G'day, I want to start this post with a bit of a story.
When I was a child my Opa has several HO scale train layouts. My cousin an I would spend hours and hours making up trains and controlling them around. My Opa was a very talented man and would hand make and paint all the scenery, mountain landscapes, roads and he was especially good at waterfalls and rivers. I always loved my own LEGO train sets as a kid and when I started planning a LEGO city I knew that trains would play a very large roll in it. Here's hoping I have inherited some of Opa's talent and can do justice with my own layout.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCpo6L-YNbjvVJmuW55lb_SXODur_owOIEpetDdR5ftlMRjLJxi26YwVpI7yK4QDRHhYQQ8sGrN23d3MAXbwx8cFv7XZk3tVylCQBL5a5D5I8xFU5sZ_JP27tw9PuUuo8Y0fVbPstvD4/s400/city+tracks+1.JPG) |
The longest stretch of track covers the entire length of the table. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUxM8cYoW7-ppl5XPVv84lKHLTK8iV2LIFaqCXWuEpyhqfnzEDWbGHayIYWUiLzn7GRSqLvz3wDhY6_6ndn5h7M0QQsnDHr1V94H_KObIP8BUhpaJ5Yp7uTZS_5HgkmRE-Cc8fVW4Y1g/s400/city+tracks+2.JPG) |
Full curve in place to help line up the ballast. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVoBM2CS6d40Y_apMaPcwwBlTscdZZB3-kx3EgeZYY66lRBLJeFJEh4AI-2129mS3rsVa8y4Gr7SMKSlhkVtyZv9msiRl3aD-zGMK32CKzUolL9f8UjbEHLS5Tm39XiCX4bgqYGiGkGI/s400/IMG-5075.JPG) |
Plate outline of one of the switch tracks. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi5_2szA-lJN2OMCO7kRyPq0Zz_xPqdSd_Y_Oqzl7svF884fwcqwBlkMK6sVVS6EANuPwtx2l-MndlaShYLUfO4YNR-NfoRU9B-C1tTliz3SUQ7ZalDKnIl_tlnl-yGue1YDyfDgQaCc/s400/IMG-5092.JPG) |
Switch tracks were the most complicated to get the under details lined up. This is where 2 switches almost touch. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGqtfLIwEVCZSLia4YTu_ffd82r-tgNzFnK07GKiOndS7wrZfpmpya1Tg_YH-9bcQgbaMysK6y0KIoFUMUCv8L5sBQyeDdN-OThKDA9SScWCAgsf2-KuxJeSuVQVr4i7ardkbU4XozU0/s400/city+tracks+3.JPG) |
Unfinished train yard. The colored plates have no significance, they were just cheap to buy in bulk and made good filler. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8jpCfvN2QFOUKqGOEOY7fgR8W60SwrkgjfzUmZK4CCOB_YmhZ78C6audTKzH7GHQBtnkdWJsBFBzAHuHjY1ttlyughMfp5itkTcR8ATUrPvsxn8hzLV2v_7ei-LRgTSWr-igHwYh6jg/s400/IMG-5115.JPG) |
Finishing up the train yard... bags of parts and tracks everywhere... organized chaos. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBn1UTKtqrLDCpaweO32-roxd24eDl-mly_hvUmw8qZzfaq1i3AnXP4N64-sfAzaduPbHjGOVdmd3PbbKIWzk7c4wq5IE7ZK_oirWoznYendVZOIAfoQSxXfg6u5t8B5GGCP0z1dLO90/s400/IMG-5117.JPG) |
Extra studs for detail will be added to the inside of the curves. |
Quite a while ago I was trying out a few designs for the train track look. A popular method is using 1x4 black or brown tiles alternating every other stud, which I think looks amazing. However I decided to go with 2x4 plates in the middle and 1x2 plates on the outside, both in reddish brown, not just to be different but to save me a LOT of money. With so much track on the table it starts to add up fast. The tracks are placed on a double layer of built up grey plates with further layers of smaller detail to be added after the tracks are in. I made some final prototypes before going ahead to be sure I'd be happy with the design.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YCJWPDZdf3UWryoBjsHzc_pp54JWDjE0o41AOkcOSv7XR9RmUNe4epll6VY9KBBgyDCEzQcI5VjM-6FmDPXzU41VvQ4jdnNuL_q5PUAl7B-4CsH-GYn5hE3yJ66jCkJvb1RzQi8Ltio/s400/city+tracks+demo.jpg) |
Straight section prototype. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXKw1TQq7g3SQvdZ-xF3JNAcSQgYegmMJnLddGZ-mAF7Ck1U-CAfpKgSq1JtDtcsoh-t_MYA7iSfvSKrJ-74rZm0Ie_Tw0I4WQjE9AiVlY9Izdz-4H87mayNI8bRj5ge4SMBXfv1RWi8/s400/city+tracks+demo+curved.JPG) |
Curved prototype was very time consuming... |
And just some number crunching, this layout is made up of:
- 433 Straight Tracks
- 93 Curved Tracks
- 15 Switch Tracks (8 Right, 7 Left)
- Over 1500 redish brown 2x4 plates and over 3000 1x2 plates to make up the main sleepers
- Around 600 light grey modified plates + 1200 cheese slopes for station sleepers
- Over TEN THOUSAND various grey plates making up the ballast and details
- So far...
Thanks guys be sure to look at the
YouTube Video for a complete dynamic run through of the finished layout. Next up I will be adding in some further details and getting some trains running.
I'm gonna borrow your technique. Need to:
ReplyDeletea) get a lot of parts
b) have a play with that ballast, especially on the corners
Now I know your blog is here, will keep an eye on it! Good SEO btw ;)
Yeh you will fly through the parts so fast, also depends how many layers you decide to add. I was tempted to only do 1 level and it still looked good, would have saved a few thousand parts.
DeleteThanks for looking at the BLOG.