Design your railway, Part 2: Focus on a theme

setting_scene1

1. Near their back door in Nevada, a railyard introduces viewers to the theme of Joe and Mary Schrock’s highly detailed railway, Bulldog Junction. This picture communicates the teamwork necessary on railroads. All parts support the main theme. The distant backdrop of pointed dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’, Zones 4-8) suggests the scale world […]

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844 Excursion Train

Closeup of model diesel locomotive

Brian Olson’s N scale Union Pacific Excursion Train is now complete. A project more than a year in the making, he started with Kato’s 844 steam engine, later adding the tenders and the Spirit of Union Pacific 1943 diesel engine, and finally, Kato’s 7-car Excursion Car Set. The train in this video is on a […]

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N scale Erie Lackawanna

Scene of n scale model railroad

Henrik Akesson’s N scale version of the Erie Lackawanna RR in Pennsylvania is set during the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. It’s built in a spare bedroom around the walls in a dogbone on styrofoam. It features Peco code 80 track, Digitrax DCC, and a small copy of the Starrucca viaduct kitbashed from several […]

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Ron Hoess’ Eastbound Chestnut Hill & Stifftown Branch PRR

Scene of model train layout

This HO scale layout (13′ x 18′) is a point-to-point switching layout that depicts the Stifftown Branch and the first portion of the Chestnut Hill Branch of the PRR. The setting is North Philadelphia circa 1958. Since this is a prototype layout, all of the structures are scratchbuilt to better match the prototype. Key signature […]

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N scale Erie Lackawanna

Scene of n scale model railroad

Henrik Akesson’s N scale version of the Erie Lackawanna RR in Pennsylvania is set during the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. It’s built in a spare bedroom around the walls in a dogbone on styrofoam. It features Peco code 80 track, Digitrax DCC, and a small copy of the Starrucca viaduct kitbashed from several […]

Read More…

844 Excursion Train

Closeup of model diesel locomotive

Brian Olson’s N scale Union Pacific Excursion Train is now complete. A project more than a year in the making, he started with Kato’s 844 steam engine, later adding the tenders and the Spirit of Union Pacific 1943 diesel engine, and finally, Kato’s 7-car Excursion Car Set. The train in this video is on a […]

Read More…

Ron Hoess’ Eastbound Chestnut Hill & Stifftown Branch PRR

Scene of model train layout

This HO scale layout (13′ x 18′) is a point-to-point switching layout that depicts the Stifftown Branch and the first portion of the Chestnut Hill Branch of the PRR. The setting is North Philadelphia circa 1958. Since this is a prototype layout, all of the structures are scratchbuilt to better match the prototype. Key signature […]

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Design your railway, Part 3: Detail with pairings

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Photo 1 Standing on Scott Gould’s lawn, visitors look up at Ballachulish & Pitlochry Railway. Structural spruce trees contrast low native moss that Scott transplanted onto riverbanks and lawns. We’re able to peek under the bridge for the reflected view of the truck farmer’s home as he loads up for deliveries. The paired detail of […]

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New model trains for the week of April 18, 2019

ScaleTrains.com HO scale General Electric Tier 4 GEVo diesel locomotives

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP39-2 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (“Kodachrome” and blue-and-yellow warbonnet); Burlington Northern (Cascade Green with nose stripes, four road numbers); CSX (D&H Guilford scheme patchout); Delaware & Hudson (Guilford scheme, four numbers); Missouri-Kansas-Texas (green and yellow, four numbers); and Soo Line (Candy Apple Red). Two numbers per scheme […]

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