When you have more than a bedroom for your railroad, you have some choices to make regarding what to fill the space with. Download this free 15-page PDF for 28 inspiring N, Nn3, HO, HOn 2 ½, Sn3, and On 2 ½ layout plans. […]
Staging, major industries, interchanges between railroads, and prototype inspiration are four characteristics that all successful model railroads tend to have. However, incorporating all four of these characteristics into one small space can be challenging. Download this free 12-page PDF download for HO and N scale plans, waterfront railroad layouts, small shelf Union Pacific inspired layouts, […]
Download this free 33-page PDF for a detailed look at how to recreate the town of Red Oak, Iowa. We organized this free PDF into four, easy-to-follow, sections: Part one covers how to utilize a hollow-core household door for a 3 x 7 N scale layout. Part two dives into building benchwork, working on terrain, […]
Download this free 31-page PDF download for an in-depth look at how to build a 4 x 9 N scale modern-era Western layout. This beginner-to-intermediate skill level layout of the Union Pacific Salt Lake Route is broken up into five sections: Part one covers the inspiration behind the layout. Part two gets into how to […]
This free 15-page PDF download is packed with interesting city and country HO and N scale layouts for small to mid-size spaces. Complete with full-color schematics and operational details, all of the track plans featured in this download placed in the top three! […]
Building a layout is the ultimate expression of the hobby of model railroading. In this free 14-page PDF download, we provide you with step-by-step instructions for one HO scale layout and one N sale layout. Perfect for beginners, this free download includes complete track lists, tips for building simple table benchwork, wiring instructions, laying and […]
In an all-new MRVP mini-series, David Popp takes you through the steps for turning an interesting layout concept into a specific plan. In Part 1, David gets things started by revisiting memories of his favorite midwestern fallen flag. He then shows how recollections, historic photos, and research can be used to narrow the focus of […]
Click on the links below to listen to these vintage recordings. In the late 1970s Austrailian model railroader Stuart Wrightson hired legendary layout planner the late John Armstrong to design an HO scale railroad based upon the Clinchfield RR. Stuart ended up building the railroad, but he flipped the plan to better suit his needs. […]
Take your next layout to the next level with this free 15-page PDF filled with design concepts. In this free download we cover: Layout schematics and how to think of your track plan as a railroad. Effective and efficient layout shapes. Sectional layouts and building your railroad so you can take it with you. And […]
Kent Johnson and CTT’s Bob Keller lay it all on the line, as they work to assemble the main line using Lionel FasTrack O gauge components. Watch to see how they plot the course from the plan (printed in the pages of Classic Toy Trains magazine) to the pink foamboard tabletop, and then wire the […]
Kent Johnson and CTT’s Bob Keller lay it all on the line, as they work to assemble the main line using Lionel FasTrack O gauge components. Watch to see how they plot the course from the plan (printed in the pages of Classic Toy Trains magazine) to the pink foamboard tabletop, and then wire the […]
These simple calculations will make it easy and safe to take your trains to new heights on an O or S gauge model railroad. John Rusterholz The Lionel no. 110 trestle set from the postwar era brings additional operating enjoyment to any O gauge layout. Almost every layout featured in Classic Toy Trains has track […]
