Name: Aksarben Road/ATSF Wishbone Division Layout designer: John Armstrong Scale: O (1:48) Size: 26 x 32 feet Theme: freelanced short line and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe branch line Locale: Colorado and New Mexico Era: Sunday, May 27, 1951 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 202 feet Minimum radius: 42″ (Aksarben), 48″ (Santa Fe) Minimum turnout: no. […]
Name: Fernwood Lumber Co. RR Layout designer: Pete Birdsong Scale: On30 (1:48 proportion, 30″ narrow gauge) Size: 12 x 24 feet Theme: narrow gauge Southern logging Locale: Southern Mississippi Era: 1910 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 64 feet Minimum radius: 22″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the January 2015 Model […]
Model Railroader readers first encountered a track plan designed by John Armstrong in 1952. John became popular, and dozens of his designs were published in magazines and books, earning him the title “dean of track planners.” He died in 2004. John’s style was fully “out of the box” for the time. You might wonder if […]
Interlocking machine The intricacies of interlocking plants have fascinated me since I read Model Railroader’s “Mechanical interlocking and signaling” series in 1961. In that series, MR’s Gordon Odegard and Paul Larson explained how they scratchbuilt a miniature interlocking machine that included operating finger-size levers for Paul’s HO layout. It took me almost 50 years to […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Host Drew Halverson and layout owner Chuck Sable return to the basement for this third episode of Rehab My Railroad! MR’s Cody Grivno paves over his roadway project, while MRVP’s David Popp digs into a pesky turnout problem. And don’t miss the “Ask […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Host Drew Halverson and layout owner Chuck Sable return to the basement for this third episode of Rehab My Railroad! MR’s Cody Grivno paves over his roadway project, while MRVP’s David Popp digs into a pesky turnout problem. And don’t miss the “Ask […]
W. Case Benham Elevator Feed mills, which often included a towering grain elevator, were once a common sight along the rails of small-town America. These utilitarian structures feature a variety of building materials as well as a mish-mash of add-on loading docks, sheds, and other outbuildings. This translates into a great modeling opportunity and a […]
Model Railroader staff’s N scale Red Oak project layout Use this image as a background on your computer screen. Click on the image size appropriate for your monitor and drag the image onto your desktop. 1600 x 900 wallpaper 1600 x 1000 wallpaper 1600 x 1200 wallpaper […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page For the first time ever, an MRVP video crew visits Model Railroader magazine contributing editor Tony Koester in his New Jersey home to capture an up-close look at his multiple-deck HO scale layout, the Nickel Plate Road St. Louis Division. You’ve seen his […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page For the first time ever, an MRVP video crew visits Model Railroader magazine contributing editor Tony Koester in his New Jersey home to capture an up-close look at his multiple-deck HO scale layout, the Nickel Plate Road St. Louis Division. You’ve seen his […]
Model Railroader magazine’s editor Neil Besougloff introduces you to the MR staff’s Red Oak project layout. The 3 x 7-foot N scale model railroad is built on a hollow-core door and models the Burlington Route through Red Oak, Iowa, in the 1960s. Neil will show you some of the locomotives, trains, and structure kits to […]
Model Railroader magazine’s editor Neil Besougloff introduces you to the MR staff’s Red Oak project layout. The 3 x 7-foot N scale model railroad is built on a hollow-core door and models the Burlington Route through Red Oak, Iowa, in the 1960s. Neil will show you some of the locomotives, trains, and structure kits to […]
