PDF: 1:20.3 scale lobster boat, part 2

1:20.3 scale lobster boat

Download a PDF to build part two of our 1:20.3-scale lobster boat. Part two includes finishing and detailing the boat. Note: This PDF is tiled to print on your home printer. Two “overview” pages will print first, followed by the full-size plans. Each page has 1 1/2″ of intentional overlap. Trim the excess paper from […]

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Tuscarora project railroad trackplan

Ten years on the Tuscarora

Download this free trackplan that accompanies our Tuscarora project railroad series. In the June 2006 issue: Determining a trackplan, surveying the land, and defining objectives In the August 2006 issue: Breaking ground and building a stone retaining wall In the October 2006 issue: Building a PVC-based trackbed In the December 2006 issue: Laying track In […]

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Designing a garden railway for live-steam locomotives

A Roundhouse “Fowler,” fitted with a coal-fired boiler by John Shawe, at work on the author’s garden railway near Toronto. Jeff Young photo When we acquire a small-scale live steamer, it is usually to run on an established garden railway. The selection of your live-steam locomotive was probably influenced by the physical characteristics of the […]

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Lillian “Curly” Lawrence and the history of live-steam locomotives

green and black model steam engine on track

Lillian “Curly” Lawrence and the history of live-steam locomotives Lillian “Curly” Lawrence was a British model engineer who lived from 1882 to 1967. He built his first live-steam locomotive at the age of 13 on a used treadle lathe. A curious and reclusive fellow, he wrote live-steam columns for British model-engineering magazines under the pen […]

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Tinplate live steam

A pair of well used, tinplate live steamers. The engine in the foreground is by Bowman; the one behind is Bassett-Lowke. Despite their tatty appearance, they are both in good operating condition and see regular use in the garden. Jeff Young An important part of the history of small-scale live steam is the tinplate locomotives […]

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Design an interesting garden railway with a simple loop of track

Marc Horovitz When trains run over and under bridges and trestles, a garden railroad becomes more interesting to watch Randy Mower Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz Many garden railways occupy a corner of the back yard in an area big enough for only a simple loop of track. Although an HO or N scale railroad would […]

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Project railroad: Selecting trains

Small trains give the illusion of traveling long distances in a garden railway. Marc Horovitz As mentioned in the first installment, since we had a little, tiny railroad, small equipment was called for. The smaller the equipment, we reasoned, the greater the illusion of distance travelled. So, we opted for the smallest equipment we could […]

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The importance of ballasting gauge-1 track

The importance of ballasting gauge-1 track: LGB track is heavy enough to float by itself in ballast, just like full-size railroad track. The ballast not only provides a good, solid base for the track, it keeps the track away from the soil and provides good drainage. Before we could begin ballasting, we had to remove […]

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