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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Jay Cain’s innovative O gauge layout

Jay Cain’s innovative O gauge layout

Jay Cain’s O-27 empire was one of the last O gauge layouts to be featured in our sister publication, Model Railroader. This new 12 x 30-foot O gauge layout reflects his wealth of experience in the hobby, along with his artistic and mechanical talents and vast imagination. […]

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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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Katy Kansas City Subdivision

MissouriKansasTexasKansasCitySubdivision

Name: Katy Kansas City Subdivision Layout designer: Mike McLain Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 26 x 56 feet Prototype: M-K-T, Northern Division Locale: Kansas City to Parsons, Kan. Period: 1981 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 220 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the Great Model Railroads 2014. […]

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