Building a New HO Train Layout Part 2 - Model Railroading 

I'm glad to see someone who is younger so into the hobby, keeping it alive and encouraging new Model RR's :) And the fact you are knocking on 100k subs gives me hope that this hobby will be around for years to come. I am 57 and have been into model RRs since my childhood, on and off.. Which reminds me, it is time to pull out and dust off/ reset up my 2x4 N-scale layout I build a few years back, usually set up for display during the winter/ holiday months.. It always gets a lot of attention from guests and I find listening to the trains run very soothing ;)

When I was young, my parents bought me some HO scale trains, and a starter track loop set. Fast forward 30 years, now in my 40s, I was going through some boxes and stumbled across the set. I have been going back and forth in my head, wondering if A) I want to set up just a loop again. B) What is the point of the loop, it'll be boring in 30 minutes. But... watching this video, simple things just like the incline, bridges, inside outside tracks, already is getting me excited. I knew being creative was a major point in model trains...but seeing you with that cardboard to make mountains, I can already visualize it....well, I guess what I am trying to say is thanks. I will take another shot at it. Appreciate the video!

I flinched when you dropped the locomotive 😭

Harrison, the best way to seal the ends whey you are pouring epoxy in the rivers is use Tyvek tape. Provides a tight seal and comes off easy....Just stick it to the side of your frame with the sticky side facing the epoxy. It will not stick.........Lucky kid that is getting this layout...🤜🤛

I can’t wait to see the finished project. Great job so far!

SMT PLEASE listen! the Tech 2 power packs are already isolated for two train operations. You don't need a switch to go between them. What you need to do is isolate the tracks into two blocks and connect each throttle to each separated track. That's why that Atlas wiring book works well with MRC products. The book shows you how to simplify wiring by using the COMMON RAIL METHOD using block tracks. I'm scared that the 'kid' won't understand when running trains. Hope this helps.

That's really cool. Very educational. Im blessed with craftsman hands i can build a house from foundation to roof but when it comes to my model trains i don't really have the best hand at it. So i love these kinda videos. I have 30 feet of flex track so watching how it's done will help when i get my new apartment and can set up a layout again. On another note today i get my Hershey Plymouth switcher. Seller said it runs loudly in both direction but said with a general cleaning/oiling and working it around a track a while it should come back to life. I may make short showing it off and the 11 rolling stock items i got last week on ebay as well. Yeah fug it's a vintage loco with Hershey livery im gonna go to the store to buy some chocolate bars to haul on flat cars and Hershey kisses to haul in open quad hoppers and goldolas. Loved your show Harrison have a great day.

Professional builder here. Good job so far. Keep it up. Tip for sealing the gaps in your foam risers - - if you can still remove your track and roadbed take used (must be used) dryer sheets and plaster (dap makes a good plaster) - - mix your plaster one to one in a large bowl - - dip your dryer sheets and apply (homemade plaster cloth - works just the same - WAY cheaper) - - don't mix more than 1 to 2 cups of plaster - it will set up some what quickly (about 10mins for 2 cups) - - if you can not remove your track use those pins you used to hold the foam down to pin non-plastered dryer sheets to the risers - then mix your plaster 1 plaster to 2 water (however 1/2cup plaster - 1 cup water) - it will be thin enough to paint on with some cheap throw away paint brush - a couple of coats will also give you a shell. Hope this helps

Hey, just wanted to say thank you very much for showing how to soldier the track connecters. Im working on a layout and I’ve been have connection problems and i tried everything until i saw this video. I tried what you did and everything is working. Thank you very much again for showing how you do layouts!

Your project is really shaping up. You’ve made me think about changing the lake and stream on my layout.

Hey SMT. Thank you for these videos. I'm building my first layout in my garage and this series has given me lots of great tips and tricks along with a ton of info. Thank you!

I like it when the posters of how to videos leave their mistakes and accidents in. It shows the kind of things that can happen and how to fix them

Love this series! I’ve been stuck in analysis paralysis with my track design on my layout for a bit, watching these helps me feel motivated to move forward without hesitation. The kid you’re building this for will love it!

Just nought my first starter set. Thanks for the ideas to getting me going. This is going to be fun.

I'd suggest instead of a slide switch to use some of the Atlas block selectors and splitting the layout into isolated blocks. Then it doesn't matter which cab is controlling a loco on which track since you can connect the track and throttle to the block selector

Enjoyed your video with your tips on pouring "water" with the details.....ground cover, grass etc. I am planning water scenery on my layout currently. Thanks for the fun video!

Love the layout, this is what i modeled mine after.

Love the beginning stages of the layout..!! Can't wait to see the following videos...!!!

Shoot, I’m starting to find myself getting back into the model railroading hobby even tho my cars are taking up my time and money😭 love watching these videos it’s bringing my childhood back👊🏽❤️

One simple tip to make trackwork look more realistic is by painting the sides of the rails with a sort of rusty paint, then removing the excess from the top with a track rubber. Overall it's an excellent layout :D

Thanks for making these videos and breaking down the steps. I was designing a very basic 4x8 layout. Now I’m feeling that so shouldn’t be afraid to add some inclines and hills.

Your construction method of using cardboard strips to create mountains is brilliant.

I've got that Tech 2 controller recently, it's a very smooth rig and your solution with the DPDT switch for toggling between one and two train operation is very clever! That foam material is incredibly handy, the river came out great, it almost seems to make rock walls etc naturally. The inner tracks avoiding the river gives nice context for why that line might've been built. Looking forward to seeing the mountains fleshed out! With the track so close to the edge, a bit more of the clear plastic material as a "guard rail" might be handy for next episode?

“And people wonder why I love Athearn so much”. Agreed.

Another excellent video. Very informative. From Texas

I like your simplified method.

6:17 also just a suggestion you can move the "lake" into a retention pond out the back of the shop by the base of the mountain. Many large areas of development use these for water shed from all the concrete,roads, buildings and exetera to one large area to prevent flooding. So you get both! Doesnt have to be huge and your resin poor came out so well especially with your depth in color

That's gonna be one happy young fellow!!

Harrison, you are a man of many talents, KUDOS BUD!! One thing of note: That MRC pack is already protected from shorts. Thats the red light in the middle

Cant wait to see where this project goes!!! and now its making me itch to start a new one myself and your cause is awesome. I gave away my first 2 sets to my fathers friends kids who where just getting into it but couldnt build one them selfs

You're awesome for uploading this video. I'm going to be using this very video when i start my table next week. Thank you so very much

Bought those trees too for my N Scale Ottawa Valley Rwy! Such good value from Amazon😁😁😁

Very nice. I've been checking in regularly to see if you got back to this project. Thanks for the upload. I have had good operation with the Atlas slide A to B switches for your toggle switch / dual control solution.

“It shouldn’t be bad.” I think I’ll make that my model RRing motto from now on!

Wow that layout is coming along really good. That derailment made me jump. I remember having that happen on my layout and thankfully i had no issues. 👍 Good job

I agree that the initial layout design is only a starting point. the layout will evolve as you start construction. great job so far.

Literally mainly watched the second video to see if you'd change it to get back to the putter track. Looks good

I like the way you soldered the feed wires directly to the rail from underneath. I haven't thought of doing it that way - but I will NOW. May even replace some of the soldered rail joiners I've used.

Can't wait to see it finished

I like the fact you tested everything before permanently laid down any tunnel portals wiring and scenery.

What A Video and A Put Together. If i were to put a theme on this layout I'd make it a winter village scene I love those types of layouts. Nice job HARRISON

It is amazing on how you making a kid a layout like this! Keep it up SMT!

Reminds me of my old DC layout. Great job. You covered a lot of ground in one video. Can’t wait for Part 3 - Finishing the Layout. Lol

I wonder if you’re CN Dash 9 picked up the Acela’s curse?

SMT! keep up the excellent work! The layouts are looking great!

Very informative,thank you,I will this info.

Smallmouth bass baby ! Into it.

I would watch some Luke Towan, for the stuff in the river you could mount it down first by spraying isopropyl then after its wet, an isopropyl glue mix to get it all stuck down.

Very nice work. Great for someone starting out wanting to build a layout. I love all your videos. Suggestion behind the two areas where the mountains are higher. I would put two removable backdrops and just paint a blue sky with a little bit of clouds and I think that would add a lot but I like it

Very well done!

Good series, just found your channel, one now of many I'm following to learn the new stuff. After being away from model railroading for 30 years I'm currently planning the layout and starting to build this year, current plan is 40' of bench-work' double layered giving me about 90' of mainline with a helix at one end or possibly the middle (the middle being a corner of the room). Time will tell. Just a note on something I see you're doing; If I'm not mistaken it looks like you're using Aquasol solder, at 95% tin this is designed for plumbing work, it has a minimum melting point of around 220°c. The correct solder for electrical wiring and electronics is 60/40 Rosin core (60%tin, 40% lead) and a melting point of 188°c. The lower temp reduces the chance of insulation and plastic ties melting and damage to electronic components. It also flows much easier. Not sure what flux you are using but if its plumbers flux it will likely be a variation of an acid based flux (this will eat into your wires leaving a green residue), you should be using rosin flux for electrical work.

Great Video. A Tip on DC vs DCC, I used DC for a while, when I switched to DCC, my trains ran much much smoother at slow speeds. DCC track voltage is near 12v all the time, so your trains don't stutter the way the do with DC when the track voltage drops to 3v when going slow. Also, the loco lights are always fully lit with DCC.

Great work 👍👍👍👍

Great job Harrisson

That CN locomotive tried to pull an acela on ya lol

You are my favorite model railroader RU-vidr

Looking good, Harrison! One suggestion I have is, see if you can make that short tunnel hill look a bit higher because a railroad probably wouldn't put tunnel in a hill that short; they would just make a cut through it.

I'm just glad that the after engine still running they are very tough like you can literally put them in like a nuclear bomb and they were still run

If you Have Some More Track Build More Layouts Then Sell Them you have What It Takes To Build Layouts👍

I've got a very similar idea for my Marklin layout (Which is being constructed) Only that I plan to have a double tracked mainline on the outer and inner loops (High speed trains on the bottom level and steamers at the top ideally). For my Bachmann EZ track layout, I'm thinking to go either double tracked L shaped layout, or a double tracked dog bone layout. This video is a great tool for deciding for sure. Jolly good show Harrison @SMT Mainline Keep up the awesome work brother 👍

Awesome job I would love to have something like that! All I have is a static display

Found your channel by accident and glad I did! I love the knowledge and watching you build. You definitely got a new subscriber, keep this going ❤

nice layout

looking good Harrison

SMT you’re the man!!! You no you’re stuff that’s for sure!!!

Excellent vid.

SMT I literally jumped 5 foot high of my chair when your aethern dash 9 fell off the layout

Great video!!!

A smt layout build hit’s different

Thanks for the feedback, after reading your reference I decided to order 18 gauge. I shouldn’t have any problems with that size. Thanks again for all your help! Have a good one.

One idea I had which I think I've seen on other layouts in the mountain you could use some clear flexible vinyl sheet as a window so the kid can watch his engines run through the mountain with the engine lights illuminating the mountain. You could also put some LEDs in the mountains as if they were lamps.

Lookin good for the one track that needs a bridge you could make a trestle bridge

7:56 wooooop

Hobby shop with railroad supply’s maybe in the nineties but now good luck😊

thats about the size and style layout i would like, i have some train sets plus a box or two of more track, cars, engines etc. all HO. its what we all had growing up but we lost what we had in a fire in 99. i have a den, along one wall is my old 8 bit computers, the rest of the room was supposed to be for the trains but it has yet to happen.

Earlier in the year i won an ebay auction for an atlas turn table. Im in the process if building my layout so its gonna be a great addition

maybe mini cabins on the hills kinda make look like a mountain layout

Man I gasped when that engine hit the floor! Ive seen that too many times growing up & running trains too fast or unattended. Lost a few good engines that way. I did laugh & am waiting for the facia board chapter! LOL You also got me with the cinnamon. Again its cheap & it works!

You make it look easy

Hi. Where you have the two stub-ended sidings off the inner track, if you isolate those, you can park an extra loco there when not in use. Maybe even build a small engine shed and a water/sanding/fuel stand/hoses for the engines that park there. If you’ll be using a small steam locomotive, a coal bunker or tower is called for. Many of these survived into the steam->diesel transition era, so wouldn’t be out of place for that F-unit. You can even park an otherwise junky tank car on the other track nearby and pretend it has diesel fuel. ❤

7:59 good catch XD

I like the switches from the inner to the outer track, though for me, as a user of DCC Sound locos, I'd use the PowerCabs cables for locos (Need a 5amp booster for the Powercab to get more locomotives on the layout which I'll do eventually).

quote of the year "WERRRAAAP *crash*"

heres a good advice for the layout, put like guard rails or something like glass next to the layout so that locomotives dont fall off i hope i made sense lol

hello harrison it's is randy and i like yours video is cool thanks harrison friends randy

you could build in an interlocks to the switches themeselves, only this would disable 2nd cab controll without warning whenever you would connect 2 circuits with no need for fusing, you would need 1 dual relay and a sense switches or magnetic bead sensors for each turnout

I got Amtrak Acela Flashbacks from that

Fun to see you work on this. That said. You should have tied the elevated bank alongside the creek to the scene and finished it, before pouring water. You got impatient dude. Lol. Also good call using the Dd40 for clearance, but !! You should also have checked your portals with double stack cars. Methinks you may come up short.😂 cheers

I was so scared when the diesel engine fell, but then you said it was an Athern. 🤣🤣

U know what your doing don't Listen to these other people u got this. Buddy

My current layout also has two main loops of track, both isolated from one another. I plan to invest into a better controller, such as the one you’re using in this video. Although I already have one the first cab isn’t working very well.

Am I the only one who jumped when that loco fell? lol

Know what’ll be really cool, if you connected the new layout to your existing layout somehow

OH NO THE CURSE OF THE ACELA IS BACK, EVERYONE AND EVERY ENGINE, SCRAMBLE!

I like the layout and the series, Keep it up! I hope that CN Dash 9 is okay...

Hadn’t thought of that cardboard technique. I was just going to build my mountains out of polystyrene foam.

Decoración de tu nueva maqueta escala HO. La mía ya bien avanzada. Balasto. Pasto verde en polvo. Estructuras. Arcos de túneles. Yeso para hacer montañas. Árboles. Figuras escala HO. Ya no puedo esperar de un video sobre tu maqueta escala HO, y trenes corriendo en ella.

My layout is simply two separate MRC controllers with 2 separate insulated routes. If I run a train off of the outside track to the inside track, or inside to outside track all I do is make sure both controllers are set up in the same direction and power match the throttles as close as possible.

I use lifelike track on a 4×8 plywood 18 inch radio's and 22 for 2 loops and a short lope using 10 switches, then n scale interior and also 10 switches all on a 4×8

I think you should've set the portals on cork roadbed to give greater clearance above the trains for taller rolling stock!? 🤔