Layout Tour – Willoughby Line with Guy Cantwell

Model town of Willoughby

This HO scale masterpiece is a double-deck proto-lance 1950s-era layout built by Guy Cantwell that represents parts of California’s central valley, as well as the railroads that operated in the Sierra foothills and mountains. It features prototypes from the Southern Pacific, Western Pacific/Tidewater Southern, Sierra, Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley Railroad, and West Side Railroads. Most […]

Read More…

‘X’ locomotive number

TRNAT0216_01

Southern Pacific cab-forward 4-8-8-2 No. 4219 leads an extra train at Dunsmuir, Calif., in August 1948. Guy L. Dunscomb, Martin E. Hansen collection Q On some early Union Pacific and Southern Pacific steam and diesel locomotives there is an “X” in front of the number. Why is this done? – Leon Bassik, Langhorne, Pa. A […]

Read More…

N scale model train layout overview in 4K

Overall view of N scale model railroad

I bought a new Panasonic 4K video camera and decided to test it on my N scale model railroad. This train layout is being built to represent the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh. In this video, I show my progress as I am currently modeling the year 1949 with my Bachmann 2-6-0 with DCC. The track […]

Read More…

N scale model train layout overview in 4K

Overall view of N scale model railroad

I bought a new Panasonic 4K video camera and decided to test it on my N scale model railroad. This train layout is being built to represent the Union Railroad of Pittsburgh. In this video, I show my progress as I am currently modeling the year 1949 with my Bachmann 2-6-0 with DCC. The track […]

Read More…

HO scale Piedmont & Western RR

HOscalePiedmontWesternRR1

Name: Piedmont & Western RR Layout owner: Jack Parker Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 20 x 20 feet plus 12 x 40 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by the Clinchfield RR Locale: North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia Era: early to mid-1950s Style: multilevel, walk-in Mainline run: 600 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 […]

Read More…

OO scale British Railways

HOscaleBritishRysSouthernRegion

Name: British Railways Layout owner: Chris White Scale: OO (1:76 on HO gauge track) Size: 15′-0″ x 19′-6″, plus 6′-0″ x 13′-0″ staging in adjacent room Prototype: British Railways – Southern Region Locale: southern England Era: 1960 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: Peco large radius (main), small and medium […]

Read More…

PRR Congressional observation car

20180312

During a preview trip, members of the press enjoy one of the new parlor-lounge-observation cars the Pennsylvania Railroad acquired from Budd for the March 1952 re-equipping of the Congressional and Senator. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]

Read More…

Gail Komar’s West Virginia Northern Eastbound

Cab view of model railroad

Owner: Greg & Gail Komar (MMR 349) Prototype Modeled: C&O Reporting Marks: WVN Layout Era: 1950s Theme: Coal hauling RR through the New River Valley of West Virginia Scale: HO Dimensions: 18’ x 25’ modeled area / 10’x 18’ staging area, track level from 47” to 57” All trackwork and turnouts are handlaid code 83, […]

Read More…