The Silver Chalet, once part of the Western Pacific’s California Zephyr, rests outside Quad/Graphics’ Sussex, Wis., printing plant Nov. 24, 2004. Cody Grivno Q I saw a private car named “Silver Chalet” at Union Station in Washington, D.C. It had an odd-looking observation platform. Can you tell me its history and who owns it now?— […]
Name: Creamery Junction Layout designer: Michael Tylick Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4′-8″ x 16′-8″ Prototype: Boston & Maine and Boston & Albany Locale: Ware Valley, Mass. Era: variable Style: multi-level Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.6 percent Originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Model Railroader. […]
Name: Moffat Road Layout designer: Mike Danneman Scale: N (1:160) Size: 18′-6″ x 24′-9″ Prototype: Rio Grande Locale: Colorado Style: walkaround Era: early 1960s and early 1980s Mainline run: 258 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no 8 (main), no. 6 (yard) Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Model […]
Name: Santa Fe, 1951 Layout designer: Gary Hoover Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24 x 49 feet plus 13 x 19 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Locale: Chicago to California Era: 1951 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the […]
Name: Fairmont, Morgantown & Pittsburgh (“The Sheepskin”) Layout designer: Steve Williams Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 18′-0″ x 23′-6″ Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio secondary main line Locale: Fayette County, Pa. Era: June 1952 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 62 feet Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 27″ (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (branch and yard) Maximum […]
Name: Grosser’s Nostalgia Trip Layout designer: Ray Grosser Scale: O scale (1:48) Size: 22 x 38 feet Prototype: Soo Line Locale: western Minnesota Era: 1956 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 250 feet Minimum radius: 50″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared Great Model Railroads 2012. Click on the link to download the […]
Name: London, Midland & Scottish Ry. (LMS) Layout designer: Greg Simpson Scale: OO (1:76 proportion on 1:87.1 HO gauge track) Size: 15 x 20 feet Prototype: (LMS) Locale: England, West Midlands Era: 1900s to 1960s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 100 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (sidings) Maximum grade: 1 […]
Name: Rocky Mountain LineLayout designer: Don MeekerScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 53′-9″ x 69′-6″Prototype: FreelancedLocale: ColoradoEra: 1950sStyle: Multi-level walkaroundMainline run: 679 feet (1,179 feet including branch lines)Minimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (branches and yards)Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared Great Model Railroads 2012. Click on the link to download the PDF of this […]
Name: The Patch Layout designer: Keith Jordan Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 8′-1″ x 8′-10″ Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Locale: Los Angeles Era: early to mid-1950s Style: shelf Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: Atlas code 83 Custom-Line no. 4 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared Great Model Railroads 2012. Click on the link to download […]
Name: West Side Lumber Co. Layout designer: Ken Larson Scale: O (1:48), three-foot gauge Size: 35 x 38 feet Prototype: West Side Lumber Co., Tuolumne, Calif. Locale: Sierra Nevada foothills, Stanislaus National Forest Era: July 4, 1950 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 180 feet Minimum radius: 28″ (main), 26″ (wyes) Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum […]
Southern Railway SD45 No. 3121 leads long hood forward on a unit coal train at Oreton, Va., in 1984. Such design enhanced bidirectional capability. Ron Flanary Q When did railroads such as the Norfolk & Western stop running their road engines “long hood first?” How effective was this practice for crew safety? Did it have […]
Name: Brandywine Valley RR Layout designer: Dil Huey Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 26 x 42 feet Prototype: Octoraro RR Locale: Southeastern Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware and Maryland Era: transition era to 1980s Style: multilevel walk-in Mainline run: 365 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: Peco large radius Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in […]
