On30 Otter Creek & Ripton

On30OtterCreekandRipton

Name: Otter Creek & Ripton Layout owner: David McLeod Scale: On30 (1:48, 30″ gauge) Size: 12 x 15 feet Theme: freelanced New England narrow gauge short line Locale: central Vermont Era: 1912 Style: around-the-walls with peninsula Mainline run: 61 feet Minimum radius: 24″ (main), 18″ (branch) Minimum turnout: Peco medium radius Maximum grade: 4.5 percent […]

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O scale Colorado Midland

OscaleColoradoMidland

Name: Colorado Midland Ry. Layout owner: Andrew Dodge Scale: Proto:48 (O fine scale) Size: 28 x 28 feet plus 13 x 18 feet Prototype: Colorado Midland Locale: western Colorado Era: 1897 Style: single-deck walkaround Mainline run: 300 feet Minimum radius: 46″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Benchwork: open grid Height: 44″ to 63″ Roadbed: 1⁄2″ plywood […]

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F scale Chester & Becket Ry.

LargescaleChesterandBecketRy

Name: Chester & Becket Ry. Layout designers: Steve Morrill, John Sacerdote, Doug Scott, Michael Tylick Scale: F (1:20.3) Size: 16 x 20 feet Prototype: freelanced, based on Chester & Becket Locale: Western Massachusetts Era: mid-1930s Style: sectional Mainline run: 60 feet Minimum Radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 3 Maximum grade: 5 percent Benchwork: plywood box girder Height: […]

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HO scale Nitro Pass & Okanagan

HOscaleNitroPassandOkanagan1

Name: Nitro Pass & Okanagan Layout owner: Don Weixl Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-6″ x 15′-4″ Prototype: Freelanced Locale: southern British Columbia Period: 1955-1965 Style: double -deck walk-in Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: L-girder (lower level), open grid (upper) Height: 42″ to 62″ Roadbed: […]

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HO scale Train World Museum

HOscaleTrainWorldMuseum

Name: Train World Layout builder: Modeling group PAJ Modelbouw Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 16′-5″ x 19′-8″ PROTOTYPE: freelanced Locale: Ardennes region of Belgium Era: 1980s Style: museum display Mainline run: 181 feet Minimum radius: 223⁄4″ Minimum turnout: none Maximum grade: 2.2 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 12″ to 60″ Roadbed: cork Track: Märklin K-Rail (visible […]

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N scale BC Rail Fort St. Johns Subdivision

NscaleBCRailStJohnsSub

Name: Fort St. John Subdivision Layout owner: Christian Javier Scale: N (1:160) Size: 12′-0″ x 21′-6″ Prototype: British Columbia Ry. Locale: Eastern British Columbia Era: 1977 Style: multiple-deck around-the-walls Mainline run: 90 feet (excluding helix) Minimum radius: 16″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.2 percent (in helix) This track plan originally appeared in the […]

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O scale Pennsylvania RR Nassau Division

OscalePennsylvaniaRRNassauDivision

Name: Pennsylvania RR Nassau Division Layout owner: John Sethian Scale: O (1:48) Size: 21 x 31 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR electrified lines Locale: New Jersey and Pennsylvania Era: 1955 to 1957 Style: walk-in with duckunder Mainline run: 110 feet Minimum radius: 57″ (visible), 44″ (hidden) Minimum turnout: no. 71⁄2 Maximum grade: 1.8 percent Benchwork: open-grid […]

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Z scale Cale, Bear Mountain & Harrisonville

ZscaleCaleBearMountainHarrisonville

Name: Cale, Bear Mountain & Harrisonville Layout owner: Vern Sargent Scale: Z (1:220) Size: 2′-0″ x 3′-2″ Prototype: Milwaukee Road and Monon Locale: southern Indiana Era: 1945 to 1955 Mainline run: 15 feet Minimum radius: 811⁄16″ Minimum turnout: no. 41⁄2 Maximum grade: 4 percent Benchwork: extruded-foam insulation board Height: varies Roadbed: cork on 1⁄4″ plywood […]

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Plans for an octagonal blacksmith shop

HOscaleblacksmithplans

Click on the image to download the plans. Model railroader Raymond Howard scratchbuilt an HO scale model of a blacksmith shop in Alloway, N.Y. The prototype was built in 1832 with cobblestone walls in an octagonal configuration. You can read about how Raymond cast plaster walls for his model in the October 2017 issue of […]

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