers’ Superior Paper kit). To give the building the mill was that low-relief
Mill buildings tanks some extra detail, I added etched- structures look more believable than
I kitbashed George Roberts Printing, metal catwalks. flats. I’m trying to keep all of the low-
a Walthers Cornerstone Series kit, to I pieced together the shipping build- relief buildings for my new paper mill
model the receiving building. I used the ing from several walls included with at least 1 ⁄2" deep.
back of the kit as a low-relief structure the Superior Paper kit. I modeled the I don’t yet know how much space
and placed it against the backdrop. The loading dock from sections of the kit’s the new Schaefer Paper Mill will re-
rear of the structure features a covered long shipping wall and cut it to fit the quire. But that industry, or yours, in
loading dock where cars are spotted to angled track and adjacent backdrop. any scale, can be easily modeled by kit-
protect the paper from the elements Because the shipping building receives bashing structures and stringing them
while being unloaded. many cars, I extended the spur through together. MR
Because of space considerations, I the backdrop and under a hill made from
had to cut down the two side walls. extruded-foam insulation board. John Drye is a defense analyst for the
I made the cuts along the vertical con- I used a pair of Design Preservation United States Navy. While not running
crete columns so I’d have clean cut Models Goodnight Mattress Co. kits to trains, he volunteers with the American
lines and space for a loading dock. I model the processing building. The kit Red Cross and enjoys sailing on Chesa-
also added vents and pipes to the roofs is positioned at a 30-degree angle from peake Bay. His N scale PRR Bald Eagle
and walls to conceal the gaps where the the backdrop, so one side has two long Branch was featured in the December
building meets the backdrop. wall sections, and the other side has 2001 issue of Model Railroader.