Todd J's Baltimore & Ohio RR Build Thread(Pics)

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hello all,

This is going to be the building thread for my N scale layout, featuring terrain in Ohio.
The layout is going to be on a 3 x 6 platform, on the top bunk of a bunk-bed. I’m going to base this in the Transition era(1940s-50s), when they were converting steam to diesel.
I’m planning on having an oval or two, passing sidings, a turntable and roundhouse, small engine servicing area, a few sidings and a small town. All though this does seem like alot crammed into a 3 x 6, I am amazed at the space I will have to work with and the track count.

Benchwork:

For the benchwork, I am planning on having two 2 x 4s on either end and four 1 x 2s in the middle(3 feet long). Depending on how many 1 x 2s I have left, I may also put 1 x 2s in the middle, spanning the 6 feet. The 1 x 2s will have notches cut out of either side where they will rest on a ledge that the bunkbed has pre-installed.
I am also toying with the idea of having a second level over the enginehouse and staging areas…I’d like your thoughts on that.

Please give any critism or help or suggestions that you think are nessessary. I am currently having trouble trying to upload the photo of my trackplan on Atlas RTS 7.

Pictures of current bunkbed -

2

Is part of this framework still going to be used as a bed? The movement of the bed could play havoc w/ the rest of the railroad’s benchwork, separating modules and knocking over rolling stock etc.
Bob K.

3

No, it’s not really used as a bed. It used to be my bed when I was 4, and now it’s there just because my mom doesn’t want to get rid of it. When guests come, there is a guest room anyways. I highly doubt anyone sleeping on it(It is a 3 x 6 bed!).

Thanks,
Todd

4

Well, can you “Tear the bed” down and store it somewhere out of the way in it’s componet parts? It wont be like getting rid of the bed if you carefully unassemble it.

5

Yes I could, but I like the hight of it for me. My mom doesn’t like my trains either(She thinks it’s a waste of money), and she said that the bunk-bed was the only place I could put my layout. I’ve got a few “Double deck” layout plans going. I just decided that I’m going to put another 3 x 3 piece of OSB board over the right-hand side of the layout, where all the engine housing and stuff will be under.