Central Vermont Rwy. Southern Division in HO scale

Central Vermont Railway Southern Division in HO scale | In Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a dedicated group led by Paul Weiss is passionately re-creating the Central Vermont Railway’s Southern Division as it existed in May 1956. This historically accurate project showcases meticulously replicated scenes from New London, Conn., to Palmer, Mass., portraying the […]

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Central Vermont Rwy. Southern Division in HO scale

Central Vermont Railway Southern Division in HO scale | In Northern California’s San Francisco Bay Area, a dedicated group led by Paul Weiss is passionately re-creating the Central Vermont Railway’s Southern Division as it existed in May 1956. This historically accurate project showcases meticulously replicated scenes from New London, Conn., to Palmer, Mass., portraying the […]

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Spaces to Places IV | Light up this whole town, part 6

Westcott is now officially more of a place than it is a space! It’s time for host Gerry Leone to shine a light on and around this town on his HO scale model railroad. Follow along to learn how he added interior illumination to the structures, period-correct streetlights, and fine details that give select scenes […]

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Spaces to Places IV | Light up this whole town, part 6

Westcott is now officially more of a place than it is a space! It’s time for host Gerry Leone to shine a light on and around this town on his HO scale model railroad. Follow along to learn how he added interior illumination to the structures, period-correct streetlights, and fine details that give select scenes […]

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Modeling the Sierra RR in Japan

A black steam locomotive and a green one pull a log train across a wooden deck truss bridge

By Toyoji Sekine / Photos by Kaori Komatsu In the 1950s, when I was a small child, an O gauge train ran around the pond in my yard. It was a Japanese-style train made of tinplate, as nothing more realistic was available after the war. But I fell in love with American railroads, particularly the […]

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The HO scale Cascade & Twin Mountain RR

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: […]

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Spaces to Places IV | Detailing the Streets, part 5

The town of Westcott on this HO scale model railroad is approaching completion! But not before host Gerry Leone shares his insights for adding subtle, but very effective weathering effects to the roadways. Follow along to learn how to fade stripes, draw cracks, create potholes, install manhole covers, and much more! Want to see more […]

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Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale

Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale | Jack Burgess, a dedicated model railroad enthusiast, has masterfully recreated the Yosemite Valley Railroad, an iconic prototype railroad that operated in central California until 1947. Over the course of 31 years, Jack poured his heart into crafting an intricate and historically significant model railroad, capturing the […]

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Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale

Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale | Jack Burgess, a dedicated model railroad enthusiast, has masterfully recreated the Yosemite Valley Railroad, an iconic prototype railroad that operated in central California until 1947. Over the course of 31 years, Jack poured his heart into crafting an intricate and historically significant model railroad, capturing the […]

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The HO scale Norfolk Southern Salem Division

Norfolk Southern Salem Division: An image of a model railroad trackplan

Facts & features Name: Norfolk Southern Salem DivisionScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 15 x 34 feetPrototype: Norfolk Southern Locale: Salem, Va.Era: summer 1991Style: walkaroundMainline run: 80 feetMinimum radius: 22″ (branch), 25″ (main)Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 1.5%Benchwork: open gridHeight: 40″ to 46″Roadbed: corkTrack: Atlas code 83 flextrack with Peco and Shinohara turnoutsScenery: extruded-foam insulation board and Woodland […]

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The On30 Narragansett Railroad layout

The trackplan for the Narrgansett railroad layout in On30 scale

Facts & features Name: Narragansett RailroadScale: On30 (1:48)Size: 24 x 22 feet Prototype: freelancedLocale: Rhode IslandEra: 1929 to 1935Style: walk-inMainline run: 150 feetMinimum radius: 18″Minimum turnout: No. 4Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: open gridHeight: 57″Roadbed: noneTrack: flextrackBackdrop: hand-painted tempered hardboardControl: direct current Download a PDF of this trackplan! Buy the August 2023 issue of Model Railroader! […]

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