The original SPL - a basement layout
HO, Southern Pacific / New Zealand combined (a what if scenario: after WWII New Zealand was so damaged that the USA rebuilt the railroads and owned them).
Jack's layout
An 8-year-old's un-named portable N-scale railroad that fits in a double closet and runs ATSF and UP prototypes.
Single track folded loop with yard and one passing siding. DC controlled.
Port Bonifacio
An HO double-deck sectional shelf railroad featuring double track Southern Pacific main somewhere near Port Costa in San Francisco, a steam museum, two decks and a train elevator, all in a 10 foot by 11 foot study while still making room for a workshop, windows on two walls and a wall full of bookcases!
The Wettington and Mahawatu Railway Company
A G-scale narrow-gauge garden railroad, vaguely based on a New Zealand prototype The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company that ran within a mile of here, was new Zealand's only major private railroad, built on 3'6", and was based on mostly US equipment.
WMR: landscape levelled
Submitted by rob on Tue, 2008-07-15 10:31.
grading done, ordered last lot of blocks to finish retaining walls, about to lay track in cement "grade crossing' for pedestrian access
Physical areas vs power districts
The Port Bonifacio railroad is sectional. So power feeds need to go to each section.
Laying out track markings
I use a simple styrene template of a 90-degree track curve with an easement to tangent on one end. One side of the template is 580mm radius, the other 650mm.
Insurance inventory
I have built an online system on this website to manage my inventory of locos, rolling stock, track, electronics, structures, vehicles, books, DVDs...
W&MR transfer table
I have built a six track transfer table for G-gauge trains.
It is based on two doors from Trash Palace, a local garbage recycle centre. Old doors are cheap, rigid, light and pre-sealed.
Locking concrete blocks
I recommend using interlocking concrete landscaping blocks to build garden beds.
shelf brackets and steel girder strip
OK metal shelf brackets are gaining popularity for around-the walls layouts, but I combined them with long steel girders to span one wall that was all window.
Unconventional materials
On the South Pacific lines we try out unconventional or innovative materials, while using traditional approaches where reliability might otherwise be at risk.
camping mat subroadbed
I don't know the name of the plastic, but the rolls of 12mm dense foam sold as camping sleeping mats make great sub-roadbed.
styrene and PET-A control panels
I plan to make control panels out of a laminate of black styrene, printed graphics on paper, and clear PET-A plastic sheet.
extruded foam
On the original SPL I tried out riveted galv-steel wall framing with 50mm blue extruded Styrofoam glued to it.
steel framing
On the original SPL I tried out riveted galv-steel wall framing with 50mm blue extruded Styrofoam glued to it.
styrene backdrop
I use 2mm white styrene which i buy in 1200x1800 sheets for fifteen bucks from a plastics warehouse.
garden edging as an indoor fascia
here's an idea for cheap tough quick fascia for your benchwork.
Power painting
In the past I have skipped painting benchwork even when I knew sealing the woodwork would stabilise it just because painting takes so long and is such a hassle. Not any more.
Made in New Zealand 