Tag Archives: Layout design

Have you given up on your resolutions yet?

Every year, the NMRA send me a magazine to tell me about voting and the like.  I don’t subscribe for the other 11 months, as the BRNMRA magazine ‘Roundhouse’ is far better (or perhaps it is just more British?)  However, … Continue reading

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Hours of fun with maps – and two interesting designs

I was recently reading an RMWeb on building an ‘O’ gauge layout based on the King’s Cross loco stabling point.  This thread is very interesting itself, with track layouts and some excellent photographs of King’s Cross in the steam and … Continue reading

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Odd modelling ideas #20171

A couple of interesting modelling challenges from the Daily Telegraph for the New Year…. First, the Crystal Palace Subway. It’s been more than 60 years since a train last pulled up to the forgotten station – but this beautiful underground heritage … Continue reading

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Minories #3 – alternative Minories…..

The last couple of posts on Minories have given enough ideas for any number of successful layouts.  But I’ve been playing around with the basic idea, and have a couple of ideas that could have some mileage. Firstly, Minories on … Continue reading

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Minories #2 – Out in the suburbs

If you leave London, and head to the other end of the commuter lines, a Minories like design, sort of ‘mini-Minories’ is another option.  Iain Rice published this excellent design, loosely based, I think, on the outer-London terminus at Caterham. … Continue reading

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Minories #1 – the original design

There are few model railway plans that can be deemed ‘classic’.  One surely must be the late Cyril Freezer’s ‘Minories’ plan.  The plan was the result a flash of inspiration whilst waiting for a train, then some doodling to try the … Continue reading

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Shelf layout design

An interesting clinic presented at the NMRA MCR “Thoroughbred Limited” Convention May 13-18, 2015 by Philip Gliebe.  It’s interesting as this is an American looking largely at UK branch line layouts for inspiration.  ‘Shelf layouts’ in the USA are often … Continue reading

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Layout design – redux – different voices – simple layout, complex operation

The third post, a long way behind the traction ones, is about small, switching layouts. Another interesting voice in the layout design world is Lance Mindheim, who most originally posts at http://www.lancemindheim.com/. He has built a number of very interesting … Continue reading

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Off my trolley – redux – interurban branchlines – 1

This post has always been popular, too…. A good, if rather conventional, place to start with interurban layouts, is the conventional branch line.  Some electric railroads were no more than a branch line in total.  Others, like the Pacific Electric, … Continue reading

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Off my trolley – redux – streetcars and trolley layouts

As I’m in Stuttgart this week, I thought I’d repost the three most popular posts since I started blogging three or more years ago.  I’ve updated them a little, too.  One difference I note from starting blogging – I cut … Continue reading

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