Thin Branch Series: Backdrops part 4 – Clouds

Jay Smith painting a bird.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In our final backdrop painting installment, artist Jay Smith shows you how to add clouds to the sky of your model railroad. To complete the scene, he also provides tips for painting simple birds. Look for Jay’s other backdrop-painting videos on MR Video […]

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Chesapeake & Ohio Hinton Division

ChesapeakeOhioHintonDivision

Name: Chesapeake & Ohio Hinton Division Layout designer: Jim EuDaly Scale: O (1:48) Size: 35 x 50-feet, with 9 x 12-foot dispatcher’s office Prototype: C&O New River and Alleghany Subdivisions Locale: southern West Virginia Era: 1948-1952 Style: Three-deck walkaround Mainline run: 775 feet Minimum radius: 60″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent (westbound) […]

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HO scale Virginian & Ohio RR. K&M Subdivision

VirginianOhio

Name: Virginian & Ohio RR. K&M Subdivision Layout designer: W. Allen McClelland Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 7 x 38 feet plus a 32 foot extension of the main line (east) to hidden staging Prototype: freelanced Locale: southern West Virginia Period: summer 1959 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 28″ (yard) Minimum […]

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Lehigh & Susquehanna

LehighSusquehannaRR

Name: Lehigh & Susquehanna Layout designer: Wayne Sittner Scale: HO (1:87:1) Size: 9 x 41 feet Prototypes: Central of New Jersey; Delaware & Hudson; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Erie; Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley; Lehigh Valley; and Pennsylvania Locale: Northeastern Pennsylvania anthracite coal mining and cement-making regions Era: 1952-62 or 1978-85 Style: linear walkaround shelf Mainline […]

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Oregon Coast RR

OregonCoastRR

Name: Oregon Coast RR Layout designer: Mat Thompson Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 32′-0″ x 54′-6″ Prototype: freelanced Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: fall 1953 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (main), 24″ (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (industries and yards) Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the Great Model […]

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Pennsylvania RR Juniata Division

PennsylvaniaRRJuniataDivision

Name: Pennsylvania RR Juniata Division Layout designer: Dave Vollmer Scale: N (1:160) Size: 6′-8″ x 8′-8″ Prototype: Pennsylvania RR Middle Division Locale: central Pennsylvania Period: 1956 Style: island Mainline run: 15.4 feet Minimum radius: 13.5″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the Great Model Railroads 2014. Click on the link to […]

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San Juan Extension

DRGWSanJuanDivision

Name: San Juan Extension Layout designer: John Short Scale: HOn3 (1:87.1, narrow gauge) Size: 13′-6″ x 22′-6″ plus 7′-0″ extension Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western (some Rio Grande Southern) Locale: southwestern Colorado Period: September 1948 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 161 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared […]

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HO scale Virginian Ry. Deepwater District

VirginianRy.DeepwaterDistrict

Name: Virginian Ry. Deepwater District Layout designer: Gerry Albers Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 40 x 50 feet, plus 19 x 24½ feet for staging Prototype: Deepwater District, VGN New River Division Locale: southern West Virginia Period: summer 1959 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 600 feet Minimum radius: 32″, 28″ in yards Minimum turnout: no. 8, no. […]

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