Naugatuck Valley RR 2.0

Naugatuck Valley RR 2.0

Name: Naugatuck Valley RR 2.0Layout designer: David PoppScale: N (1:160)Size: 16 x 17 feetPrototype: New York, New Haven & Hartford RRLocale: Naugatuck River Valley in ConnecticutEra: fall 1948Style: walkaroundMainline run: Waterbury/south 53 feet, Waterbury/north 13 feetMinimum radius: 15″Minimum turnout: no. 5 Originally appeared in the Great Model Railroads 2008. Click on the link to download […]

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Panhandle & Santa Fe Ry.

Name: Panhandle & Santa Fe Ry. Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-7″ x 33′-0″ Prototype: Third District of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe’s Plains Division Locale: Texas Panhandle, Amarillo to Clovis, N.M. Era: September 1955 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 102 feet Minimum radius: 29″ Minimum turnout: no. 6, no. 4 in Amarillo Switching District […]

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Southern Ry.

Southern Ry

Name: Southern Ry. Layout designer: Bob Lawson Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24 x 30 feet Prototype: Southern Ry. Locale: central and eastern Kentucky Era: 1945 through the early 1950s Style: walk-in with one duckunder Mainline run: 425 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 with some no. 6 Maximum grade: 1.5 percent Originally appeared […]

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The Denver & Rio Grande Western Chili Line

Name: The Chili Line Layout designer: Steve Amitrano Scale: Sn3 (1:64, 3-foot gauge) Size: 9′-6″ x 11′-6″ Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western Locale: Chama and Santa Fe, N.M. Era: mid-1930s to 1950s Style: doughnut Mainline run: 43 feet Minimum radius: 34″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Originally appeared in the Great Model Railroads 2008. Click […]

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Readers’ Choice Railroad Track Plan Template

CTT-R0311_template

Our preferred method of transferring a track plan to a flat tabletop uses a computer to download and print out the full-scale template of the Readers’ Choice Railroad so we can easily tell how track, accessories, and some scenery elements work on our 4 x 8-foot perimeter. Download the template here. […]

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Building the Reader’s Choice RR benchwork

CTT121010RCRRBenchwork

Our 2010 survey asked what you, our readers wanted in a layout. We compiled all of your feedback and we present this project railroad designed just for you. For the Readers’ Choice RR we chose a lightweight benchwork option that was new to us, and found that the Mianne benchwork system was an ideal solution. […]

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Video: MTH HO scale bipolar electric

The MTH Electric Trains HO scale bipolar features pantographs that raise and lower, remote opening couplers, and sound effects. Equipped with the MTH Digital Command System (DCS), the locomotive runs on direct-current (DC), Digital Command Control (DCC), and DCS layouts. Watch us run the locomotive on the Model Railroader club layout. […]

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Ida Valley Ry.

Ida Valley Ry

Name: Ida Valley Ry. Layout designer: Bob Allen Scale: Large scale narrow gauge (1:35) Size: 21 x 51 feet Prototype: New Zealand Rys. Locale: Otago Province, South Island, New Zealand Era: 1955 to 1965 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 240 feet Minimum radius: 72″ Minimum turnout: Peco medium radius Maximum grade: 1.1 percent Originally appeared in […]

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Industries and tracks at Williams Bay

Industries and tracks at Williams Bay

Name: Bay Junction (Milwaukee, Racine & Troy) industries and tracks Layout designers: The MR staff Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 6′-8″ x 26′-0″ Theme: freelanced junction town Locale: southern Wisconsin Era: 1990s Style: walkaround Mainline run: 42 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (except as noted) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the […]

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New Mexico Division

Atchison Topeka Santa Fe

Name: New Mexico Division Layout designer: Bob Foltz Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 45′-7″ x 47′-8″ Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Locale: Northern New Mexico Era: 1951 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 350 feet Minimum radius: 36″ (main), 30″ (all others), 26″ (narrow gauge) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 1.5 percent (main), 3.2 percent […]

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