Tour My N Scale Model Railroad Layout

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

See how I build scenery on my layout from scenic forms to finished product here: tinyurl.com/btur555p

[@jmcguire56]

This was great Ron, thank you!

[@chasechildress2720]

This is very inspiring since while this is a whole basement it shows with n scale that you can get large trains and scenes in smaller spaces than this as a layout of this style, in ho scale would take up Double if not triple the space. I have a small bedroom I occupy plan to get started on n scale dcc and have an idea for a layout with moduels.

[@N-Scale]

Thanks so much for the refreshing tour Ron !!!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thank you for watching, Mike.

[@jlwii2000]

The property manager line really got me laughing 🤣. Nice layout! I lived in Wichita Falls for a couple of months.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Hey James. Good to hear from you...well all we married guys know who the property manager really is. 🤣

[@jlwii2000]

@@RonsTrainsNThings haha yep.

[@sithlordofoz]

Ron, great to see the tour after so long. Still inspiring people from around the world. Cheers from Australia.

[@kkuehne45]

Thanks for the tour! Your layout is coming along nicely.

[@Longshadowsmodeltrees]

Thanks for the great tour Ron, you have a nice Layout and I enjoyed the video. Bob

[@randydobson1863]

hello ron's its is randy and i like yours video is cool and thanks for the tours my n scale model railroad layout thanks friends randy

[@ironriver117]

Thanks for the tour. The layout is looking good!

[@gkoproske]

You appear to have HO level separation for an N layout. Perhaps you want stools with rollers to operate on the lower level. 60" is about the highest one would want to go for an upper level.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I have max separation because it was important to me to have grain elevators in the lower level.

[@nscalefun]

AWESOME!!! Keep up the good work.

[@MarcelDekker-il3vw]

A nice tour. compliments. especially on the self crafted buildings. Funny add. Both we live(d) near a big ADM plant ; here its the cacao plant and also big and impressive

[@TheTrainFreak]

Great tour Ron! I like the fact how you incorporated multiple staging areas to represent the different number of trains that interconnect within your layout. - Jason

[@michaelsullivan3581]

Yay Ron! You're back! So glad to see you!

[@baldypalmsrailroad]

Nice layout tour Ron. The layout looks great and the flaws are only in the eye of the beholder. We learn so much from others and you never want the finish the layout, only add and improve the layout. Do find the time to do any rail operations. You have plenty of industries to keep you busy for hours. We’ll done.. 👍🙂🚂

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

My layout is designed for.operations, but I have a major lack of operators where I live.

[@tommynorwood5184]

Hi Ron , glad to see you are doing well. Very nice tour of the layout. There’s a lot of work to do on the layout. I like what I see and the plans are good ideas. A layout is a on going progress of your emanation . Thanks for sharing. Have a good day.

[@MMRails]

Thanks for the update and tour. Beautiful layout. I love your laundry-room-track-dust-cover. Great idea.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

It's simple but it just works. 👍🏼

[@jamesezekiel5728]

Thank you for the tour. Very nice work and your future goals are great. Can’t wait to see the progress.

[@CornCountryRails]

Hello Ron, I enjoyed the layout tour and look forward to following some of your upcoming expansion plans in the future. Keep up the great progress. ~Tony

[@joesestito4342]

Looks fabulous !

[@jhoodfysh]

Nice tour Ron, thank you very much.

[@samuelmula5570]

Thanks Ron! Lots of progress. Really appreciate the update. Keep up the great work and thank you for bringing us along for the ride.

[@guyfoster5897]

Thank you for the tour. It would be great to see some operation videos of your magnificent layout.

[@willeubanks4957]

Wow that's amazing you modeled Wichita Falls because I lived there for 6 months to do training with the Air Force.

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Thanks for the tour. I don't remember the last one so this was a good refresher. You have a nice balance between rural and industries in your layout

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Having grown up in a farm, that was one of my goals. Thanks, Joe.

[@robertlewis7237]

THANK YOU FOR VIDEO FROM AUSTRALIA

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Very cool tour around your layout Ron, that was nice to see! (Dave).

[@ronaldrondeau7870]

Thanks for the ride, hope to see more. Just to let you know that one of our model railroad fan past away last week, Daylght Dave a retired UP enginer

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

That is sad news. Thanks for.letting me know.

[@tomg721]

Thanks for sharing your layout. It was nice to see the overall plan.

[@williamflowersrailfannerpr3808]

It's great seeing a tour of your layout ron great video

[@DJE2025]

👍👍Good morning Ron thanks for the tour and update! Your entire set-up and layout wonderful. You have everything you need nicely laid out. I truly wished my basement had a washroom, which would be ideal. Just wish that I had put 1/4 of the forethought into my layout a year and a half ago when I started my first layout as you have done. You truly have a wonderful layout as well as back story. I've been following your channel for over a year now. I appreciate all the Tips, tricks and instructional videos you produce! Thank you. 🚂🚂

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Thanks, Dave. Truth be told, "forethought" is highly educated by past mistakes and adjustments.

[@jaybickford512]

Thanks for the update and the very complete overview of your layout. I have been watching your videos for about a year now, and find them very helpful as I am planning and beginning the building process of my layout, or should I say rebuilding process. I picked up a nice around the wall N-Scale layout last summer from a modeler in my area who was winding down his hobby activities due to age, and am incorporating it into my design. I just finished hanging, mudding, taping, sanding (lots of that), and priming my backdrops. Your videos on adding and finishing the backdrops on the new section of your layout were very helpful in that process. But I have to say, you made it look much easier than I found it. I'm sure experience had a big part to play in that. In any case, keep the videos coming!

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I have done a lot of drywall over the years, so I do have some experience...don't be discouraged. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@jaybickford512]

@@RonsTrainsNThings - Thanks for the encouragement, but I'm not really discouraged, it just took a lot more mud and sanding than the way you did it. But in the end I'm pretty happy with the way my backdrops are turning out so far. But the real test will be this weekend when I plan to start painting the sky blue and fading in the white at the horizon line. I have definitely never done anything like that before, but there is a first time for everything, so we'll see how it goes. But you can be sure I'll be watching your video again before I start. Should be fun though. Learning new things and challenging yourself are some of the best aspects of this hobby, IMHO.

[@jrxtuning5952]

Pretty cool with the North Texas layout WF/Bowie to Fort Worth!

[@davidbrown4823]

Really Great Layout

[@kimrok1]

Great tour! I noticed you had a model of the box car that had the MR logo on it. I actually handled that car on a train between Austin and Elgin about 20 years ago. Had a load of brick in it.

[@toddbrien4184]

Great Video Ron, Glad to see your back, hopefully you are well. Take a look at Mudd Creek Models they have a nice barn. Can not wait till your next video.

[@dannydanbo58]

Nice layout. It reminds me of the Gorre and Dephetid layout from years ago. I always wanted to recreate that layout in N scale.

[@derekalexander4030]

Thank you for the update tied to the layout plan, it makes it much easier to follow along. I’ve been watching for a long time and I always enjoy your videos and tutorials. Thanks for sharing Ron.

[@DougAtwood]

Great tour, Ron! I always enjoy seeing more of your layout. I'm also very glad I'm not the only one who looks at some scenery and thinks "I hate that. I need to do it over"! I also think it's awesome that you have Beggars Canyon on your layout. I have Lars Farms, a reference to Luke's uncle, Owen Lars.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Frome one Star Wars fan to another, may the force be with you...original trilogy forever. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@mikehowey4869]

Good afternoon Ron,I enjoyed your layout tour,it was a nice update.I like how you showed the track plan and we followed as you went along and explained what we were seeing.Doesn't seem like I'll ever get all my track laid.everything so overpriced! Now that spring and summer is about here I'll be busy with outdoor chores.

[@artfry299]

Ron, good layout tour. I enjoy your videos. Your narration is part of the reason I watch. Maybe in the future you can do a switching video. Keep up the good work...

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I intend to do some before long. 👍🏼

[@christopherberg9379]

Yiur N scale layout gives me so many ideas for my HO layout!!! One thing I would like to know is where on your North Yard layout would you place a clean-out track for covered hoppers, tank cars and gondolas?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Well, the REAL North yard has one on the south end, west side. For me that would be left of Attebuty grail and behind the yard office. It would connect to the yard via a track behind the RIP facility and fuel facility but in front of Attebuty grain. I don't have space for one, but it would be a nice thing to model.

[@Trains1536]

13:41 I see many carbon black cars where I live/railfan because they have a carbon black plant not that far away, I live in Broussard LA and the plant is in Baldwin LA

[@kinnywolf2862]

Great video

[@johnoneill5661]

Another great video 👍 looking forward to the next one 👍 I was surprised at how big your layout is, but that is the best thing about N scale. I wish I could wave a magic wand and turn all my HO stuff to N scale but I’m too far along and invested in HO 😊

[@gerdeguelle1967]

Very nice video ,and a nice layout .

[@68Jaguar420G]

Nice to see how everything all fits and works together Ron. Just wondering if you ever considered making the staging yards reverse loops for all tracks to increase the length sufficiently to hold your full train consists, especially with the new staging length negotiations having been successful? It would certainly have taken more width/depth but would have had quite a few benefits if it could have been fitted.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

No space for that, and once I lengthen the tracks this will work quite well.

[@fraxz88]

If were modeling texas near Dallas Fort Worth there should be a Buckies gas station and Kroger foods warehouse.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I have an Albertson's warehouse which was prototypical in the year I model, and I'm not aware of any Buckee's in Fort Worth back then...

[@larroyo1973]

15:25 Looks more like Michael Myers from Halloween.😂🤣

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid on channel thanks lee

[@Hawkeye0918]

Its crazy to come across your video with this layout! I am starting to research for a layout of the same exact geographic area except I am setting mine in the early 1950s focusing on the Fort Worth & Denver and the Texas & Pacific. I love that time in history when Steam was still running and the diesels were coming of age. What are the odds!?

[@iantha_branch]

Great video Ron. It's very nice to see the entire layout. I like the way you used the yards as a way to split the different scenic areas along the layout. It gives it a really good flow and adds to the illusion of traveling hundreds of miles in a few feet. I'm thinking of going double deck on my future layout. Have you had any issues with your layout since adding the second level?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Mine was 2 decks from inception. The biggest issues will be the height of your upper deck for shorter operators or viewers and your tolerance for building and using a helix. Beyond that I've had no real issues with the second deck. I know there are those who would disagree, so I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.

[@allenwilson8913]

Always a enjoy watching your vids. What made you choose Saginaw? I have driven past those grain elevators many times and their size is truly impressive.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I lived in the area for 3 years,drive through Saginaw daily to and from work, and thought it begged to be modeled.

[@mlkesimmons758]

Hi Ron. Great tour. How will signals contribute to future operations? How do you see future operating sessions? Love you railroad.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

The layout is currently unsignaled. I intend to add signaling in the future, but only permissive indicating occupancy. The layout is build to be controlled by the dispatcher. Car card & waybill forwarding and a timetable order of trains will be the mo.

[@mlkesimmons758]

@@RonsTrainsNThings How does permissive indicating occupancy work? How many crew members do need to operate your railroad?

[@politicsandtrains]

Morning, looking at the layout and remembering your past videos brought a question to mind, what would you suggest for a good Air Brush Kit?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

That can be a loaded question. I have 3 and my personal favorite is the Badger 105 Patriot, double action, gravity feed. It's not super high dollar and gets the general painting and weathering done well. Here are links to my whole setup if you'd like to take a look. Brush: amzn.to/43I6Nnb Compressor: amzn.to/3LfsWSm Booth: amzn.to/3GZMFTw

[@FatManWalking18]

that be Strickland Propane and propane accessories of course. how many total feet are involved when finished?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I did fail to say, didn't I? Right at 100' on the visible main 0kus another 100' in the helix and 30' or so in the staging leads.

[@juergenamlinger4410]

Hi Ron. I got a problem short at all gaps. After changing my broken loco net cable. 2 boosters. Witch has the track status lights won't go off. After shuting down the camand station witch gos off .when you shut down. Do you know what might be happening.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

You definitely have a short somewhere. I have no way of seeing where, but you could a wire(s) crossed or my may have a short at an un isolated turnout frog.

[@Scopedmunster-clips]

Where do you find the motivation to keep working on your layout, I have a small 4x7 o gauge layout and I struggle to get motivated/decide what to work on and what direction to take my layout.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I struggle with that too. I watch good videos and read the hobby press and inspiration finds me. This is especially a struggle when I feel the pressure to get a video up.

[@mjesus4621]

13:02. Hi I just saw than at one part of the video showing the town of Bowie there is a brick building at the right I would like to purchase, which kit is that building?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

That is Walther's State Line Farm Supply (N scale link below, also available in HO). The brick covered part is a scratch build add on to the kit. amzn.to/3MfTO5C

[@mjesus4621]

@@RonsTrainsNThings Thank you so much for the help. I love your channel by the way and its awesome how you really show the realism of texas landscapes on your layout. Great job!

[@IMRROcom]

7:51 Is that a problem...?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

What, industries along the backdrop?

[@IMRROcom]

@@RonsTrainsNThings MTL Black & Silver Anniversary.... I'm looking at buy those on the cheap to repaint for my railroad. I have seen them as low as $16.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

@@IMRROcom I like to sprinkle a few whimsical pieces in...MR anniversary car, NMRA anniversary car...etc.

[@timhamilton5699]

Nice update Ron! Did you print, buy, or build the grain legs you have on Attebury Grain and Victory Blue (refering to the external legs on the right side of each structure)? I'm modeling Central Iowa in N and there's a lot of grain action there.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

They are Rix kits available in N and HO. Here is a link from Midwest Model Railroad, but it's pretty common and most retailers (online and off) should carry it. It's an easy kit and you can make it any height, even combining multiple kits without serious modification. midwestmodelrr.com/rix707/

[@timhamilton5699]

@@RonsTrainsNThings Thank you.

[@HumancityJunction]

What operations methodology do you use? CC&WB? TT&TO? etc...

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Hi Heath. I am set up for CC&WB. I am also playing with JMRI generated switch lists, but I don't think I'm likely to make the switch permanently.

[@HumancityJunction]

@@RonsTrainsNThings I tried JMRI Operations Pro, but I am now trying CCC&WB. There are many options.

[@FrankKennyCPRXModelRailroad]

Looks great Ron! What did you use to draw the layout? Also what do you use to highlight the areas on the map that you are talking about? Thanks in advance! Frank Kenny.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I drew the track plan with AnyRail6. The highlights are video overlays that I add in video editing.

[@HumancityJunction]

You have a lot of available space. Why did you choose N scale instead of HO?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

I've been an N scaler for 25 years. I'm not likely to sell my N scale collection to purchase HO. As for why N scale, when I began it was space and portability, but now it's about how much I can fit into the space and the length of trains I can run.

[@doublediamondrailroad5949]

How’s your Back doing these days??

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Lol, that depends on what day you ask. Overall it is something I can live with IF I behave myself.

[@chrisdaniell2990]

How many square feet is your house? How large is the layout?

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Best way I can describe the size of the layout is it is 100' of visible main--50' on each deck--and another 100' in the helix.

[@jmcguire56]

This was great Ron, thank you!