Modeling Layout Visits Bill Neale’s PRR Panhandle Division in HO scale

Bill Neale’s PRR Panhandle Division in HO scale

By Kent Johnson | October 3, 2025

Tour a massive HO scale layout set in the Golden Age of Steam.

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Follow Model Railroader Editor Eric White on a journey into the thick of operations on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Panhandle Division, as replicated on Bill Neale’s HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad! As feature in Great Model Railroads 2010, Bill’s 200-foot multi-level layout captures a vital stretch of mainline serving the coal and steel country of western Pennsylvania and the Ohio River Valley.
In this exclusive Trains.com Video, you’ll witness steam power hard at work hauling some of the heaviest manifests on the rails. Get an authentic sense of the drama along multiple mainline tracks, as passenger trains like The Spirit of St. Louis are routed around local freights and strategically placed helper engines conquer the 2 percent grades. With a design focused equally on scenery and realistic operation, you’ll certainly see why Bill’s layout is worthy of its Great Model Railroad moniker!

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