Dive into the captivating world of Cincinnati’s traction history with Mark Albert’s stunning HO scale model railroad! Originally built to travel to train shows, this layout, presented in the October 2025 issue of Model Railroader magazine, has found its permanent home, allowing for incredible new details and enhancements.
Explore intricately modeled street scenes complete with the city’s signature twin-trolley-pole streetcars, a nod to the unique history of Cincinnati’s transit. This layout features highly detailed structures, a scratchbuilt urban landscape, and a faithful recreation of the city’s “phantom” subway tunnels. Now, with its traveling days behind it, the layout has entered a new chapter, enabling Mark to add even more personal touches and dream up future expansions. Experience this beautiful rolling tribute to the Queen City’s electric rail heritage!
I went to Cincinnati a couple of years ago for a conference. I got just a brief glimpse of the huge layout at the Cincinnati Union Terminal, which also depicts the city in this same era, along with one of the actual streetcars that Mark has modeled. Walking around downtown, I saw many model-worthy structures. Thanks, Mark, for recreating a small portion of it to share with others!