HO scale Denver & Rio Grande Western

HOscaleDenverRioGrandeWestern

Name: Denver & Rio Grande Western Layout owner: Ed Miller Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25′-6″ x 41′-6″ Prototype: D&RGW Locale: Colorado and Utah Era: steam-to-diesel transition Style: around the walls with peninsulas Mainline run: 461 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 36″ to 49′-6″ Roadbed: […]

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HO scale Ogdensburg & Norwood Ry.

HOscaleOgdensburgNorwoodRyNorthernDivision

Name: Ogdensburg & Norwood Ry., Northern Division Layout owner: Jim Heidt Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24 x 30 plus 7 x 20 feet Prototype: Ogdensburg & Norwood Locale: upstate New York Era: July 1948 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 404 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3.3 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: 36″ (lower deck), […]

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HO scale West Deerfield Industrial Park

HOscaleWestDeerfieldIndustrialPark

Name: West Deerfield Industrial Park Layout owner: Paul Boehlert Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 6′-8″ x 7′-11″ Theme: industrial switching Locale: northeastern United States (as shown) Era: modern Style: shelf Mainline run: not applicable Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none This track plan originally appeared in the February 2017 Model Railroader. Click […]

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How-to Library: Operate The Beer Line, Part 1 – Getting ready for operations

HO scale Beer Line layout

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Are you ready to tackle realistic model operations on your layout? Follow this all-new MRVP mini-series and you will be! Over the course of five episodes, David Popp and the MR/MR Video Plus team will use the HO scale Beer Line project layout […]

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How-to Library: Operate The Beer Line, Part 2 – Setting cars for the first session

boxcar on the HO scale Beer Line layout

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In the second stage of preparation for our operating session, David shows how to position cars and their paperwork at the industries and tracks on our HO scale Beer Line layout. Also in this video, David looks at the various jobs on the […]

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How-to Library: Operate The Beer Line, Part 3 – The Morning Yard Job

freight train on the HO scale Beer Line layout

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page David has completed preparations for the Beer Line HO scale operating session. Now it’s time to start the session into motion so you can watch and learn how the car movements on the railroad fit into specific job tasks. The first job you’ll […]

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How-to Library: DCC Installation for large layouts, Part 5 – Going wireless

David Popp holding a dcc throttle

In this concluding episode of MRVP’s Digital Command Control installation series, David Popp teams up with DCC Programming host Dana Kawala to demonstrate how to add wireless throttles to a large layout. With the railroad untethered, David offers a final overview of the upgrades he made to our HO scale Beer Line layout throughout the […]

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HO scale Milwaukee Beer Line addition

HOscaleBeerLineaddition

\ Name: Milwaukee Road’s Beer Line Layout owner: Model Railroader staff Scale: HO (1:87.1) Prototype: Milwaukee Road’s Chestnut Street Line Locale: Milwaukee, Wis. Era: 1947 Style: Sectional Mainline run: 24 feet (original layout); 10 feet (addition); 34 feet (total) Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: sectional tables Height: 44″ Roadbed: […]

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HO scale Santa Fe Eastern

HOscaleSantaFeEastern

Name: Santa Fe Eastern Layout owner: Les Illes Scale: HO Size: 25 x 35 feet Prototype: Santa Fe (BNSF Ry.) and Southern Pacific (Union Pacific) Locale: Cajon Pass in California Era: 1940s to present Style: walk-in Mainline run: 600 feet in three lines Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (yards) Maximum grade: 2 […]

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N scale Willoughby, Ohio

NscaleWilloughbyOhio

Name: Willoughby, Ohio Layout owner: Perry Pollino Scale: N (1:160) Size: 11′-0″ x 15′-3″ Prototype: Norfolk & Western and Conrail Locale: northern Ohio Era: 1980s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 85 feet Minimum radius: 15″ (main), 12″ (wye), 9″ (balloon track) Minimum turnout: Peco small radius Maximum grade: 2.25 percent This track plan originally appeared in […]

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Compact diesel terminal online extras

Sandtowerplansandhandrailtemplate_edited1

In the January 2017 Model Railroader, Thomas Klimoski describes how he built a compact HO scale diesel service terminal based on a prototype found on the shortline Georgia Northeastern RR. A signature structure on the scene is Tom’s scratchbuilt sanding tower. Download Tom’s template for the sanding tower as well as the handrail bending template […]

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