Alcanman

How about a small aggregates terminal. Here's the one I built I last year. The measurements are similar 9ft (including fiddle yard) x 15ins. The inspiration came from the small'pop up' DB terminal at Warrington. I'm currently planning a new layout with the same dimensions, so I'm also looking for ideas.

Wiring the layout has now been completed. Locos are running nice and smoothly at slow speeds, perfect for switching, so it's time to try out some switching moves. NS has left a cut of corn syrup cars on the interchange track. The R&N switcher will spot them at the food processor and transload spur.

Made final adjustments to the track which has now glued in place with PVA. NS GP38-2 #5664 has shoved a cut of cars into the interchange track. Lurking in the background is R&N MP15dc #1540 which will switch the cars into the industries.

Track has now been cut and lightly pinned down with Peco fine track pins. I'll check it all again, make any final adjustments, then glue the track in place with PVA.

Thanks, and good to hear from you again. Yes, I did mention on FB that I wanted to look at having more structured ops on this layout. I'll take a look at JMRI/Operations. Thanks for tutorial link.

I've loosely placed some track to see if my track plan works, and, I think it should be OK with some minor tweaking. The 2 main warehouses have been re-cycled from previous layouts and the hopper unloading shed was recently built specifically for this layout. I've shuffled a few cars around to ensure switching moves will work. Basically, 3 or 4 cars will be staged on the interchange track, having been shoved in by NS. The R&N switcher will proceed to switch cars leaving out-bound cars on the interchange. I'm looking at various locations where NS and R&N interchange and will choose a suitable prototype location although the industries are, of course, purely fictional.

It's been well over 2 years since I built my last US small switching layout, The Marlborough Branch. A conventional 'inglenook' track arrangement worked well but since then I been looking for something a little different. I recently came upon John Errrington's excellent RSSX Railserve layout on YouTube which featured an interchange track serving as an on scene staging track, with the whole layout scenicked. Now that was different to my usual layouts with hidden or partially hidden staging. I managed to reduce to track plan to fit my usual 9ft x 15ins in HO, whilst maintaining the 4 industry spurs. The purchase of an Reading & Northern MP15dc switcher meant I could locate the layout in Pennsylvania. The R&N interchanges with Norfolk Southern at various locations in PA, so my NS GP38-2 could be used to bring in cars for interchange. Construction of the layout began last weekend , using my time honored method of fixing 12mm MDF onto a 3ins x 1ins timber frame built over 20 years ago! Mal ps. The photo of #1540 is on an old layout.

Worth every penny! I've had my Powercab for 10 years since I converted to DCC and I love it. Highly recommended.

Welcome back. Great to see the Downtown Spur switcher in action again and good to know that East Rail is still going strong. Lance Mindheim's East Rail layout sparked my interest in US modeling and the South Florida railroad scene. Hard to believe that was 10 years ago. Your videos provided further inspiration for layouts. I built 3 small switching layouts. Palmetto Spur, (based on Lance's plan in his book) Deerfield Beach FL and South Florida Reload. I had great fun building and operating those layouts. Mal

Having recently imported an Atlas HO MP15dc from Trainworld and pleasantly surprised at the overall cost, I decided to weather the loco. Research revealed that #1540 was originally purchased by the R&N from Norfolk Southern. The loco remained in a plain black paint scheme until 2017 when it was painted in R&N's green/yellow paint. Recent photos show a reasonably clean loco in service, so a light weathering would suffice. The loco will be used on my next small switching layout which will include a NS/R&N interchange, located in eastern Pennsylvania. #1540 will be used in conjunction with a NS GP38-2. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5286793

You can also pay UPS online .I paid the day before my Atlas MP15dc arrived. I paid them £47.16 . Total cost of my dcc sound fitted loco was £237.00 which I thought compared favourably with the the cost of buying from a UK retailer and I got the model I wanted.

Perhaps the VDAs are Hornby modesl which would have plastic wheels

Yes, I realised the wagon in my photo was the GMR/Airfix model. The wagon in the goods shed is the Mainline one with the out of scale runners.

I think it may be based on the old GMR/Airfix model which would have had plastic wheels. Surprised that Bachmann haven't upgraded it with metal wheels. Here's mine in 1977.

You should be able to change the numbers using CV 1

Hobbycraft sells Humbrol enamel and acrylic varnish spray cans. I've had good results with both.

Invicta Models have a good selection of US models. They have a lot of Athearn locos and freight cars at good prices. I've bought a few cars from them and found their service to be good.

Yes.

Hi Jason. Yes, the loco price was $189.99, which is a great price for a sound fitted loco. I paid UPS £47.00 and the payment to Trainworld, including handling and shipping was £190.00, so the total cost of the loco was £237.00. I think this compares favourably to buying a similar Atlas loco from a UK retailer. However, new Atlas sound fitted locos are very difficult to find in the UK. I'm very happy with this model and the service from Trainworls and UPS and would buy again. Mal

Time to 'eat my words' again. UPS just delivered this Atlas switcher this morning one week after ordering from Trainworld, Brooklyn NY. The cost wan'ts too expensive. With the dearth of US locos, particularly Atlas, available in the UK, this seems to be the way forward. The loco will be a great fit for my forthcoming small switching layout which will feature a Norfolk Southern / Reading & Northern interchange track based in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Athearn introduced their 'Primed for Grime' freight cars some time ago and continue with new releases. I particularly like the 'patched' cars. Here are a couple of 50ft double plug door box cars which I've weathered with washes and weathering powders.

I think that statement not only applies to small layouts, I've seen plenty of large layouts that would fit that description.

I feel that I must comment as I've followed your thread since the beginning . Perhaps it should now be moved to 'Layout Topics' where it will reach a wider, more appreciative audience. Your thread has convinced me that having a large space to build a layout would be of no use to me, because like you, I have a wide range of modelling interests which I dip into from time to time. Over the few, I've built small US, UK modern era, UK 1980s ,Italian and Austrian layouts. Confronted with a lot of space to fill, I would be filled with too many options and whether or not to spend a fortune (which I haven't got) on loads of track, points. locos etc and then change my mind. I'm happy building small layouts which I can rip up after a year or so and start the next one. (another small US switching layout). Good luck with what ever you decide to model, your thread has kept me entertained for over 6 years

Great photos at Winning, Dave. One of my favourite photo locations on the B&T. Hasn't changed much today except the lineside bushes have become very overgrown.

Humbrol dark brown no 29 acrylic gives good results for track. Spray cans are easily available from Hobbycraft around £6.00.