i am looking for some very simple, very easy, building plans for wooden buildings in ho scale. my step dad is a woodworker and he has offered me the use of his shop and his wood, but i was wondering if anybody knew of anywhere to go on the net to print out simple plans or templates?
It's out of print, but there should be copies easily available from used book sellers on the internet. Look for "Easy-to-Build Model Railroad Structures" edited by Willard V. Anderson. he was an editor at MR. originally published in 1958, mine is the 4th printing from 1968 with a list price of $1.
The first plan in it is one I built as a teenager. I won first place in a local model building contest with it and still have it on the layout as my Hesperus station, 40+ years later.
Unless your dad has some fairly accurate saws, it's going to be hard to cut your own wood from the stick. I built the station from balsa sheeting, but prefer to work with basswood these days/ All the battens and trim were cut by hand, so there's plenty of work to do even if you follow my route.
Also, after building to a plan or two, if you keep it simple try a scratchbuild without a formal plan. Sure, draw one up if you need one to get proportions right, etc, but there are lots of examples from just looking at layout pics, checking the real world around you, or just building something you imagine in your head. The last is how I built my rock bins at the quarry in Crater Lake on my layout.
Looks complicated, but it's just the same thing repeated over and over.
Another, more advanced but similar book is Anderson's "Bridges and Buildings for Model Railroads," also published by Kalmbach.
Don't forget that past issues of MR have lots of building plans and build articles and can be found in its All-Time Digital Archives elsewhere on this website.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Mel is right: you don't need HO scale plans, only dimensioned drawings and an HO scale ruler for converting and transferring the dimensions to your material.
Wayne
Sure, you don't NEED plans. But that's what the OP asked for and it sounds like, as a beginner, that's his comfort level. Gotta walk before you can run.
Hi JJRR,
Check your conversations... I have sent a PM
Regards from Oz
Trevor
JJRR:
I have cut my own slabs from some clear pine that I had left over from a furniture project. I used a radial arm saw and was able to cut fairly consistent 1/8" x 2" slabs from a 2 x 4 section about 6"long. I used a hollow ground planer combination blade (not a veneer blade) sold by Craftsman.
Here are a couple of projects made from pine (apologies to those who have seen the pictures before):
Pine is a little firm for cutting in windows and doors so in your case, if you have to buy the wood, I would use basswood as was suggested by Mike.
If the woodworking shop has a decent band saw with the right fence you can cut thin slabs with that too. Its actually safer that using a radial arm saw or a table saw.
Using a table saw is possible but you have to make or buy a table insert that fits close enough to the blade to prevent the slabs from jamming between the blade and the insert.
If you are not fully experienced with table saws or radial arm saws, and you do not have the right blades, I strongly recommend not even trying to cut thin slabs with them!
Dave
Edit:
JJRR: It was not my intention to question your step dad's woodworking skills. I posted the warning as a general caution for anyone who might be tempted to use a tool they are not fully familiar with for finely detailed work.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I came across this seller on eBay who is offering HO scale printed plans. Unfortunately they look to be anything but simple, but I didn't go through the whole list so you may find something useful.
http://www.ebay.ca/sch/waaboos/m.html?item=141738977153&hash=item21004d2781&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
What is the Original Posters' modeling preferences? What scale, era, location and railroad? Build something you can use on your layout...engine house, station, downtown store. If you're interested in it, you'll put more effort into it. Maybe you can scratchbuild a freight car or bridge? If you have never built a wood kit before, start with a kit (a 'box of sticks' kit, not a laser cut kit...check out Campbell's for example).
Recently I was online looking for ideas for a handcar shed/section house scene and I came across some plans for a C&O handcar shed; it didn't do me much good because I'm trying to use an existing model, but look for what interests you and you will probably find something you can build.
Check railroad historical sites, model magazines (like Model Railroader...especially the older issues when everyone seemed to scratchbuild everything), online publications or prototype picture sites for ideas. I like to buy books on my favorite railroad and get ideas from photographs there and then base my modeling off of them.
Don't have a layout? Can I suggest building a Free Mo module? It can be just about any size and shape (typically limited to what will fit in your mode of transportation...some of my modules are 18" wide because 24" was a little too big), and you can focus on building a prototypical scene without compressing too much. When you have it built (the module, not the buildings and scenery) you can take it to a local setup and test run trains over your module, which is part of a much bigger layout while meeting a lot of friendly people that can offer help, give answers and offer suggestions. Careful though, you might get more ideas for more modules and before you know it, you will be pulling a trailer full of modules to shows all over the country! :)
What a great hobby!
http://delray1967.shutterfly.com/pictures/5
SEMI Free-Mo@groups.io
JJRR i am looking for some very simple, very easy, building plans for wooden buildings in ho scale. my step dad is a woodworker and he has offered me the use of his shop and his wood, but i was wondering if anybody knew of anywhere to go on the net to print out simple plans or templates?