When I joined North Georgia Modurail, I noticed early on that the club had a hard time planning show layouts. The layout would be planned on paper, but inevitably changes had to be made at the last minute. My inspiration came while watching my 4-year-old son play with his LEGO. The bricks were a small-scale […]
Sometimes, an idea for a layout strikes like a bolt of lightning. You can see everything, from the benchwork to the yard design to the topography. All you have to do is build. Occasions like that, though, are infrequent. More often than not, modelers require inspiration at one point or another in the process of […]
Though the hobby has evolved throughout the decades, one theme has remained constant: Model railroaders are a resourceful bunch. There are many in the hobby community who have a knack for looking items not for what they are, but for what they might become. In this article, we’ll take a look at 10 household items […]
Common name: Eastern red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, pencil cedar, or aromatic cedar Latin name: Juniperus virginiana Plant type: Shrubs and small trees USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, neutral, or slightly acidic soil; full sun Plant size: 40′ unpruned but easily kept under 2′, with a width half […]
My early “trainhood” was 1955 to 1968. I had an uncle who gave me a train the year I was born, and he added to the Lionel fleet on birthdays and Christmas for many years. All the trains were Lionel, but when I unboxed them in the early 1990s, I discovered the track, switches, and […]
Facts and features Name: Olli’s RailroadScale: large scale (1:29)Size: 20 x 430 feetPrototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Burlington NorthernLocale: American WestEra: 1970s and 1980sStyle: walkaround gardenMainline run: 850 feetMinimum radius: 7 feetMinimum turnout: LGB R5 (main), LGB R3 (industrial area)Maximum grade: 1.2%Benchwork: welded steel framework backfilled with earthHeight: 19″ to 38″Roadbed: noneTrack: […]
Facts and features Name: Southern Pacific Keeler BranchScale: On30 (1:48 proportion, 30″ narrow gauge, also called On21⁄2)Size: 6 x 17 feetPrototype: SP narrow gaugeLocale: Owens Valley, CaliforniaEra: 1950sStyle: sectionalMainline run: 36 feetMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: open grid Height: 50″Roadbed: 1 x 4 clear pineTrack: Micro Engineering code 83Scenery: sifted, demagnetized […]
Name: Gary Wronkiewicz’s S gauge layoutDimensions: 10 x 16 feet Track: GarGraves flextrack (diameters range from 40 to 80 inches)Switches: Gilbert American FlyerMotive power: Gilbert American Flyer, S-Helper Service Rolling stock: Gilbert American FlyerControls: Gilbert American Flyer No. 12B transformerAccessories: Gilbert American Flyer, MarxStructures: Atlas O, Plasticville U.S.A., Wm. K. Walthers Figures: Barclay, Ertl […]
Name: Charlie Bailey’s O gauge layoutDimensions: 42 x 49 feet Track and switches: Atlas O (maximum diameter 96 inches)Motive power: Lionel, MTHRolling stock: Lionel, MTH, WalthersControls: Lionel transformers with LegacyAccessories: American Flyer, Lionel, Marx, Miller Engineering, Millhouse River StudioStructures: Lionel, Menards, MTH, Plasticville, scratchbuilt, TW TrainWorx, Wm. K. Walthers, Woodland ScenicsVehicles: Diecast Direct, Menards, Woodland […]
Download the track plan here! See more in the Summer 2024 issue! […]
Pickle cars have a unique look, and they served a unique purpose. Cucumbers brined onboard in vats as they traveled from farm field to processing plant. I thought a pickle car would look at home on my layout. My version is loosely based on period photos; it’s not a scale model of a specific car. […]
Lionel Trains’ 21″ passenger cars have been a staple in the manufacturer’s lineup of O-scale, 3-rail products for some time. A common censure though has been the lack of previously installed passengers upon purchase, leaving empty seats that need to be filled. From disassembly to reassembly, this project is easier to accomplish than I initially […]
