HO Scale Shelf Layout Tour

[@RailserveJohn]

Wow 10,000 views on my small shelf layout! I appreciate all of the comments. Check out my channel for updated videos on this layout.

[@scenariomckinney]

Awesome detail. Very nice work!!!!

[@spaceman063]

@@scenariomckinney I agree sometimes a simple track plan and beautiful scenery makes an very realistic and interesting layout.

[@jessiematthews2432]

Buddy keep it up. Great stuff. Hi from australia

[@jessiematthews2432]

More snow please

[@gonebamboo4116]

May I ask about your layout design? I want to do a Time saver puzzle strictly in Bachmann EZ. I haven't found any designs or package deals. I live overseas but spent six years in Philly myself.

[@Eduardomd54]

Enjoying your work. I myself did as you did. Leaving N Scale. I like very much attention to detail, and HO is far better! I understand that for HO, you need much more space, but a shelf layout can be very satisfying. I am working by modules. So I can move, and re install.

[@RailserveJohn]

That’s awesome to hear! Thanks for the comment

[@NSWLE]

Very nice. Looks awesome. You have inspired me to build a shelf layout. Thanks.

[@toddarmstrong.trackside.action]

wow.... one of the best shelf layouts I've seen. Well done. You've got great modelling skills, nice weathering without overkill and the LEDs look great too. Thanks for sharing

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@What_If_We_Tried]

Beautiful little switching layout, and I used to want a huge basement layout, but after looking at artistic railroad dioramas like your, and others, my perspective has changed, and my small bedroom / office - with three usable walls, albeit with slopped ceilings that limit the layout height - is enough for me. Especially since I can focus far more time into the small details, like you have done, which will bring my railroad to life, thus permitting immersive switching sessions.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you for the comments. Lots of fun to be had even with limited space. Enjoy the new build! -John

[@marklewis298]

Wow...nicely done. Size doesn't matter.

[@elwood.downey]

Nice tour and great work, inspiring for those with little room. Many thanks.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you

[@346UNCLEBOB]

Splendid! That's the word which comes to mind. A really well done layout. You have a good eye for composition. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@timothyjerry1177]

You sir are a natural artist. This looks fantastic. The quarter round upper trim? What an awesome look. Well done 👏🏻

[@XBOXShawn12thman]

I'm also starting a shelf point to point HO scale layout in my apartment .... I was able to go 2 feet wide and made the bench an L shape 😁👍

[@RailserveJohn]

Awesome! Enjoy!

[@markdonato874]

Outstanding shelf layout, very well done. Weathering and attention to detail are top notch. I live in the Philadelphia area, that RSSX switcher is located at Honeywell Chemical, next to I-95. It gets quite dirty, good job capturing the flavor of the heavy use it gets.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks Mark! Yes I grew up in N.J. and when I would make the drive down 95 I always saw them there. I’m planning on building a new one with the new Walthers SW1200 being released shortly. Thanks for the comment!

[@markdonato874]

@@RailserveJohn Sounds like an idea for one of your future videos!

[@robbeberhard7725]

Way kewl set up .... Awsome weathering/lighting ..... Those white rusted tanks look gr8 !

[@NSWLE]

That semi truck is very impressive. You did an excellent job with the entire layout. Great job!!!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks!

[@alankjkj1]

Outstanding work. Very impressive semi lighting.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you very much!

[@markschumacher6630]

Very nice switching layout, friend of mine, Kevin Betson, flys a G650, just thought I'd mention that, in case you might know him. Keep up the great work, you obviously really enjoy the hobby. Your a talented scenery builder.

[@RailserveJohn]

Mark Schumacher thank you! The name doesn’t sound familiar. But the corporate side of aviation is a pretty small community so it’s possible we may have crossed paths.

[@RocktCityTim]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Outstanding job on this and lots of great inspiration.

[@ilcentral]

wow!!!That is one hell of a great looking layout.You should be very proud!Thank you for showing us how it should be done.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@williamdickman7917]

Missed the Geep chop nose...great shelf layout...very well done, thanks for showing your work.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks. It is in my recent video. I am installing a new decoder in it.

[@RoyWhitman]

John I really enjoyed your video. You have a real eye for detail. Amazing scratch building. I enjoy this aspect of the hobby myself and appreciate you sharing

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks Roy! I have been enjoying this layout very much.

[@sparky107107]

that is a great shelf layout. fun times for sure. your detail work on the scenery looks fantastic. I am sure most of us wish we were that good. thank you for the tours. the flashing lights on the truck had me in awe. sweet. a video on how to do that would be something i would watch and learn from.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks Sparky!!! Appreciate the sub and comment. I will have more videos up soon!

[@petevonstettina8627]

John.......I'm looking forward to what you're going to build in your new home. Keep us posted!

[@RailserveJohn]

Should have some stuff to share soon!

[@MarkNieting]

Love the late winter snow piles!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@haroldalexis4200]

John this is fantastic! I live in a small studio apartment and its a insulting joke! Man i want to layout trains so much in HO and standing by! The benchwork is handcrafted very well! The blue building with grain elevator is also WALTHERS POWER PLANT BUILDING, The lighting excellent on the street & building scenes! The display with some of your other Diesels works well! You got an A+ on this one! Your video is the 2nd I've viewed in a week, the first i viewed was a 4 by 8 in a small place.. I thank you for this fantastic shelf layout.. ☺🚥🚧

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you Harold. I have since slightly added on to the layout and have included more industries. Modeling in a small space is very do-able. I very much enjoy working on my small switching layout. Thank you again for the kind words. John

[@struck2soon]

Nice! The weathered rolling stock and buildings really make this compact layout stand out...good work.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@anthonybruce3482]

Neatness counts. Very pleasing, modeling is great but very appealing that overall everything and I mean everything is neat and organized.

[@richardross1869]

Excellent job on your shelf layout It comes across with a professional & believable touch. Nicely done. Rich R.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you very much Rich!

[@machinist1176]

Awesome work. Good inspiration for my shelf layout.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you

[@tomstarcevich1147]

Nice layout very good weathering looks great🚂🚃🚃👍

[@brettany_renee_blatchley]

Wow, this is amazing scenery and weathering! Bravo!! 😊❤

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you very much!

[@modelrailroadingthesouthwest]

That looks very good. I like the snow banks. Your layout looks well detailed.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks!

[@jayadams4587]

I like what uyou did to that heartland express tractor trailer!!! That was cool!!!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks! It was kind of thrown together and poorly wired. I will build another one soon and make a video on it.

[@CONTAINERMAN68]

It looks like it could be fun to operate! I got 4 SW1500 switchers that will be working my Container Port Layout, MoPP Missouri Pacific Port in Texas! Good job on the scratch built structure! Hey, brown trees? You need a red beacon light at the top of your leg. LOVE the flashing lights on the tractor/trailer!!! We need to talk about that, more in depth! I want to do that with all of my tractor/trailers! If possible! Technically there is one electrical line and 2 airlines running from the tractor to the trailer on all semi/trailer configurations! So that could be modeled. Electrical lines are usually green and the air lines are blue and red. So you could use all 3 wires as electrical wires if need be and nobody would know the difference. Some of the newer trailers have 2 red lights at the top rear corners facing backwards. You could have security lights at each corner of the buildings? RH

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks! Yes i was working on air/electrical lines for the trucks. Honestly the hardest part is making the lights look right when not on... mostly why i tried using the fiber optics. Its a trial and error process but very inexpensive. I have some more trucks that I will be working on when I get home from work next week.

[@thomasclavinjr.3817]

Everything’s amazing about this, it’s just what I would want. I haven’t built a layout and can’t believe the detail that goes into it, amazing. One thing to consider with the melting snow piles is making them a little more dirty. Knowing first hand also living in the northeast and looking at my yard and roads...these melting snow piles are more black and brown than white. I think especially in an industrial yard they would have been plowed piles of dirt and snow, just a thought. Your layout is such an inspiration.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks! Yes the snow piles are far from finished. It was an experiment to make the piles out of craft foam. One pile is actually dirty as I was trying different methods of “dirtying” them. There will be many more and they will be darker.

[@sernajrlouis]

Great video. Love the display and your switcher. The weathering is awesome. Great shelf layout

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks buddy!

[@user-zz3ff2zu2z]

Very inspirational layout. GOOD job.

[@mdpfishoh1516]

Your details on this simple layout are excellent. Weathering is amazing. I model N scale currently and I wish I could get the detail of HO in my modules. Got some great ideas from you for my next build. Thanks. Keep up the great work.

[@lucgagnon5241]

That blue scratch building is simply awesome. I like pretty much everything on it. Especially the color. Small shelf layout has this very different from a bigger one : it's possible to put more and more details on it. I like the small tanks too. Very realistic ! Cars and engine are nicely done too. Keep on your good work.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you! With the space I have, I really enjoy these smaller layouts. Thanks for watching

[@lucgagnon5241]

@@RailserveJohn Thanks for answering. Is the big blue-green building consider as a grain elevator ? I suppose because I saw one of your op sessions and you backed up a grain cylinder car in it. But I'm curious to onow ! Looking at all the layout parts you're showing makes me wonder that you're a kind of perfectionist... pretty much like me ! Keep on your good work.

[@RailserveJohn]

@@lucgagnon5241 the blue structure was a facility that took in raw sugar. It received a car or 2 every ops session. My OCD often gets the best of me and I over think every piece of the layout while building it lol

[@leesonmorrison28]

This and the small Central Los Andes are the best shelf layouts I've ever seen. Congratulations!!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you so much Lee. I appreciate the kind words.... I will be revealing my new layout plan shortly. All the best, John

[@markh4211]

Love ur minimalist painted backdrop! Simple and effective. That looks like one I could actually paint myself.

[@southjersey10]

Very inspirational.

[@pukavita]

Nice weathering. I like realistic looking layouts... much better than the typical plastic jungle you see on many layouts. Well done.

[@davidstewart3337]

Very nice looking stuff, being small it's still quite impressive

[@25mfd]

nice layout... your night scene looks really nice... looks like very early evening... adds a different vibe to the ambiance

[@idahobuckaroo8348]

Creative content for sure. Really like the semi tractor & trailer lighting. Great layout. Impressive and very well done! Thanks for sharing.

[@dominicleone6795]

Remarkable skills for a first attempt! You eye for realistic painting and weathering is fantastic! Keep up the good work!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@dominicleone6795]

@@RailserveJohn What's the size of your benchwork/table top? Sorry if I missed it!

[@RailserveJohn]

@@dominicleone6795 this was 18 inches deep by 8 feet long. With a 3 foot extension lead

[@dominicleone6795]

@@RailserveJohn Great use of space!

[@unpasaro]

excellent design, congratulations and thanks for sharing it

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you for watching! -John

[@scottpool4777]

Excellent layout I have one coffee table and it’s the HO gauge 1950s yeah awesome very nice.

[@sphillips71]

Amazimg weathering, lighting, and balance. Subscribed!!!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you Scott. I will be moving soon and unveiling the next layout build.

[@flyboy2610]

Very nicely done! You've done a lot in a small space. Shelf layouts such as this are quite popular in Great Britain. I like the detail you've added inside the transfer building.

[@toycarcollector]

Very nice! Your weathering is exquisite!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you! I enjoy the weathering challenge.

[@TheGrover1968]

I really like your efforts to add trackside animation. That's one thing I really like about European model railroaders. A lot of them want a to make everything on the layout to look alive not just the trains.

[@formidable38]

Very nice! You've captured that urban grot atmosphere perfectly.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

An interesting industrial layout. I would suggest adding the Walther;s "Madusa Cement" facility as it very easy to place (A small footprint), and has a cool covered run through for two Shorty Covered Hoppers.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks William. Unfortunately this layout has come down and I have started a new one.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

@@RailserveJohn Been there too :-) Good luck with your new project!

[@Eduardomd54]

Very good work, nice detail, the kind of stuff I enjoy. Very inspiring to me. Thank you

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Great work on such a small shelf layout. Simple but a lot of detail and work. Keep it coming.

[@Mike15hundred]

Awesome use of your space. Wall display case is cool😊

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@jmt1720]

Great layout! Love the details. You show one does not need a lot of space to enjoy this hobby.

[@doc8579]

Nicely weathered cars. Have fun.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks Robert

[@RichsGarage]

You've built a great looking layout. The lights on the truck are awesome.

[@rockislandmodeler6802]

You have done a great job, I like how you got the lights to flash.

[@garypyke1576]

Wow! Great looking layout! Nicely weathered freight cars and buildings.

[@derrickball5092]

Fantastic work!!! Now I want an HO shelf layout. Great job and keep the videos coming as you add more!

[@icghogger]

Awesome work, love the attention to detail, really draws the eye in!!

[@heybeerdan1820]

Very nice work! I'm in the midwest, so the ADM operations are nearby. My only suggestion on your outstanding shelf layout: The snow would be dirty gray by that time of the year (LOL).

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks. I have since made the plowed piles dirty.

[@waltherrick3172]

Great layout! Great modeling! Love the simplicity, and that you didn't try to cram a bunch of stuff into your relatively small space.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks! It is hard to fight the urge for MORE TRACK. I even have 2 more switching spots that will be modeled in the near future without adding any track.

[@virmico1]

Very nice job. look forward to seeing the layout in operation. Carl Arent said: THINK SMALL

[@DominiqueGallou]

Excellent job!

[@NAR-cv6cc]

Great looking Shelf layout! cant wait to see more video's.

[@bensharp575]

Very cool. One that I had queued up to watch. I have a shelf about that width around 8 x 8 feet of what was an intemperate den that is 18 x 8 feet. Back door to driveway and through traffic plus cold in winter and hot in summer made for a bad den but a good entrance with library shelves divided by wood trellis and a screen door to shut out my feline MOW helpers when they aren't wanted. Thanks for some really good ideas, taking the time to do the video.

[@RailserveJohn]

Lol nice. My feline friend doesn’t jump up to mine. It’s about 54” above the ground

[@bensharp575]

@@RailserveJohn I have found that left alone, my two are excellent foam and ceiling tile shapers, but otherwise, good company.

[@RailserveJohn]

Haha yeah I love my Fur buddy!

[@hoosierhobbies]

The work that you've done is very inspiring to me!

[@marka87]

Nice work - enjoyed your layout tour and ideas

[@Kevin-ev7hw]

You have a great shelf Layout that you can try out different things on it. I love the 3 D printed Lights and the Semi that you have been working on. Gives me some Ideas for my shelf layout when I get started on it in June. when we get the Floors done in our Condo. Ty

[@kraigdevries9639]

Great looking shelf layout!

[@17leeward]

Hi from the UK. Really enjoyed the tour. Thanks for sharing

[@RailserveJohn]

Awesome! Thank You!

[@kyleschessiecumberlanddivi5581]

This is one impressive layout, can’t wait to see more, supporting the channel. -Kyle

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@bobainsworth5057]

Fine job! Your attention to detail is very good.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you Bob!

[@DimensionMachine]

Amazing use of space....inspiring!

[@danielbonham9336]

A fantastic layout,

[@rhodesj1893]

Semis have three lines coming from tractor to trailer... You could run external wires from power source to tractor and accomplish an added spot of realism at the same time as powering the leds. Good job of hiding them by run down the frame rail though.

[@timothyjerry1177]

I live in the NE. this looks perfect for the season.

[@DeathByFishing]

I have an N scale layout because of lack of room and I love to rail fan. Kudos to you for sticking to HO. You can still get plenty of good details in N , but it costs a premium.

[@RailserveJohn]

Yes N scale is fantastic for modeling in smaller spaces. Although sometime in the near future this layout will be growing drastically!

[@espeemike3698]

Wow! Awesome layout! Nicely detailed and finished. Excellent modeling skills. You are a Master Modeler! Mike

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@billinthecove]

I enjoyed your work... creativity and layout very much, thank you for sharing it! ~Bill

[@keithdickson8364]

That looks very nice. Love the semi. Keep it up.

[@Pseudo_Boethius]

You did a great job! Very impressive!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks!

[@avelkhemchan6640]

Really nice detailing. I like the semi with hazards on. I'm always looking forward for updates on this layout on MRH.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thanks! I am really happy with the truck. I am planning on doing a few more.

[@boomer8393]

Well done young man. Looking forward to updates.

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you very much for the compliment.

[@minutemanmac]

Really nice work so far

[@timwilson238]

Very nice work!!

[@trainiak1]

Looks great! Very nice modeling!

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank you!

[@williamschlenger1518]

Very well done a lot in a limited space.

[@dacuzzz]

great update ...thx for sharing.. vinny

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

Wow. First: Nice little layout. I'm thinking of build myself a shelf layout in HO, even though I have a ton of N scale. Second: I drive for Heartland Express (I haul out of the Lathrop, Ca. terminal)! You can leave the rig clean if you want. Most Heartland yards have a wash rack.

[@scottpool4777]

Yes that does make it look nice why did Nite think of that before he thank you very much and your layout is fantastic👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@RailserveJohn]

Thank You Scott!

[@scottphillips5388]

Looks really great, super job

[@StationRailfan]

Great looking layout, John! Looking forward to more videos!

[@jamest151]

excellent work John! I'm space challenged myself so keep up the development and progress!

[@326dad]

Nice job ! Very impressive

[@daveolliemetalhead]

Nice look . You do very nice work

[@NorthernOhioRailroadAction]

Job Well done & excellent work on your layout keep up the great work my friend