A model train geek, learning as he goes.
My new layout is an around-the-walls style layout, with a peninsula coming from one end of the room. I decided to build the layout on shelf brackets screwed into the wall studs, with shelves cut from 4×8 foot sheets of plywood. This way, I would not have legs under the layout, leaving room for storage … Read more
Finally we come to the plan I am building to, version 5. This version features four long tracks of staging each for Miramichi and Campbellton, as well as a single track of staging for each of the Caraquet Subdivision, the Nepisiguit Subdivision, the Irvco spur in Belledune, and the Smurfit-Stone industry in Bathurst. Can you … Read more
With my new layout room, I needed a new plan. My initial thought was to continue with the Dartmouth Subdivision idea that the NSER used. This plan is basically a single-level dogbone with some around-the-wall staging. No doubt you can see a number of problems with the design, including restricted aisle space. On the plus … Read more
I put some photos I took at last Saturday’s model train show in Saint John in my photo gallery. As usual the Saint John Society of Model Railroaders did a fine job organizing the event. The usual displays were there, with the SJSMRR modular display front and center. For the four and under crowd, my … Read more
I tore the Nova Scotia Eastern Railway up in the summer of 2004 to get ready for our move to a larger house. Being a good railway baron, I ensured I would have (more) space for a new layout in the new home. I ended up with a 10×16 foot room, which is about double … Read more
As promised, here are some photos of my old Nova Scotia Eastern Railway layout. A passenger train goes by the station on the main line, while a CN switcher shunts the Windsor & Hantsport siding in the background. The NSER 76493 caboose brings up the rear of a short freight as they pass some rather … Read more
In this post I will discuss how I designed the Nova Scotia Eastern Railway to achieve my “druthers”/modeling objectives, under the limitations of the “givens”. Given that I had decided on HO scale, I had a limited amount of space to work in and a lot of operation I wanted to cram in there. I … Read more
My first model railroad was the Nova Scotia Eastern Railway. It was a two-level around-the-walls layout built in an 8′ x 12′ room. The NSER was a fictional shortline that took over CN’s Dartmouth Subdivision in Nova Scotia, and interchanged with CN and the Windsor & Hantsport Railway at Windsor Junction. The Junction itself was … Read more
Hi, I’m Steve Boyko and this is my blog about model railroading. I plan on describing the construction of my own model railroad, talk about my previous railroad, and provide some links and pointers to anyone looking to get into the hobby. I am by no means an expert but I hope I can get … Read more