John Armstrong talks about planning the HO Clinchfield RR

ClinchfieldNov2018

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. […]

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HO scale Clinchfield RR

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Name: Clinchfield RR Layout owner: Stuart Wrightson (original version designed by John Armstrong) Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 32 feet Prototype: Clinchfield RR, CSX Locale: From Elkhorn City, Ky.,to the Tennessee/North Carolina border Era: Original plan, 1978; existing layout, present day Style: walk-in Mainline run: 223 feet (original) Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. […]

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HO scale Shamokin Division (2018)

HOscaleShamokinDivision2018

Name: Reading Co. Shamokin Division Layout owner: Jim Hertzog Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 30′-6″ x 40′-0″ Prototype: Reading Co. Locale: eastern Pennsylvania Era: 1952 to 1957 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 310 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2.6 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 45″ to 60″ Roadbed: cork and Homasote on […]

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HO scale Elmira, N.Y.

HOscaleElmiraNY

Name: Railroads of Elmira, N.Y. Layout owner: Joe Leahy Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 33 x 36 feet Prototype: Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Erie RR Locale: Elmira, N.Y. Era: early 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: approx. 210 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (sidings and secondary track) Maximum grade: 2 percent […]

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HO scale West Wisconsin RR

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Name: West Wisconsin RR Layout owner: Mark Digerness Scale: 1:87.1 (HO) Size: 27 x 27 feet Prototype: Chicago & North Western Locale: northwest Wisconsin Era: early 1990s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 300 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent (helix) Benchwork: open grid Height: 36″ (lower deck), 59″ (upper deck) […]

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HO scale Baltimore & Ohio RR Pittsburgh Division

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Name: Baltimore & Ohio RR, Pittsburgh Division, P&W Subdivision Layout owner: John Babcock Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 19′-6″ x 23′-3″ Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio Locale: western Pennsylvania Era: 1966 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 125 feet (double-track main line) Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: 42″ to 48″ […]

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N scale Missabe Junction Ry. (2018)

NscaleMissabeJunction

Name: Missabe Junction Ry. (2018) Layout owner: Steve Miazga Scale: N (160:1) Size: 18 x 22 feet Prototypes: Soo Line; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range; Wisconsin Central/Fox River Valley; Canadian National; and Missabe Junction Ry. Locale: north-central Wisconsin Era: 1960 to 1990 Style: island walk-in Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. […]

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HO scale Arcadia & Betsey River Ry.

HOscaleArcadiaBetseyRiver

Name: Arcadia & Betsey River Ry. Layout owner: Harley “Skip” Luyk Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 28 feet Prototype: freelanced logging line Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: 1910 to 1957 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 74 feet (main), 87 feet (branch line) Minimum radius: 22″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 4 percent Benchwork: mix of […]

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HO scale Piney Fork Branch

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Name: Piney Fork RR Layout Owner: Seth Gartner Scale: HO scale (1:87.1) Size: 23 x 31 feet Prototype: New York Central Locale: eastern Ohio (Minerva to Dillonvale) Era: early 1960s Style: multilevel, walk in Mainline run: 260 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 (industries), o. 5 (yardns), no. 6 (main line) Maximum grade: […]

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F Line traction

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Name: F Line traction Layout owner: Harvey Simon Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 5 x 8 feet Prototype: San Francisco MunicipalTransp ortation Agency’s F Line Locale: San Francisco, between Castro District and Fisherman’s Wharf Era: modern Style: modified walk-in Mainline run: 40 feet Minimum radius: 6 1/4″ Minimum turnout: single point, equivalent to no. 2 Maximum […]

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HO scale B&O Paquettin Division

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Name: B&O Paquettin Division (updated 2018) Layout owner: Mike Tricker Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 16′-6″ x 16′-6″ Prototype: inspired by Baltimore & Ohio Locale: Appalachia to New Jersey Style: partial mushroom Era: early to mid-1950s Mainline run: 78 feet (excluding helix) Minimum radius: 18″, 15″(waterfront) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (waterfront) Maximum grade: […]

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HO scale Palmetto Subdivision

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Name: The Palmetto Subdivision Layout designer: Christian Javier Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13 x 20 feet Prototype: Atlantic Coast Line Locale: southwest Florida Era: 1958-1959 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 93 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none (flat) This track plan originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Model Railroader. […]

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