Name: Penn Central Hitop Branch Layout owner: Steve Campbell Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 8 feet Prototype: Penn Central (New York Central) Locale: West Virginia Era: 1968 to 1975 Style: island Mainline run: 18 feet Minimum radius: 22″ (main), 18″ (branch) Minimum turnout: Atlas Snap-Switch Maximum grade: 3.4 percent Benchwork: cookie-cutter Height: 40″ to […]
Name: Red Branch & Union RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 8 feet Theme: Midwestern granger road Locale: Illinois Era: 1975 Style: island Mainline run: 20 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: Atlas 18″ radius Snap-Switch Maximum grade: none (flat) This track plan was originally published in the March 2016 Model Railroader. Click on the link […]
Name: Sherman Hills Layout owner: Judy Milford Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 5′-10″ x 9′-0″ Theme: small-town America Locale: generic northeastern U.S. Era: 1960s Style: island Mainline run: 32 feet in two separate loops Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: flat Benchwork: L-girder Height: 40″ (lower loop), 48″ (upper) Roadbed: cork Track: Atlas […]
Name: Virginia & Southern RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 8 feet Theme: Main line coal hauling Locale: Appalachian mountains Era: 1950s Style: island Mainline run: 19 feet (double-tracked) Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 3 percent This track plan was originally published in the March 2016 Model Railroader. Click on the link […]
Name: Coalton & Silver Range RR Scale: N (1:160) Size: 4 x 8 feet Theme: Rocky Mountain mining Locale: Colorado Era: 1920s Style: island Mainline run: 37 feet Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 3 percent This track plan was originally published in the March 2016 Model Railroader. Click on the link to download […]
Name: Eagle Mountain RR Layout owner: Model Railroader staff Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 3′-101⁄2″ x 6′-01⁄2″ Prototype: Eagle Mountain RR Locale: Riverside County, Calif. Era: late 1960s to early 1970s Style: island, portable Mainline run: 14 feet Minimum radius: 19″ Minimum turnout: Peco no. 5 Maximum grade: none Height: 45″ Track: Peco code 83 flextrack, […]
Layout designer: Ray Stuber Scale: O Layout size: 6 1/2 x 12 Track type: Lionel tubular Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the December 2015 issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine Build the Lionel Lines track plan Build the Lionel Lines track plan overview […]
Name: Tehachapi Subdivision Scale: N (1:160) Size: 11 x 13 feet Prototype: Southern Pacific RR and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Locale: Tehachapi Pass and Modesto in California Era: early summer 1995 Style: island Benchwork: L-girder Height: 38″ to 48″ Roadbed: cork Track: code 80 flextrack Mainline run: 75 feet Minimum radius: 17″ (main […]
On30 Torres & Prietas RR from the April 2015 Model Railroader Name: Torres & Prietas RR Scale: On30 (1:48 proportion, 30″ narrow gauge, also called On21⁄2) Size: 6′-9″ x 16′-0″ Theme: Southwest desert mining Locale: Arizona Era: Mid 20th century Style: Island Mainline run: 30 feet Minimum radius: 20″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: […]
The layout at a glance Name: Cascade Mountain RR Layout designer: David Miller Scale: Z (1:220) Size: 12 x 13 feet Theme: freelanced Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: 1960s to present Style: island Mainline run: 45 feet Minimum radius: 12″ Minimum turnout: 13 degrees Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 42″ to 50″ Roadbed: […]
Name: Red Oak Layout designer: staff of Model Railroader Scale: N (1:160) Size: 3′-0″ x 6′-8″ Prototype: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Locale: Red Oak, Iowa Era: early 1960s Style: island, portable Mainline run: 15 feet Minimum radius: 13″ Minimum turnout: Peco no. 6 medium Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the January 2015 Model […]
Name: Jemez & Rio Grande (“The Chili Line”) Layout designer: Jim Gore Scale: On30 (1:48 proportion on 30″ narrow gauge track) Size: 12 x 16 feet Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western Santa Fe Division Locale: northern New Mexico Era: October 1951 Style: island style layout with continuous run Mainline run: 64 feet Minimum turnout: […]
