Good times at the Fairplex Garden Railroad

At the western frontier area, a section of fence can be lowered to allow fair goers a first-hand experience at running a train. The panel holds three buttons that control separate vintage trains. A streamliner skirts the area on the blue line. Don Emmons Railway at a glance Name: Fairplex Garden Railroad Scale: Various, between […]

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PDF: Build a 1:20.3-scale wrecking crane

Build a 1:20.3-scale wrecking crane

Download the PDF of this project here. Click on the icon to download this PDF project. Note: This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the […]

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Just Plain Folks Figures

Marc Horovitz Vital statistics 1:22.5-scale figuresJust Plain Folk818 Lincoln Ave.Palmyra NJ 08065Price: $8 each (with some exceptions) Fully painted, cast-resin figures in a variety of natural poses Pros and cons Pros: Excellent detail; nicely painted; realistic colors; expressive featuresCons: Some poses a little stiff; mold lines occasionally visible Marc Horovitz Just Plain Folk is coming […]

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One-touch Critter control system

Alan Olson Vital statistics One-Touch Critter ControlG-Scale Graphics4118 Clayton Ct.Fort Collins CO 80525Prices: Critter Control, rotary style with built-in button, $69; reed switch, $5; power switch, $5; charging jack, $5Web site: www.GScaleGraphics.net Electronic unit to manually control speed and direction of battery-powered engine; 11-page instruction manual covers basics of track-power-to-battery-power conversion, installation, and operation; basic […]

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West Coast Precision Diecast used-car lot kit

Kevin Strong Vital statistics 1:24 scale used-car-lot kitWest Coast Precision Diecast21311 Deering Ct.Canoga Park CA 91304Price $225Web site: www.wcpdi.com Cast resin, “almost assembled” kit of a typical 1960s-70s-era used car lot; includes structure, interior and exterior details, and lighting; everything prepainted. Dimensions (building only): Length, 103/8″; width, 8″; height, 10¼”. Included “tarmac” base measures 24″ […]

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Accucraft’s K-37 locomotive

Kevin Strong 1:20.3 scale, gauge 1, ready-to-run 2-8-2Accucraft Trains33268 Central Ave.Union City CA 94587Price: $3,685Web site: www.accucraft.com Brass and steel model of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad’s famous K-37 steam locomotive; electrically powered; minimum radius, 4′ (8′ diameter). Dimensions: length, 43″; width: 6.25″; height 8.25″. In 1:20.3, this works out to 72’9″ x […]

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Allan Clark switchstand

Marc Horovitz 1:20.3-scale harp switchstandAllan Clark1232 Oceanside DriveQualicum Beach BC V9K 1C6CanadaPrices: Kit, $20US + s&h; built, $25US + s&h Web site: www.grantspassandpacificrailroad.com All brass, three-position harp switchstand; available as a kit or built up; three position; modeled after DSP&P switchstand; intended primarily for stub switches. Dimensions: base, 1¼” wide x 1½” high; mast, 4″ […]

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A large-scale layout for San Diego’s Children’s Hospital

San Diego Children's hospital layout

A whimsical train makes its way past alarming mountains of orange, red and purple, on its way to more pleasant and soothing scenery. Bob Treat The character and colors of the scratchbuilt structures are in keeping with the overall concept. Bob Treat The engine crosses the waterfall on a rickety trestle. The rainbow marks the […]

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