Name: Lake Nipigon Northern RR Layout designer: Tom McRae Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9 x 11 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: Ontario, Canada, north of Lake Superior Era: flexible Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 16 feet, plus branch Minimum radius: 30″ (main), 24″ (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the April […]
Section: How To
Build a railroad bunkhouse drawings
In the April and June 2013 issues, Don Parker shows you how to scratchbuild a railroad bunkhouse. Download a free copy of these drawings, full size for 1:24 scale. […]
Build a tiny freight station in 1:29 scale
Download the PDF of this project here. 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 break lines to create the larger piece. Please make sure […]
East Berkshire Branch
Name: East Berkshire Branch Layout designer: John Callahan Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 21 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by the Boston & Maine and Rutland RR Locale: rural New England Era: early to mid-1950s Style: walk in Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (sidings) Maximum grade: […]
Lehigh Valley RR Bronx Terminal
Name: Lehigh Valley RR Bronx Terminal Layout designer: Wayne N. Carlsen Scale: N (1:160) Size: 5 x 9 feet Prototype: Lehigh Valley RR Locale: South Bronx, New York City Era: early 1960s Style: island Mainline run: not applicable Minimum radius: 9-3/4″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Originally appeared in the March 2013 Model Railroader. Click on […]
HO scale Sugar Valley Sweetwater RR
Name: Sugar Valley & Sweetwater RR Layout designer: Brian Glock Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13′-6″ x 25′-0″ Theme: Southern bridge line Locale: east Tennessee-west North Carolina mountains Era: 1950s Style: walk-in with swing gates Mainline run: 130 feet Minimum radius: 271⁄2″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 4 percent (main), 8 percent (branch) Originally appeared […]
Curves & climbs track plan
Layout designer: Michael Tylick Scale: O Layout size: 11 x 16 feet Track type: Lionel FasTrack Minimum curve: O-36 Originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Curves & Climbs track plan Curves & Climbs track plan schematic […]
Two more ways to wye
Louisville & Nashville freight 864 from Norton, Va., to Corbin, Ky., meets Southern First 88, a coal turn from Andover to Yuma, Va., on the wye at Appalachia on May 23, 1969. Although wyes are commonplace on prototype railroads, they can be challenging to model. Ron Flanary A “wye” describes an area where three turnouts […]
Build an outdoor turntable
The February 2013 issue features an article on building an indoor turntable by Nathan Turner. Download an article on building a turntable for outdoor use, originally published in the April 2008 issue. […]
Ma & Pa standard-gauge bobber in 1:29 scale
Download the PDF of this project here. 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 break lines to create the larger piece. Please make sure […]
A catalog of useful plants for railroad gardens
What appear to be small apple trees in bloom are really Mexican false heather, a.k.a. elfin herb (Cuphea hyssopifolia, Zones 8-11). These are easy to grow in full to partial sun and average soil and watering. They flower almost continually with white, pink, red, or purple blossoms, outdoors year round in the south or over-wintered […]
How to use cardboard strips for model railroad scenery
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader associate editor Cody Grivno shows you how to use a web of cardboard strips and plaster cloth to make a sturdy model railroad scenery base. Cody used this technique for a stretch of scenery on the Model Railroader HO scale club […]