Q: I’m interested in modeling a Maine short line in HO scale. What can you tell me about the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR in the steam era? – Joel Norman A: The Belfast & Moosehead Lake looks like a great subject for someone interested in modeling a Maine short line, especially if you’re intrigued […]
When you’re building a layout, there are four kinds of track for model railroads you can choose from. Those four are sectional track, sectional track with attached roadbed, flextrack, and hand-laid track. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Luckily, you can mix and match the different types on the same layout to take advantage of […]
Facts & features Name: Soo Line Central Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 8 x 20 feet Prototype: Soo Line, Wisconsin Central, and Canadian National Locale: Chicago Era: 1980 to present Style: island Mainline run: 98 feet (double tracked) Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: Atlas No. 8 Maximum grade: flat Benchwork: open grid Height: 38″ Roadbed: cork […]
Facts & features Name: Penn Central at Bellefonte, Pa.Scale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 9’-8″ x 11’-6″Prototype: Penn CentralLocale: Bellefonte, Pa.Mainline run: 36 feetMinimum radius: 24″ (main), 18″ (siding)Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 4% Download a PDF of this trackplan! Buy the December 2023 issue of Model Railroader! […]
Facts & features Name: Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad MuseumScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 40 x 100 feetPrototype: Baltimore & Ohio and freelancedLocale: Pittsburgh, Pa., to Cumberland, Md.Era: 1953Style: walkaroundMainline run: Mon Valley, 443 feet; B&O, 357 feetMinimum radius: 36″ (main)Minimum turnout: No. 8 (main), No. 6 (branch lines and yards), No. 4 (industrial)Maximum grade: 2%Benchwork: L-girderHeight: Mon […]
T-TRAK Project part 1: Back in the game again: Modelers David Popp, Brian Schmidt, and Bryson Sleppy begin a series of projects build a small modular T-TRAK N scale layout. T-TRAK is a modular N scale railroading system that uses small foot-wide boxes to build tabletop layouts. They are designed to click together using Kato […]
Q: I’m excited to lay track on my HO scale shelf layout. I have a few track laying questions. I’m using the Walthers turnouts with the little tab on the side for the frog power. I remember one of your videos where you talked about these turnouts and connecting the power to the frog. […]
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Jerry Strangarity’s Reading Co. in HO scale last appeared in the November 2010 issue of Model Railroader magazine. Since our last visit, he’s completed three more scenes on the layout: West Philadelphia, Reading/Hamburg, and Birdsboro. Enjoy this video showing a mix of steam and diesel locomotives running through eastern Pennsylvania in the 1930s and 1940s. […]
The Atlas N scale EMD SD9 is back, this time with a factory-installed speaker in Silver Series models and a LokSound V5 sound decoder in Gold Series models. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he takes a closer look at the sound-equipped Burlington Northern sample we received. Check out the sound and light […]
News & Products for the week of November 13th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of November 13th […]
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? Dad and I set up my first train set on a sheet of plywood in the basement when I was 9. We rolled out “grass” paper over the plywood–it had the texture of sandpaper–and then we set up a figure eight over and under trestle set. We […]
