N scale BC Rail Fort St. Johns Subdivision

NscaleBCRailStJohnsSub

Name: Fort St. John Subdivision Layout owner: Christian Javier Scale: N (1:160) Size: 12′-0″ x 21′-6″ Prototype: British Columbia Ry. Locale: Eastern British Columbia Era: 1977 Style: multiple-deck around-the-walls Mainline run: 90 feet (excluding helix) Minimum radius: 16″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.2 percent (in helix) This track plan originally appeared in the […]

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O scale Pennsylvania RR Nassau Division

OscalePennsylvaniaRRNassauDivision

Name: Pennsylvania RR Nassau Division Layout owner: John Sethian Scale: O (1:48) Size: 21 x 31 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR electrified lines Locale: New Jersey and Pennsylvania Era: 1955 to 1957 Style: walk-in with duckunder Mainline run: 110 feet Minimum radius: 57″ (visible), 44″ (hidden) Minimum turnout: no. 71⁄2 Maximum grade: 1.8 percent Benchwork: open-grid […]

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Z scale Cale, Bear Mountain & Harrisonville

ZscaleCaleBearMountainHarrisonville

Name: Cale, Bear Mountain & Harrisonville Layout owner: Vern Sargent Scale: Z (1:220) Size: 2′-0″ x 3′-2″ Prototype: Milwaukee Road and Monon Locale: southern Indiana Era: 1945 to 1955 Mainline run: 15 feet Minimum radius: 811⁄16″ Minimum turnout: no. 41⁄2 Maximum grade: 4 percent Benchwork: extruded-foam insulation board Height: varies Roadbed: cork on 1⁄4″ plywood […]

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HO scale Baltimore Harbor District

Baltimore harbor District

Wagners Point (Updated from the December 2015 issue) Carroll Street on the Baltimore Harbor District (Update from the October 2017 issue) Name: Baltimore Harbor District Layout designer: Paul Dolkos Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 17 x 29 feet (in two rooms) Prototypes: Baltimore & Ohio, Canton RR, Pennsylvania RR, and Western Maryland Locale: Baltimore Period: 1955 […]

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HO scale Central Maine RR

HOscaleCentralMaineRR

Name: Central Maine RR Layout owner: Paul Boehlert Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 39 x 80 inches Locale: inspired by Portland, Maine Era: late 1960s Style: island Mainline run: 15 feet Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none This track plan originally appeared in the September 2016 Model Railroader. Click on the link […]

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HOn3 Iron Gorge Subdivision

HOn3IronGorgeSubdivision

Name: Iron Gorge Subdivision Layout owner: Bob Hamm Scale: HOn3 (HO scale, 3-foot gauge) Size: 28 x 45 feet Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western and Rio Grande Southern Locale: Durango to Montrose, Colo. Era: 1938 to 1942 Style: multilevel walk-in Mainline run: 400 feet Minimum radius: 22″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 3 […]

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HO scale CSX’s KD Subdivision

HOscaleCSXKDSubdivision1

Name: CSX’s KD Subdivision Layout owner: Brian Moore Layout designer: Bob Sprague Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 15′-0″ x 22′-3″ Prototype: CSX Locale: Eastern Tennessee and Kentucky Era: Present day Style: Multiple-deck walkaround Mainline run: 168 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Click on the link to download a PDF […]

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HO scale Hoosac Valley RR

HOscaleHoosacValleyRR2017

Name: Hoosac Valley RR Layout owner: Dick Elwell Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 32 x 62 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by New York Central and Boston & Albany Locale: Northeast Era: 1940s to 1960s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 365 feet Minimum radius: 42″ (main line) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (one no. 4 turnout) Maximum grade: 1.5 […]

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Z scale Gulf, Illinois & Rocky Mountains RR

ZscaleGulfIllinoisandRockyMountains

Click the image to download a copy of the track plan. Name: Gulf, Illinois & Rocky Mountains RR Layout owner: John-Baptiste Merillot Scale: Z (1:220) Size: 7 x 15 feet Prototype: none; includes locomotives from Union Pacific, CSX, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, among others Locale: Northwestern United States Era: late 1960s to present Style: walk-in, […]

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Seneca Falls

seneca_falls_image

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 […]

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HO scale Claremont Docks RR

HOscaleClaremontDocks

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 […]

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HO scale Grand Street & Three Rivers RR

HOscaleGrandStreetThreeRiversRR2017

Name: Grand Street & Three Rivers RR Layout owner: Rod Stewart Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 23′-0″ x 124′-4″ Prototype: New York Central and Pennsylvania RR Locale: Pennsylvania Era: mid-1940s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 900 feet Minimum radius: 40″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3.5 percent Benchwork: box grid Height: 391⁄2″ Roadbed: Homasote Track: code […]

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