Tips for better tubular track Stamped metal track has been around for more than a hundred years. This “old reliable” track system is very sturdy and works equally well for permanent and non-permanent layouts. I start by darkening the center rail with cold metal bluing compound. Bluing compound is used in firearms restoration and is […]
Although pencil and paper still reigns as king of the ways to plan a model railroad layout, computer-aided design (CAD) track planning software is increasingly popular as model railroaders become more comfortable using computers. This is a roundup of current (as of 2023) track planning software designed to give you a good idea of the […]
Facts & features Name: Steel mill with a twistScale: N (1:160)Size: 3′-0″ x 6′-8″Prototype: FreelancedLocale: Upper MidwestEra: Mid-20th centuryStyle: IslandMainline run: 17 feetMinimum radius: 11.25″Minimum turnout: NoneMaximum grade: NoneBenchwork: Hollow-core doorHeight: Varies by venueRoadbed: NoneTrack: Kato Unitrack and Bachmann E-Z TrackScenery: Extruded-foam insulation boardBackdrop: NoneControl: Direct-current cab control with Bachmann Auto-Reversing Systems Download a […]
Facts & features Name: Pacific Southern RailwayScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 46 x 96 feet Prototype: FreelancedLocale: GenericEra: FlexibleStyle: WalkaroundMainline run: 1,000 feetMinimum radius: 48″ (main), 36″ (branch)Minimum turnout: no. 4, some hand-laidMaximum grade: 1.3% (main), 3.1% (branch) Benchwork: L-girderHeight: 36″ to 60″Roadbed: Cork on 1⁄2″ plywoodTrack: Visible track: handlaid code 100 (main), code 83 (yards), code […]
Facts & features Name: Back Creek PaperScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 10 x 14 feetPrototype: Westvaco Pulp & Paper millLocale: Covington, Va.Era: 1974Style: around-the-wallsMainline run: 28 feetMinimum radius: 30″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: none Download a PDF of this trackplan! Buy the October 2023 issue of Model Railroader! […]
Facts & features Name: Central New York & New EnglandScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 11 x 19 feet plus 7 x 9-foot helix/staging areaPrototype: freelancedLocale: Maybrook, N.Y., areaEra: mid-1950sStyle: multi-deck walk-inMainline run: 120 feet visible plus 81 feet in helixMinimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: No. 6 (main), No. 5 (industries)Maximum grade: 1.87% in helixBenchwork: open grid (lower […]
To mark the 50th anniversary of Ntrak, I thought I’d take a look at the Ntrak modular standard and sketch up a sample track plan for a couple modules. Ntrak started at an N scalers’ gathering in Signal Hill, Calif., in 1973, where the modelers were discussing ways to get more people into their favorite […]
Why horseshoe curves work better in N scale: Caliente, Calif., is a little town on the Union Pacific between Bakersfield and Tehachapi. Fans of the railroad’s Tehachapi Pass know Caliente for its horseshoe curve; the rest of the world likely has never heard of it. If you’re modeling Tehachapi Pass, as I am, Caliente will […]
Facts & features Name: The Flushing & Brooklyn RRScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 3 x 6 feetPrototype: freelanceLocale: Flushing Village, N.Y.Era: 1838Style: portable tabletopMainline run: 12 feetMinimum radius: 15″Minimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: open gridHeight: 34″Roadbed: noneTrack: Atlas sectional, Peco turnoutsScenery: Woodland Scenics ground foamBackdrop: painted plywoodControl: direct current Download a PDF of […]
Facts & features Name: Cascade & Twin Mountain RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 16′-6″ x 21′-0″ Prototype: freelanced Locale: Colorado Era: early 1960s Style: walkaround Mainline run: 247 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: No. 6 Maximum grade: 2.75% Benchwork: open grid Height: 54″ Roadbed: cork, Homasote in yard Track: code 100 flextrack Scenery: […]
Easier access to sneak track: Like model railroaders in other scales, most of us N-scalers are natural-born cheaters when it comes to layout planning. We set our design parameters, but then we start compromising them. Hey, it won’t hurt if we make this one curve a little tighter, or this aisle just a few inches […]
How to cut and fit sectional and flextrack: Cutting rail is a common activity that becomes important as soon as anyone begins building a model railroad. Small layouts built with sectional track generally fit together pretty well, but when flextrack is used, it’s often necessary to trim the rail ends to fit. Most flextrack is […]
