HO scale West Virginia & Southern Ry.

HOscaleWestVirginiaSouthern1

Name: West Virginia & Southern Ry. Layout owner: Terry B. Ketcham Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 40 feet Prototype: Norfolk & Western Locale: Southeastern W.Va. Era: 1950s Style: walkaround Mainline run: 360 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 4 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: 32″, 44″ and 60″ Roadbed: Homabed Track: code […]

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N scale Tidewater Southern RR

NscaleTidewaterSouthernRR

Name: Tidewater Southern RR Layout owner: Scale Rails club Scale: N (160:1) Size: 4′-1″ x 27′-0″ plus 24″ x 48″ Prototype: freelanced Locale: Eastern United States Era: 1950-1970 Style: island Mainline run: 162 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: modular Height: 40″ Roadbed: cork Track: code 80 flextrack Scenery: […]

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HO scale Pennsylvania RR Pittsburgh Division

HOscalePennsylvaniaRRPittsburghDivision

Name: Pennsylvania RR Pittsburgh Division Layout owner: Dave Johnson Scale: HO (1:187.1) Size: 33′-8″ x 37′-4″ Prototype: Pennsylvania RR Locale: Pittsburgh to Harrisburg, Pa. Period: 1952 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 235 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (main), 28″ (yard lead) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 5 (yard) Maximum grade: 1.75 percent Benchwork: L-girder and open […]

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HO scale Rock Island Clay Center Branch

HOscaleRockIslandClayCenterBranch

Name: Rock Island, Clay Center Branch Layout owner: Ken Jenkins Scale: HO (1:87:1) Size: 27 x 55 feet Prototype: Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific RR Locale: Northeast Kansas Era: fall 1969 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 25″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 5 (yards and spurs) Maximum grade: 1.25 […]

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HO scale Blue Ridge & Allegany Ry.

HOscaleBlueRidgeAlleganytrackplan

Name: Blue Ridge & Allegany Ry. Layout owner: Ron Hale Scale: HO (1:87.1) Layout size: 22′-6″ x 38′-6″ Prototype: freelanced, inspired by the Southern Ry. and Western Maryland Ry. Locale: Appalachian Mountains from Blue Ridge, N.C., to Allegany, Md. Era: 1952 Mainline run: 173 feet Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 28″ (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 6 […]

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HO scale Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe

HOscaleGulfColoradoWesterntrackplan

Name: Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Layout owner: David Kampsnider Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 26 x 30 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Locale: Oklahoma Era: 1951 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 100 feet Minimum radius: 34″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 5 (spurs) Maximum grade: 1 percent (main),2.2 percent (helix) Benchwork: 1 […]

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N scale Interstate RR – Dorchester and Roaring Fork branches

NscaleInterstateRR1

Name: Interstate RR – Dorchester and Roaring Fork branches Layout designer: Christian Javier Scale: N (1:160) Prototype: Interstate RR Locale: Wise County, Va. Era: 1967 Style: multilevel walk-in Mainline run: 125 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent (main) This track plan originally appeared in the November 2016 Model Railroader. […]

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Winston-Salem Southbound Series: Preparation for Operation

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Now that work on the trackwork, scenery, structures, details, motive power and rolling stock is nearly complete on our Winston-Salem Southbound HO scale project layout, it’s time to try running it like a real railroad. But before a single axle turns, MRVP’s David […]

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Winston-Salem Southbound Series: Preparation for Operation

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Now that work on the trackwork, scenery, structures, details, motive power and rolling stock is nearly complete on our Winston-Salem Southbound HO scale project layout, it’s time to try running it like a real railroad. But before a single axle turns, MRVP’s David […]

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HO scale Chicago & North Western Ry.

HOscaleChicagoNorthWesternRy

Name: Chicago & North Western Ry. Layout owner: Don Drum Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 27 x 43 feet Prototype: C&NW Lakeshore Division, Ashland District (Eland, Wis., to Ashland, Wis.) Locale: northern Wisconsin Era: summer 1956 to 1960 Style: walk-in Benchwork: L-girder and open grid Height: 49″ to 55″ Roadbed: 1⁄2″ plywood, 1⁄2″ Homasote, and 1⁄4″ […]

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HO scale New York Central, Mattoon and East St. Louis, Ill.

HOscaleNewYorkCentralMattoonandEastStLouisIll

Name: New York Central Layout owner: Mike Havens Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 18 x 25 feet Prototype: NYC Locale: Illinois and Indiana Era: 1950 to mid-1960s Style: walk-in double-deck Mainline run: 360 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 1.25 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: 45″ Roadbed: Homasote on 3⁄4″ plywood, some cork […]

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Vertical crossing signals

TRNAT0814_02

A less common crossing signal warned motorists of oncoming trains by blinking “stop.” Kevin King Q As a child in the 1950s and 1960s, I saw a number of railroad grade crossings on the Wabash that were protected by a row of vertical lights on the signal mast in addition to the standard red alternating […]

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