The Great Northern layout in N scale

The Great Northern layout in N scale

Facts & features Name: Great Northern Scale: N (1:160) Size: 10-0′ x 16-0′ Prototypes:  Freelanced Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: Mid-1960s Style: Walk-in Mainline run: 86 feet Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Benchwork: Modified L-girder Height: 46″ Roadbed: Commercial foam roadbed Track: Micro Engineering code 55 (main), Peco code 80 (staging) Scenery: Extruded-foam insulation […]

Read More…

The Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan layout in N scale

The N scale Post cereal plant layout

Facts & features Name: Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan Scale: N (1:160) Size: 12-0′ x 14-0′ Prototypes:  Grand Trunk Western and Penn Central Locale: Battle Creek, Michigan Era: 1970s Style: Single deck Mainline run: Not applicable Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L-girder with risers and open-grid […]

Read More…

The HO scale Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan layout

The track plan for the HO scale Post cereal plant in BattleCreek, Michigan

Facts & features Name: Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 12-0′ x 14-0′ Prototypes:  Grand Trunk Western and Penn Central Locale: Battle Creek, Michigan Era: 1970s Style: Single deck Mainline run: Not applicable Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: L-girder with risers and open-grid […]

Read More…

The HO scale Bishop Street Branch layout

The Bishop Street Branch layout track plan

Facts & features Name: Bishop Street Branch Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10′-6″ x 22′-0″ Prototypes:  Guilford/Pan Am Railways Locale: Portland, Maine Era: Late 1980s through the 1990s Style: Walk-in Mainline run: None Minimum radius: 24” Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: None Benchwork: Open grid Height: 51″ Roadbed: 1⁄2″ birch plywood with N scale cork […]

Read More…

Bob Cochran’s HO scale Vermont Rail System layout

An image of the Vermont rail trackplan

Facts & features Name: Vermont Rail System Scale: HO (1:87) in standard, narrow (3-foot), and dual gauges Size: 22’-103⁄4” x 25’-7” Prototypes:  Vermont Rail System, Rutland Railroad Locale: Vermont Era: 1960s to present Style: Walk-in Mainline run: 96 feet point-to-point, 106 feet loop Minimum radius: 24” Minimum turnout: no. 4 (yards), no. 6 (main) Maximum […]

Read More…

End of the Line | Back on Track, Episode 25

Man in front of a model train layout, gesturing.

In this episode, Gerry wraps up work on his model train layout and encourages everyone to start watching Spaces to Places. Getting to know Gerry Leone Back on Track host Gerry Leone is just as clever as he is comedic! But even better, he’s a masterful model railroader who’s knowledgeable in numerous areas of the […]

Read More…

Finishing Scenery | Back on Track, Episode 24

Man standing in front of a model train layout.

In this episode, Gerry finishes up scenery work and gives a tour of final touches he’s making to his railroad.   Getting to know Gerry Leone Back on Track host Gerry Leone is just as clever as he is comedic! But even better, he’s a masterful model railroader who’s knowledgeable in numerous areas of the […]

Read More…

Rerouting track | Back on Track, Episode 23

In this episode, Host Gerry Leone acknowledges two areas on his layout where he needs to rethink the track arrangements. He discusses possible solutions and then shows how he rerouted the track on the lower and upper decks to fit his vision. Getting to know Gerry Leone Back on Track host Gerry Leone is just […]

Read More…

The HO scale Eastern Loggers exhibition layout

Drawing of a logging railroad trackplan

Facts & features Name: The Eastern Loggers Scale: HO (1:87) in standard, narrow (3-foot), and dual gauges Size: 10 x 20 feet Prototypes: Pennsylvania logging railroads Locale: mountains of Pennsylvania Era: summer, early 1920s Style: sectional Mainline run: 60 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 6 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: […]

Read More…

Where to find railroad maps online

A portion of a hand-drawn map from 1910 showing buildings, streets, and railroad lines

Model railroaders have long relied on historic maps for information about track arrangements, trackside industries, and building footprints. With the continual growth of the internet, finding these railroad maps online is becoming easier all the time. Here are some helpful sources for finding both current and historic railroad maps online. Sanborn Fire Insurance maps Sanborn […]

Read More…

Kirk Reddie’s N scale Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound layout

Kirk Reddie's N scale Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound layout.

Facts & features Name: Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Scale: N (1:160) Size: 48 x 96 feet Prototypes: Great Northern; Milwaukee Road; Northern Pacific; Pacific Coast RR; Spokane, Portland & Seattle; Tacoma Belt Line; and Union Pacific Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: circa 1950 Style: multi-deck walkaround Mainline run: approx. 1, 250 feet Minimum radius: 12 […]

Read More…

Mark Carlson’s HO scale Baraboo Subdivision layout

Mark Carlson's HO scale Baraboo Subdivision layout

Facts & features Name: The Baraboo Subdivision Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10 x 24 feet Prototype: Chicago & North Western Ry., Madison Division Locale: Baraboo, Wis. Era: variable, from 1956 to 1995 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 38 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: flat Benchwork: 1 x 4 open […]

Read More…