The “Michigan”

Name: The “Michigan” Layout designer: Jim Six Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 12′-3″ x 44′-0″ Prototype: New York Central’s Michigan District Locale: northeastern Indiana Period: 1955 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 116 feet Minimum radius: 42″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 0.25 percent Originally appeared in Model Railroad Planning 2012. Click on the link […]

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Now departing Cumberland

The lead F-unit of six pulling a westbound Baltimore & Ohio Time Saver train eases along in front of the Cumberland, Md., station on a July 1956 day. The train is bound for points west via Grafton, W.Va. Read more about Cumberland, the shop, and the B&O in the March 2012 issue of Trains. Photo […]

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Eaglecreek & Northern Ry.

Eaglecreek Northern

Name: Eaglecreek & Northern Ry. Layout designer: Flemming Ørneholm Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 6′-8″ x 12′-0″ plus 1′-10″ x 10′-0″ staging yard Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: western United States Era: 1955 Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 85 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnout: 30″ radius Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the February 2012 issue […]

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Fulton County RR

Fulton County RR

Name: Fulton County RR Layout designer: Jim Hediger Scale: N (1:160) Size: 8 x 10 feet Theme: Freight interchange point Locale: generic Midwest Era: mid-1950s to 1970s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 22 feet (loop) Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the February 2012 issue of Model Railroader. Click […]

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The Ironbound (Newark & Elizabethport Connecting RR)

The Ironbound RR

Name: The Ironbound (Newark & Elizabethport Connecting RR) Layout designer: Andy Romano Scale: O (1:48) Size: 18 x 21 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by the Central RR of New Jersey Locale: the “Ironbound” section of Newark, N.J. Era: 1955 to 1960 Mainline run: 65 feet Minimum radius: 60″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 4 […]

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Wolverine Junction

Wolverine Junction

Name: Wolverine Junction Layout designer: Dana Kawala Scale: HO (1:87.1) Room size: 10 x 15 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Michigan Central RR’s Bay City Branch Locale: southeastern Michigan Era: 1955 Style: around-the-walls with peninsula Minimum radius: 24″ Mainline run: 43½ feet Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (Wolverine Short Line) Originally appeared in […]

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Terminal RR of San Antonio

Terminal RR of San Antonio

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 […]

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The Virginian

The Virginian Ry

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 […]

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Roger Williams new employer

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 […]

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“Silver Chalet” history

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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?— […]

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