Ten tree-like plants to try on your railroad

miniature trees

Trees are as essential to a landscape as mountains, hills, and rivers. Those of you living in (and/or modeling) the desert, will have to overlook my exuberance for trees. In this article I’d like to add to my previous discussions of conifer, deciduous, and wannabe trees, to pursue my favorite subject further. (See the list […]

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Big-time fun!

CTT-T0312_AsymbolsPLAN

Layout designer: Michael Tylick Scale: O Layout size: 12 x 35 feet Track type: GarGraves Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Big Time Fun track plan Big Time Fun schematic Big Time Fun parts list […]

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A definitively display style O gauge layout plan

CTT-T0212_AsymbolsPLAN

Layout designer: Kent Johnson Scale: O Layout size: 9 x 14 feet Track type: Lionel O Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the February 2012 issue of Classic Toy Trains. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. See the schematics of this plan by clicking here. […]

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Cascade Pacific

Corvallis Society of Model Engineers

Name: Cascade Pacific Club: Corvallis Society of Model Engineers Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 26 x 78 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: western Oregon Era: circa 1950s to present Style: walk-in Mainline run: 330 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of Model Railroader. Click […]

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Mineral Range & Lake Michigan RR

Name: Mineral Range & Lake Michigan RR Layout designer: John Armstrong Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24′-0″ x 43′-6″ Theme: ore, pulpwood, and lumber traffic Locale: Upper Peninsula, Michigan Era: late steam/early diesel Style: walkaround Mainline run: 164 feet Minimum radius: 36″ (main), 30″ (staging loops) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 5 (yard) Maximum grade: […]

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New York Central Hudson

New York Central Hudson Division

Name: New York Central Hudson Division Layout designer: Vic Roman Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 25 feet Prototype: New York Central Locale: upstate New York (Albany to Tivoli) Era: 1948 Style: walk-around Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of […]

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A newly discovered John Armstrong model railroad track plan

Armstrong plan scan

John Armstong had produced hundreds of model railroad track plans published in magazines and books, and in fact, earned the nickname “Dean of Model Railroad Track Planning.” He drew this never-published Mineral Range & Lake Michigan RR for a paying client, but it was apparently forgotten for many years in a home in a Chicago […]

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The “Michigan”

Name: The “Michigan” Layout designer: Jim Six Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 12′-3″ x 44′-0″ Prototype: New York Central’s Michigan District Locale: northeastern Indiana Period: 1955 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 116 feet Minimum radius: 42″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 0.25 percent Originally appeared in Model Railroad Planning 2012. Click on the link […]

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Grain elevator drawings in 1:29 scale

Grain elevator drawings 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. Despite our best […]

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