How To Build a Model Railroad Handcar shed drawings

Handcar shed drawings

By Angela Cotey | January 22, 2014

| Last updated on January 12, 2021


An online extra from the March 2014 Model Railroader

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Handcarshed
Check out these plans for a handcar shed from Model Railroader magazine.

Every railroad needs myriad small storage sheds along the right-of-way and in engine terminals and yards. When I required a small trackside shed for my freelanced On30 (also known as On21⁄2) North Cariboo Ry., I decided it should show its age. I figured the shed would have been built before the turn of the last century, at least 35 years ago relative to my modeling era, for the track maintenance gang to store its tools and supplies. The rails and wide doors were included to accommodate a handcar and later a motorized speeder. The shed’s roof sags slightly. I built the shed without interior detail.

I built the model as a styrene shell on a wood foundation with individual board siding and commercial windows and roofing. I hope you enjoy building this little shed and it finds a place on your layout.

3 thoughts on “Handcar shed drawings

  1. I just wonder when anybody that is into On30 especially the manufacturers of On30 products refer to this as "On30" but you all (Model Railroader) insist that it is On2 1/2.Why? I have never seen anybody else except you people insist that this is On2 1/2.

  2. Was it an oversight that there are no dimensions shown for the handcar shed? Granted, the scale shown is for S scale, and most modelers have a rule which can accomodate various scales but I feel it would have better for those of us who still scratch build to have the dimensions in feet and inches on the drawing. Or are you just trying to get us to follow the old carpenter's adage of measure twice and cut once?

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