Trains.com host David Popp invites you along for this initial overview of Model Railroader magazine’s emerging HO scale (1:87.1) project layout, the East Troy Industrial Park Railroad! To get things started, David shares how 1:1 scale operations of a Class III railroad (as featured in the Trains.com Video Series “Taking Care of Business: SMS Rail […]
Facts & features Name: Wolf Creek Central RRScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 8′-1″ x 13′-1″ Prototype: freelancedLocale: southeast North CarolinaEra: 1990sStyle: peninsulaMainline run: 81 feetMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: no. 4Maximum grade: 2.7%Benchwork: L-girderHeight: 48″Roadbed: HomasoteTrack: code 70, 83, and 100 flextrackScenery: Woodland Scenics ground foamBackdrop: Painted tempered hardboardControl: Digitrax DB150 DCC Download a PDF of this […]
The Train Masters of Babylon sounds exotic, but the reality is it’s just a great O gauge club layout in New York. Highly detailed and encompassing more than 2,400 square feet, this 41 x 60 display showcases the railroads of the region. Read more in the July-August 2023 issue. […]
The Train Masters of Babylon sounds exotic, but the reality is it’s just a great O gauge club layout in New York. Highly detailed and encompassing more than 2,400 square feet, this 41 x 60 display showcases the railroads of the region. Read more in the July-August 2023 issue. […]
By Greg Privette Vacationing near the Olympic mountains of Washington state birthed a vision for my new HO scale layout. Logging was the industry and Shelton, Wash., was home to the last logging railroad in the United States. Old-growth timbers harvested near Camp 5 were delivered by the Simpson Railroad to Shelton starting around the […]
The latest special issue from Classic Toy Trains! If you’re looking to build your first toy train layout, or maybe just something more manageable, Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces has you covered! It’s full of plans for layouts under 100 square feet that will fit in a spare room, including island and around the […]
The layout at a glance Name: Royal Gorge Route Layout owner: Florida Scale Rails club Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 8 x 12 feet Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western (standard and HOn3 narrow gauge); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; and Union Pacific Locale: Colorado Era: 1930s to ’60s Mainline run: 75 feet Minimum radius: 22″ […]
Name: Rio Grande Southern, Lizard Head Division Layout owner: Gregg Condon Scale: HOn3 (1:87.1 proportion, 3-foot gauge) Size: 17 x 40 feet Prototype: Rio Grande Southern RR Locale: Southwestern Colorado Era: September 1947 Style: walk-in Mainline Run: 125 feet Minimum Radius: 20” Minimum Turnout: no. 4 Maximum Grade: 3 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 42″ to 56″ […]
Name: Ahnapee & Western RR Layout owner: Larry Blank Scale: S (1:64) Size: 22 x 24 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: glacial hills of Wisconsin along the shore of Lake Michigan Era: 1937 Style: around the walls with peninsula Mainline run: 200 feet Minimum radius: 48″ Turnout minimum: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: open […]
Name: Otter Creek & Ripton Layout owner: David McLeod Scale: On30 (1:48, 30″ gauge) Size: 12 x 15 feet Theme: freelanced New England narrow gauge short line Locale: central Vermont Era: 1912 Style: around-the-walls with peninsula Mainline run: 61 feet Minimum radius: 24″ (main), 18″ (branch) Minimum turnout: Peco medium radius Maximum grade: 4.5 percent […]
Click the image to download a copy of the track plan. Name: UP’s Spine Line Layout owner: Bob Sprague Scale: N (1:160) Size: 10′-0″ x 17′-6″ Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: Eastern Iowa Era: modern Style: walkaround Mainline run: 59 feet Minimum radius: 15″ (main), 12″ (industrial and wyes) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none […]
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: […]
