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Layout Size: Small Layouts
Battery-powered 24″ N-scale model railroad with waterfall
In this video, I show how I built a 24″ diameter N-scale micro layout that is battery powered, and features steep mountain terrain and a waterfall. The layout uses Kato Unitrack and runs off of two 9V batteries. The layout was built for a store display, and features a push-button control on the front for […]
A track plan that fits under a bed
When you live in an apartment, as I did when I designed the Southern Ry. Spartanburg Subdivision, you might think you have no space for a layout. But where there’s a will, there’s a right-of-way. My N scale Spartanburg Subdivision is 3′-0″ x 5′-6″ and less than a foot in height. Rather than legs, the […]
Modeling an N scale Great Northern layout in less than 13 square feet
Although I’m really an HO scale modeler at heart, I’ve always been intrigued with N scale trains and have more than once thought how neat it would be to “have a few.” Being without any other outlet for modeling, those very thoughts soon translated into construction of the Havaphew Central, my first N scale layout. […]
Wintergreen Junction
Welcome to Wintergreen Junction, a fictional place located somewhere in the great north, snow covered nearly year round. In reality, this is a new 3 x 3-foot N scale layout built between Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year. Although unfinished (ran out of time), this layout will continue to evolve in the years ahead. Enjoy […]
Operating a small switching model train layout
In this video, I show how I set up operations on my small switching layouts, including making car cards, building car-card racks, and running through a short operating session. Video by Steven Strum […]
Track plan for a port that fits on shelf
See a PDF version of this by clicking here. This might be the simplest track plan ever to appear in Model Railroader. It includes just three turnouts, almost all the track is dead straight, and it’ll fit in office cubicles, studio apartments, dorm rooms, and other spaces traditionally considered too small for a model railroad. […]
Four compact track plans
Present and former members of the Model Railroader staff designed these four model railroads. Each can fit a 150-square-foot space. That space could be a 10 x 15-foot spare room, an 8-foot-wide stall in an 18-foot-long garage, a 5-foot-wide space along a 30-foot basement wall, or anything in between. What resulted was a variety of […]
Build a Halloween layout
Build a Halloween layout […]
Olympia 2, The Log Blog: Summer Camp 5 Afternoon
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page David wraps up summer camp by painting figures and other details to complete his logging camp scene. Then he takes his finished stock car for a run on the layout. And finally, did he put that tree back into the scene or not? […]
Olympia 2, The Log Blog: Summer Camp 5 Afternoon
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page David wraps up summer camp by painting figures and other details to complete his logging camp scene. Then he takes his finished stock car for a run on the layout. And finally, did he put that tree back into the scene or not? […]
Olympia 2, The Log Blog: Summer Camp 5 Morning
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Rise and shine, MRVP campers! David is up and at ’em early on Day 5 to finish his stock car. Morning activities include decaling and weathering. […]
