The layout at a glance Name: Gauley & Shavers Fork Layout designer: Bob Ferguson Scale: N (1:160) Size: 16′-4″ x 33′-6″ Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio, Norfolk & Western, and Western Maryland Locale: Appalachia Era: mid- to late-1960s Style: shelf Mainline run: 75 feet Minimum radius: 9.75″ Minimum turnout: Peco medium radius Maximum […]
Click on the image to download this track plan. The layout at a glance Name: Wingate Layout designer: Tony Koester Scale: O (1:48) Size: 30″ x 16′-0″ plus optional 30″ x 8′-0″ extension Prototype: Nickel Plate Road Locale: Wingate, Ind. Era: 1954 Style: portable tabletop Mainline run: 16 feet Minimum radius: none Minimum turnout: no. […]
See a PDF version of this by clicking here. This might be the simplest track plan ever to appear in Model Railroader. It includes just three turnouts, almost all the track is dead straight, and it’ll fit in office cubicles, studio apartments, dorm rooms, and other spaces traditionally considered too small for a model railroad. […]
Name: Greenville & Ohio RR Layout owner: Jack Varadi Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 131⁄2 x 23 feet Theme: freelanced short line Locale: Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina Era: 1940s to 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 160 feet Minimum radius: 26″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: 48″ […]
Name: Western Sierra Lines Layout owner: Roseville Roundhouse Model RR Club Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 17 x 30 feet Prototypes: Southern Pacific, Union Pacific Locale: Central California Era: mixed Style: walk-in Mainline run: 200 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (main), 24″ (short line) Minimum turnouts: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (yards and industries) Maximum grade: 2 […]
Name: Cajon Pass Layout owner: Pat Smith Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 33′-2″ x 40′-7″ Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Union Pacific; and Southern Pacific Locale: Southern California Era: Early 1950s to early 1960s strong>Style: walkaround Mainline run: 475 feet Minimum Radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: […]
Name: New York, New Haven & Hartford RR Layout owner: Richard Abramson Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-6″ x 19′-6″ Prototype: New Haven electrified zone Locale: southwestern Connecticut Era: 1950s to 1960s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 65 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 49″ Roadbed: Homasote […]
Name: The Placerville Branch Layout owner: Tom Ebert Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 11 x 27 feet Prototype: Southern Pacific Locale: Northern California foothills Era: 1930s Style: double-deck continuous-climb walkaround Mainline run: 110 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: L-girder and open-grid Height: 34″ (lower staging) to 62″ Roadbed: cork […]
Present and former members of the Model Railroader staff designed these four model railroads. Each can fit a 150-square-foot space. That space could be a 10 x 15-foot spare room, an 8-foot-wide stall in an 18-foot-long garage, a 5-foot-wide space along a 30-foot basement wall, or anything in between. What resulted was a variety of […]
Name: Georgia Northeastern RR Layout owner: Thomas Klimoski Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9′-2″ x 10′-6″ Prototype: Georgia Northeastern RR Locale: Georgia Era: present-day Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 36 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: open grid Height: 54″ Roadbed: cork Track: Micro Engineering code 70 Scenery: extruded-foam insulation […]
Name: Hudson, Delaware & Lehigh Layout owner: Gary Schaff Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13′-6″ x 35′-0″ Prototype: Central RR of New Jersey and Pennsylvania RR Locale: Jersey City, N.J., to Mauch Chunk, Pa. Era: early 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: CNJ, 170 feet; PRR, 108 feet Minimum radius: 27″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: […]
Name: PRR Elmira Branch Layout owner: Anthony Daniele Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 22 x 45 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR, Erie RR, New York Central, and Lehigh Valley Locale: upstate New York Era: 1956 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 249 feet (to Canandaigua); 281 feet (to Sodus Yard) Minimum radius: 36″, 30″ (hidden) Minimum turnout: no. 6 […]
