Island Central RR

Island Central RR

Name: Island Central RR Layout designer: Howard Dwyer Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 15 x 29 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: Northeastern United States Era: 1940 to 1950 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 196 feet Minimum radius: 26″ Mainline turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the May 2012 issue of Model Railroader. Click on […]

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Chemung Northern RR

Chemung Northern RR

Name: Chemung Northern RRLayout designer: Ben BrownScale: O (1:48)Size: 22 x 34 feetPrototype: freelancedLocale: southern New York stateEra: 1950s and 1970sStyle: walk-inMainline run: 112 feetMinimum radius: 32″Minimum turnout: no. 4Maximum grade: 1.25 percent (main), 6 percent (Truro branch) Originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download the […]

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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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Eaglecreek & Northern Ry.

Eaglecreek Northern

Name: Eaglecreek & Northern Ry. Layout designer: Flemming Ørneholm Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 6′-8″ x 12′-0″ plus 1′-10″ x 10′-0″ staging yard Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: western United States Era: 1955 Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 85 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnout: 30″ radius Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the February 2012 issue […]

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The Ironbound (Newark & Elizabethport Connecting RR)

The Ironbound RR

Name: The Ironbound (Newark & Elizabethport Connecting RR) Layout designer: Andy Romano Scale: O (1:48) Size: 18 x 21 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by the Central RR of New Jersey Locale: the “Ironbound” section of Newark, N.J. Era: 1955 to 1960 Mainline run: 65 feet Minimum radius: 60″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 4 […]

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Wolverine Junction

Wolverine Junction

Name: Wolverine Junction Layout designer: Dana Kawala Scale: HO (1:87.1) Room size: 10 x 15 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Michigan Central RR’s Bay City Branch Locale: southeastern Michigan Era: 1955 Style: around-the-walls with peninsula Minimum radius: 24″ Mainline run: 43½ feet Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (Wolverine Short Line) Originally appeared in […]

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Big Island Rail

Big Island Rail

Name: Big Island Rail Corp. Layout designer: Joesph Kreiss Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10 x 11 feet Prototype: Hawaii Consolidated Ry. Locale: Hawaii Era: present day Style: walk-in Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared in the January 2012 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download […]

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Terminal RR of San Antonio

Terminal RR of San Antonio

Name: Terminal RR of San Antonio Layout designer: Bill Carpenter Scale: N (1:160) Size: 10′-2″ x 13′-0″ Locale: downtown San Antonio Prototype: Southern Pacific and Texas & New Orleans Era: 1950s Style: walk-in, and around the walls with roll-away peninsula Minimum radius: 15″ Mainline run: 32 feet Minimum turnout: no. 5 Originally appeared in the […]

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