Lake Nipigon Northern RR

MRR-I0413_Ontario

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 […]

Read More…

Build a tiny freight station in 1:29 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 […]

Read More…

East Berkshire Branch

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: […]

Read More…

Lehigh Valley RR Bronx Terminal

Lehigh Valley RR

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 […]

Read More…

HO scale Sugar Valley Sweetwater RR

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 […]

Read More…

Curves & climbs track plan

drawing of 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 […]

Read More…

Two more ways to wye

Louisville Nashville freight 864 from Norton Va to Corbin Ky meets Southern First 88

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 […]

Read More…

Ma & Pa standard-gauge bobber in 1:29 scale

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 […]

Read More…

A catalog of useful plants for railroad gardens

catalog3

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 […]

Read More…

How to use cardboard strips for model railroad scenery

Side of model train layout with cardboard strips

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 […]

Read More…