Lucky youngsters from the 1920s to the 1960s were privileged to visit Lionel’s showroom in New York City to admire its trains and accessories operating on the great layouts there. Decades later we can only envy them for being there to view the landmark displays. […]
Name: Terminal RR of San Antonio Layout designer: Bill Carpenter Scale: N (1:160) Size: 10′-2″ x 13′-0″ Locale: downtown San Antonio Prototype: Southern Pacific and Texas & New Orleans Era: 1950s Style: walk-in, and around the walls with roll-away peninsula Minimum radius: 15″ Mainline run: 32 feet Minimum turnout: no. 5 Originally appeared in the […]
Name: The Virginian Layout designer: David Popp Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 8 feet, plus extensions Prototype: Virginian Ry. Locale: West Virginia Era: spring 1955 Style: island, portable Mainline run: 18 feet Minimum radius: 22″ (main), 18″ (branch) Minimum turnout: Atlas Snap-Switch Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of […]
Amtrak inherited from Penn Central these self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars with distinctive front ends built for the New Haven Railroad’s Roger Williams. Budd Co. delivered six RDCs in an A-B-B-B-B-A formation to the New Haven in 1956. The slapped-on Amtrak logo from this February 1975 view would be replaced four years later with the company’s […]
The Silver Chalet, once part of the Western Pacific’s California Zephyr, rests outside Quad/Graphics’ Sussex, Wis., printing plant Nov. 24, 2004. Cody Grivno Q I saw a private car named “Silver Chalet” at Union Station in Washington, D.C. It had an odd-looking observation platform. Can you tell me its history and who owns it now?— […]
Name: Creamery Junction Layout designer: Michael Tylick Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4′-8″ x 16′-8″ Prototype: Boston & Maine and Boston & Albany Locale: Ware Valley, Mass. Era: variable Style: multi-level Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.6 percent Originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Model Railroader. […]
Name: Moffat Road Layout designer: Mike Danneman Scale: N (1:160) Size: 18′-6″ x 24′-9″ Prototype: Rio Grande Locale: Colorado Style: walkaround Era: early 1960s and early 1980s Mainline run: 258 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no 8 (main), no. 6 (yard) Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Model […]
Name: Santa Fe, 1951 Layout designer: Gary Hoover Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24 x 49 feet plus 13 x 19 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Locale: Chicago to California Era: 1951 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the […]
Name: Fairmont, Morgantown & Pittsburgh (“The Sheepskin”) Layout designer: Steve Williams Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 18′-0″ x 23′-6″ Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio secondary main line Locale: Fayette County, Pa. Era: June 1952 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 62 feet Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 27″ (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (branch and yard) Maximum […]
Name: Grosser’s Nostalgia Trip Layout designer: Ray Grosser Scale: O scale (1:48) Size: 22 x 38 feet Prototype: Soo Line Locale: western Minnesota Era: 1956 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 250 feet Minimum radius: 50″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared Great Model Railroads 2012. Click on the link to download the […]
Name: London, Midland & Scottish Ry. (LMS) Layout designer: Greg Simpson Scale: OO (1:76 proportion on 1:87.1 HO gauge track) Size: 15 x 20 feet Prototype: (LMS) Locale: England, West Midlands Era: 1900s to 1960s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 100 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (sidings) Maximum grade: 1 […]
Name: Rocky Mountain LineLayout designer: Don MeekerScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 53′-9″ x 69′-6″Prototype: FreelancedLocale: ColoradoEra: 1950sStyle: Multi-level walkaroundMainline run: 679 feet (1,179 feet including branch lines)Minimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (branches and yards)Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared Great Model Railroads 2012. Click on the link to download the PDF of this […]
