Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Ry.

Name: Oakland, Antioch, & Eastern Ry. Scale: HO (1:87.1) Room size: 10′-6″ x 19′-0″ Prototype: Sacramento Northern Ry. Locale: San Francisco Bay area, California Era: Late 1940s to early 1960s Style: shelf with central peninsula Mainline run: 108 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Maximum grade: 4 percent Originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Model […]

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Build a 1:24-scale baggage car PDF

Build a 1:24-scale baggage car

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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Build your own large-scale turnouts

Please note:In Steve Monson’s article on building switches in the June 2009 issue, there was an error on page 47. In the table called “Rail lengths (inches),” the entry for #5 closure/point rails should read “16 3/4.” We regret this error and any inconvenience it may have caused. Steve Monson This article will show you […]

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Naugatuck Valley RR (Waterbury Industrial District)

Name: Naugatuck Valley RR Scale: N (1:160) Size: 9’9″ x 10’0″ Prototype: New York, New Haven & Hartford RR Period: fall 1959 Style: walkaround Mainline run: Waterbury/south 41 feet, Waterbury/north 11 feet Minimum turnout: no. 5 Minimum radius: 11″ Originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this […]

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New York, Kittatinny & Western

Name: New York, Kittatinny & Western Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 18′-0″ x 23′-0″ Prototype: freelanced based on the Lehigh & Hudson River; Lehigh & New England; New York, Ontario & Western; and others Locale: northwestern New Jersey Era: summer 1963 Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 175 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnouts: no. 7 main line, […]

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Scarce Lionel refrigerator and cattle cars

Scarce Lionel refrigerator and cattle cars are still out there. I know because I found a couple of them; being helpful put me in contact with the owners. 

It was an April evening when I returned home to find this message on my answering machine: “I have a train set that was purchased in 1941. Can you tell me what it’s worth?” I recognized the voice as belonging to an acquaintance that knew I collected Lionel trains. “Nice of the guy to call,” […]

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Building the Milwaukee Road Beer Line

Watch the Model Railroader staff build this model train layout. The HO scale Milwaukee Road Beer Line project layout series ran in the January through May 2009 issues of Model Railroader magazine. Build the Milwaukee Road Beer Line part 1 Benchwork section Build the Milwaukee Road Beer Line part 2 Attaching feeder wires Build the […]

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Abingdon Branch

Name: Abingdon Branch Scale: HO Size: 2 x 8 feet Prototype: Norfolk & Western Ry. Locale: Western Virginia Era: 1950s to early ’60s Style: shelf Mainline run: 8 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (no. 3 wye) Maximum grade: 1.5 percent Originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See a […]

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Milwaukee Road’s Beer Line (J and F configuration)

Name: Milwaukee Road’s Beer Line (J and F configurations) Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 12 feet Prototype: Milwaukee Road’s Chestnut Street Line Locale: Milwaukee, Wis. Era: 1947 Style: sectional Mainline run: 24 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See […]

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Montana Rail Link

Name: Montana Rail Link Scale: N (1:160) Size: 13′-0″ x 18′-9″ Prototype: Montana Rail Link Locale: Montana Era: current Style: walk-in Mainline run: 144 feet Minimum radius: 16½” Minimum turnouts: Peco long-(main) and medium-radius (yards) Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this […]

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