Denver Rio Grande & Southern RR

Track plan at a glance Name: Denver Rio Grande & Southern RR Scale: Sn3 Size: 11 x 14 feet Prototype: narrow gauge mountain railroading Period: 1930s through 1950s Style: around the walls Mainline run: 70 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the 2001 issue of Great Model […]

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Silverton Central RR

Track plan at a glance Name: Silverton Central Scale: Sn3 (1:64) Size: 6 x 24 feet Era: 1928-1935 Style: sectional Mainline run: 60 feet Minimum radius: 31″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: level Originally appeared in the April 2007 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]

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New York Central’s Valley Division

Track plan at a glance Name: New York Central Valley Division Scale: S (1:64) Size: 20 x 30 feet Prototype: New York Central Era: 1948 to 1952 Style: around the walls with operating aisles Mainline run: 305 feet Minimum radius: main line 48″ (hidden), 54″ (visible), 24″ industrial Minimum turnout: main line, no. 6, industrial […]

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Central New England Ry. with subsidiaries

Track plan at a glance Name: Central New England Ry. with subsidiaries: Paulsbo Transportation Co. and its narrow gauge subsidiary the Davidsons RR, and the South Marchaul & Portsmouth Ry. Scale: S (1:64) Size: 21 x 34 feet Prototypes: New England Central; New York, New Haven & Hartford; and New York Central System Era: last […]

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Buffalo Valley RR

Track plan at a glance Name: Buffalo Valley RR Scale: Sn3 (1:64) Size: 28 x 38 feet Prototype: free-lanced mountain railroad Period: 1930-1950 Style: around-the-wall shelf Mainline run: 230 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the May 2003 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link […]

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Columbia Valley & Western

Track plan at a glance Name: Columbia Valley & Western Scale: S (1:64) Size: 18 x 19 feet Prototype: free-lanced Period: 1957 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 95 feet Minimum radius: 29″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the February 2001 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download […]

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Penn Western

Track plan at a glanceName: Penn Western RRScale: S (1:64)Size: 29 x 45 feetPrototype: free-lancedEra: 1960s to presentStyle: walkaroundMainline run: 160 feetMinimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: no. 6Maximum grade: 2.4 percentOriginally appeared in the October 2004 issue of Model Railroader.Click on the link to download a PDF of this track plan […]

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West Side Lumber Co.

Track plan at a glance Name: West Side Lumber Co. Scale: Sn3 (1:64) Size: 10 x 10 feet Period: 1958-1959 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 29 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the February 2000 issue of Model Railroader. Also appeared in 102 Realistic Track […]

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Lionel American Flyer S gauge 4-8-4 Northern

IN REAL RAILROADING, the wheel arrangement that probably came closest to perfection, in terms of either freight or high-speed passenger service, was the 4-8-4 Northern. Indeed, Alco built the first 4-8-4 in 1927, and by the end of the steam era, 36 railroads operated 1,126 of these machines. A surprisingly high number of Northerns – […]

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A future for my American Flyer 18B transformer?

Q: I have two American Flyer no. 18B transformers with two Lionel no. 167 whistle controllers on my layout. My problem is that older Lionel steam locomotive whistles do not work at all, and the new sound systems and horns only work well when stopped. While moving, blowing the whistles tends to slow the engines […]

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Lionel American Flyer S gauge 0-6-0T

I DON’T HAVE a bond with postwar American Flyer. My grandfather had Flyer trains, my uncle had Marx trains, and I had Lionel trains. So I have a pretty broad view of postwar trains, and my S gauge interests aren’t driven by nostalgia, but rather by what I think will look cool on my layout. […]

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