Built by Others: Grant Graeber’s MT&W layout

A the downtown section of a model railroad layout

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated products. The Black River Junction originally appeared in the pages of Model Railroader in 2007. Grant Graeber converted the layout to the space he had available and made adjustments according to his interests […]

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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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Model railroad fascia fixtures to improve your layout

A model railroad throttle rests in a plastic holder on a layout fascia

Thanks to these model railroad fascia fixtures, your layout’s fascia can do more than give the edge of your layout a finished look. That stretch of tempered hardboard, medium density fiberboard, plywood, or linoleum can also serve a practical purpose. Consider adding some of these model railroad fascia fixtures to make life easier for your […]

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Built by Others: Jean Levasseur’s GP & Sons Lumber Co. in HO scale

Model wood structure raised over train tracks with long arm and dark brown pincers for picking up logs

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated products. The Olympia series started on MR Video Plus as an On30 logging railroad video series. Jean Levasseur converted the layout to HO scale and made some modifications to the […]

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Built by Others: Robert Mountenay’s HO scale Merkiomen Valley Branch

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated magazines. The Alkali Central was an HO scale project railroad built by the MR staff and featured in the December 1995 issue. Robert Mountenay adapted the track plan to fit […]

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Built by Others: Michael Maurer’s On30 scale Wood Hog Lumber Co

Brown strips set out in straight and curved lines on a plywood surface

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated magazines. The Olympia project was an On30 layout built by the MR Video Plus team for a series of videos that can be found on Trains.com Video. A “what if” […]

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Built by Others: Bob Wundrock’s HO scale Gold Hill Central

black and brown toy train crossing bridge over a small stream with a hill and town in the background

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader magazine. The Gold Hills Central was a layout built live by staff and MR contributors at Model Railroader’s 50th Anniversary Conference, held in Milwaukee in 1983. The original story and plan ran in […]

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The basic tools to start building your train table

Steven Otte applies glue to a board as he assembles benchwork on the workshop floor

The basic tools to start building your train table: If you’re interested in building a train table for your layout, you’ll need a few basic tools to get started. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced model railroader, having the right tools can make all the difference in the success of your project. Safety Gear […]

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Built by Others: Neil Maldeis’s N Scale Whiskey Barrel & Grimy Gotham Layout

small toy train railroad as viewed from above showing how the oval of track is split by a scenery divider that runs through the middle of the table

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader magazine. Neil Maldeis built the small N scale layout here to be able to take it to shows. It is based upon the Whiskey Barrel & Grimy Gotham N scale plan that appeared […]

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The Buffalo & Susquehanna Railroad

A model steam locomotive pulls a passenger car over a bridge.

For most of my 70 plus years I have been interested in trains. Wherever I lived, I built a number of layouts in basements and attics. It was not until I became interested in the life of the Buffalo & Susquehanna Railroad that I thought it would be a railroad to model. It could not […]

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Built by Others: Dave Foxx’s HO scale Carolina Sandhills Lines layout

Model train set up featuring green hills and trees as well as gray track that forms a large oval

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader magazine. The Bedford Valley RR appeared in the November 1986 issue of MR. David Foxx built his own version, making an assortment of additions to it using pieces of other MR projects as well. – […]

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