Stone Rails: S Layouts
Unlike On30, where I have spent more time building Micro Layouts, in S I have built only a few because of my limited space available. Only two of these small layouts were highly detailed and both are pictured on this page. At left is the Engine House of the first layout, made from an O gauge Mike's Train House "Grainery" greatly modified, painted and weathered. The locomotive is a Putt Trains 2-6-0 Mogul. I was experimenting with adding backgrounds, smoke, and steam in Paint Shop Pro here.
Unlike On30, where I have spent more time building Micro Layouts, in S I have built only a few because of my limited space available. Only two of these small layouts were highly detailed and both are pictured on this page. At left is the Engine House of the first layout, made from an O gauge Mike's Train House "Grainery" greatly modified, painted and weathered. The locomotive is a Putt Trains 2-6-0 Mogul. I was experimenting with adding backgrounds, smoke, and steam in Paint Shop Pro here.
This is the whole layout, Paint Shop Pro used to blank out ugly background. At the far end, a Putt Trains Mogul hauls a short freight train made up of S Helper cars and an American Models caboose. The large stone building is a "Grainery" in O scale by MTH which has been modified for use in S scale, painted and weathered. It is being used as a refrigeration plant to serve my small fleet of reefers. The trucks are Hartoy die cast.
On the right and closer is the modified engine house from the first photo. Beside it is a Walther's O scale fuel tanks with a resin cast office. The tank cars are DesMoines Hobbies. And on the far left are a couple of resin cast structures and a resin cast water column. I made seven S scale wall patterns and molds for those. The idea was to be able to "mix and match" these "walls" to make many different kinds of structures.
On the right and closer is the modified engine house from the first photo. Beside it is a Walther's O scale fuel tanks with a resin cast office. The tank cars are DesMoines Hobbies. And on the far left are a couple of resin cast structures and a resin cast water column. I made seven S scale wall patterns and molds for those. The idea was to be able to "mix and match" these "walls" to make many different kinds of structures.
The track on this layout is S Helper Service sectional with some of their flex track at the end of some sidings so that I could get it "down in the weeds."
This view shows the resin cast buildings, all made with seven basic walls. Roofs were made of Plastruct roof sheets. The trucks are all modified Hartoy trucks that I modified to make look far different than they did originally
The cars are modified Matchbox '32 Ford coupe and '27 Ford pick up Hot Rods which have been "de-tuned" by removing the headers and adding card stock hood sides, and repainting in original early Ford colors. "Mag" wheels were covered buy "wheel covers" made from discs of card stock and painted appropriately.
This view shows the resin cast buildings, all made with seven basic walls. Roofs were made of Plastruct roof sheets. The trucks are all modified Hartoy trucks that I modified to make look far different than they did originally
The cars are modified Matchbox '32 Ford coupe and '27 Ford pick up Hot Rods which have been "de-tuned" by removing the headers and adding card stock hood sides, and repainting in original early Ford colors. "Mag" wheels were covered buy "wheel covers" made from discs of card stock and painted appropriately.
A road side scene on the layout gives a better look at more modified die cast toy vehicles. Center is a Hartoy truck that has had it's chassis extended and a second set of rear dual wheels added. A logging truck bed was scratch built for it as well, and of course it has been painted correctly with red cab, hood, and wheels and black fenders.
The car is a Hot Wheels "Deuce Roadster" that has had it's hood mounted "blower" and headers coming out the side removed to "de-tune" the car. Card stock parts were bent to cover the hole in the top of the hood and side panels of the same material enclosed the sides of the hood. Once again, card stock "wheel covers" covered the "Mag" wheels and the car was painted a thirties correct brown with black fenders and running boards. Figures are from Fun 'N' Games Miniatures.
The car is a Hot Wheels "Deuce Roadster" that has had it's hood mounted "blower" and headers coming out the side removed to "de-tune" the car. Card stock parts were bent to cover the hole in the top of the hood and side panels of the same material enclosed the sides of the hood. Once again, card stock "wheel covers" covered the "Mag" wheels and the car was painted a thirties correct brown with black fenders and running boards. Figures are from Fun 'N' Games Miniatures.
The ice plant complex made from a much modified MTH O scale
Grainery" attached to an MTH "Warehouse." Any specifically O scale "man doors" were covered with Plastic sheet walls with S scale doors mounted in them. To be fancy, I added a special front entrance section.
This operation serves two sidings with S Helper Service refrigerator cars waiting. On the street side, Hartoy trucks and various modified die cast toy cars can be seen.
Because I remove and pack all structures and other items for transport and storage, the trees are inexpensive pre made ones from Life Like with the trunks painted correctly and the bases covered with ground foam to match the layout's ground cover.
Grainery" attached to an MTH "Warehouse." Any specifically O scale "man doors" were covered with Plastic sheet walls with S scale doors mounted in them. To be fancy, I added a special front entrance section.
This operation serves two sidings with S Helper Service refrigerator cars waiting. On the street side, Hartoy trucks and various modified die cast toy cars can be seen.
Because I remove and pack all structures and other items for transport and storage, the trees are inexpensive pre made ones from Life Like with the trunks painted correctly and the bases covered with ground foam to match the layout's ground cover.
The local fuel dealer is a Flatulene distributor. Fuels and oil comes in by rail in Des Moines Hobbies tank cars that have been repainted and weathered, and the distributor makes deliveries in a custom painted Hartoy tank truck.
This day a local service station owner has arrived in his wrecker, a reworked Matchbox toy. The office is one of the resin cast creations, as are those in the background.
The track the tank cars are on is SHS flex "buried" in ballast and weeds. Notice the smoke stained enginehouse beside the tank farm.
This day a local service station owner has arrived in his wrecker, a reworked Matchbox toy. The office is one of the resin cast creations, as are those in the background.
The track the tank cars are on is SHS flex "buried" in ballast and weeds. Notice the smoke stained enginehouse beside the tank farm.
There is one railroad crossing on this layout and it was at the back. In this shot, a freshly painted Putt Trains Mogul 2-6-0 is on a break in run with a short train. Obviously this motorist is impatient as he's right up to the tracks!
He's driving a Matchbox '40 Pontiac "Low Rider Covertible" which has been modified to represent a standard Pontiac. The chassis has been raised from it's lowered position and the padded custom top removed and an interior buit, complete with Fun 'N' Games Miniatures driver.
The crossbucks is an MTH accessories piece from a set and the crossing itself is made of a wood base with Joint Compound "pavement." The steam from the loco's whistle and the backgroud blank out yet another ugly real background.
This is the final look at this layout.
He's driving a Matchbox '40 Pontiac "Low Rider Covertible" which has been modified to represent a standard Pontiac. The chassis has been raised from it's lowered position and the padded custom top removed and an interior buit, complete with Fun 'N' Games Miniatures driver.
The crossbucks is an MTH accessories piece from a set and the crossing itself is made of a wood base with Joint Compound "pavement." The steam from the loco's whistle and the backgroud blank out yet another ugly real background.
This is the final look at this layout.
Pictured here is the next layout built and was a complete departure from the idea that every layout you build should be bigger! Not really a Micro Layout, the influence of my love of the tiny layouts is undeniable.
This one was built specifically to take to the annual Spring S Spree and made several appearances there and at other train shows. It uses S Helper Service flex track and a single SHS switch sunk into the 2" thick extruded styrofoam layout base. Curve radius is 15 inches and the entire layout is only 33x42 inches (under three by four feet.) As I had done with the On30 layouts, the track was half "buried" in weeds and a little ballast to give a "backwoods" look.
This is the "town" end of this layout with a single siding and a few buildings.
This one was built specifically to take to the annual Spring S Spree and made several appearances there and at other train shows. It uses S Helper Service flex track and a single SHS switch sunk into the 2" thick extruded styrofoam layout base. Curve radius is 15 inches and the entire layout is only 33x42 inches (under three by four feet.) As I had done with the On30 layouts, the track was half "buried" in weeds and a little ballast to give a "backwoods" look.
This is the "town" end of this layout with a single siding and a few buildings.
Here's the view of the other end of the layout. The "theme" of this layout was obviously logging. Twenty two foot long Skeleton Log Cars were resin cast from patterns and molds of my own making.
There was also a Bachmann On30 box car modified with a weathered gray paint job and S Helper trucks and couplers to haul tools.
I also scratch built a shorty Water Car, also using SHS trucks and couplers.
Motive power was all by Putt Trains and included the four wheel diesel "Critter," the 2-6-0 Mogul steamer, and the 2-4-4T Suburban which probably was never used in anything but commuter service in the real world!
A closer look at the area being "logged out." A too small "hill with exposed rock" toward the back was carved from scrap extruded styrofoam.
The low maintenanced track of the logging line are crossed by a gravel road with only a single timber on each side of the rails to hold back the gravel for the flange ways.
You'll recognise the modified Hartoy trucks, and as usual the logs are made from short lengths of dowel, scribed lengthwise to add "bark" and then painted gray, brown, or a combination of both. The tree stumps were resin cast by a friend who has since passed.
At left is the shorty Water Car for the logging layout. The tank itself was found in a junk box I had bought and is off a broken American Flyer Track Cleaning Car. The short flat car is scratch built of strip wood and scribed balsa sheet and uses SHS trucks and couplers. Everything is weathered to look right for a logging outfit.
This is the small logging town on a hot, sleepy, day as seen from the shade of the trees. Nobody is moving quickly as the hot gravel of the crude street crunches under foot. A train rumbles by in the distance as logging boss Elwood Suggins waits in a Model T company pick up truck. Nearer our viewpoint a group of truck drivers discuss the area's roads by the Flatulene Fuels tanker. A clerk outside the warehouse admires Elwood's new green and black '32 Ford coupe with the then new flathead V-8 engine.
All of the buildings are the resin cast ones I built, some new ones being made just for this layout (see other photos to notice differences.) The old cars are reworked Matchbox and Hot Wheels "de-hot rodded." Trucks are Hartoy modified. Figures are Fun 'N' Games Miniatures.
This is the last look at the logging railroad.
All of the buildings are the resin cast ones I built, some new ones being made just for this layout (see other photos to notice differences.) The old cars are reworked Matchbox and Hot Wheels "de-hot rodded." Trucks are Hartoy modified. Figures are Fun 'N' Games Miniatures.
This is the last look at the logging railroad.