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In this installment of our Canadian Canyons N scale project layout series, MRVP’s Ben Lake lends his Digital Command Control (DCC) expertise to the effort of connecting the staging yard turnouts to a stationary decoder. Follow along as Ben shares his techniques for installing, wiring, and programming Digitrax components used to activate the previously installed […]
A client asked me to develop a track plan for him that focused on two of his non-train collecting interests: The movie It’s A Wonderful Life, and the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball club. An odd pairing you think? Not really. What are most toy train layouts but a salute to nostalgia and personal […]
Name: Claremont Docks RR Layout owner: Howard R. Lloyd Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12 x 17 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Lehigh Valley Locale: Jersey City, N.J. Era: September 1944 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 39 feet Minimum turnout: no. 4 Minimum radius: 18″ Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: open grid and L-girder Height: 53″ to […]
Name: Oregon Middle Division Layout owner: Gary Randall Scale: N (1:160) Size: 15 x 17 feet Prototype: freelance, based on Union Pacific Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: none specified Style: walk-in Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 16″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L-girder with spline subroadbed Layout Height: 39″ to 42″ […]
Name: Union Pacific Daneburg Subdivision Layout owner: Pelle Soeborg Scale: HO Size: 11 x 22 feet Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: Freelanced, based on eastern Nebraska and western Iowa Era: present-day Layout style: around the walls Mainline: 60 feet (excluding staging) Minimum radius: 33″ Track: flextrack: code 83 (main), 70 (sidings), and 55 (spurs) Turnouts: no. 6 […]
Name: Delaware Avenue Branch Track plan designer: Bille Neale Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9 x 12 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR, Delaware Avenue Branch Locale: Philadelphia, Pa. Era: 1920 to 1960 Style: sectional Mainline run: 72 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.2 percent Train length: 5 feet Height: 0″ to 3.5″ […]
Name: UP’s Spine Line Layout owner: Bob Sprague Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10 x 18 feet Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: Eastern Iowa Era: modern Style: double-deck around-the-walls Mainline run: 74 feet visible, plus helixes Minimum radius: 27″ (main), 24″ (industrial and wyes) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2.75 percent This track plan originally appeared […]
Click the image to download a copy of the track plan. Name: UP’s Spine Line Layout owner: Bob Sprague Scale: N (1:160) Size: 10′-0″ x 17′-6″ Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: Eastern Iowa Era: modern Style: walkaround Mainline run: 59 feet Minimum radius: 15″ (main), 12″ (industrial and wyes) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none […]
Name: Dyer Junction & Eureka Layout Owner: Jim Molloy Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 5′-4″ x 15′-9″ Prototype: freelance Locale: Northern California Era: mid 1930s Style: shelf Mainline run: 15′-9″ Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: 1 x 3 joists topped with 1/4″ plywood and 2″ Styrofoam Height: 43″ Roadbed: 1/16″ […]
Name: Baltimore & Ohio Ridgley Division Layout owner: Dale Ridgeway Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 18 x 20 feet Prototype: inspired by the B&O, Pennsylvania RR, Norfolk & Western Locale: central West Virginia Era: 1964 to 1967 Style: multilevel, walk in Mainline run: 175 feet Minimum radius: 24″ (main), 18″ (balloon track at D. Lee Coal […]
Name: Willoughby, Ohio Layout owner: Perry Pollino Scale: N (1:160) Size: 11′-0″ x 15′-3″ Prototype: Norfolk & Western and Conrail Locale: northern Ohio Era: 1980s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 85 feet Minimum radius: 15″ (main), 12″ (wye), 9″ (balloon track) Minimum turnout: Peco small radius Maximum grade: 2.25 percent This track plan originally appeared in […]
Name: Iowa Interstate RR Grimes Line Layout designer: James McNab Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-0″ x 18′-8″ Prototype: IAIS Grimes Industrial Track Locale: Greater Des Moines, Iowa Period: September 2008 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 52 feet Minimum radius: 22″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in Great Model Railroads 2015. Click […]
