Small shelf layout

Scene of a small shelf model railroad

Alejandro’s small shelf layout measures 9.51 x 7.55 feet with an average width of 1.31 feet. The layout is set in the mid-1970s somewhere between Oregon and Washington (previously Great Lakes area). […]

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Model railroads for small spaces

Modelrailroadsforsmallspacescover

Don’t think you have room for a model railroad? Check out these layouts that range in style from a narrow shelf to a tabletop to a walk-in design and more. This 20-page article collection from Model Railroader features: two N scale layouts two HO scale layouts an On2½ narrow gauge model railroad You’ll get track plans and […]

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HO scale White Road Forest shelf layout

HO scale White Road Forest shelf layout

“White Road Forest” is a small shelf layout in HO scale, inspired by a Class 3 branch line somewhere in the Upper Michigan area. Designed with portability in mind, it has nine modules with all the scenery detachable to improve easiness of storage. It features a two-track main line (loop) with one siding each, and […]

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HO scale White Road Forest shelf layout

HO scale White Road Forest shelf layout

“White Road Forest” is a small shelf layout in HO scale, inspired by a Class 3 branch line somewhere in the Upper Michigan area. Designed with portability in mind, it has nine modules with all the scenery detachable to improve easiness of storage. It features a two-track main line (loop) with one siding each, and […]

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HO scale Dyer Junction & Eureka

HOscaleDyerJunctionEureka

Name: Dyer Junction & Eureka Layout Owner: Jim Molloy Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 5′-4″ x 15′-9″ Prototype: freelance Locale: Northern California Era: mid 1930s Style: shelf Mainline run: 15′-9″ Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: 1 x 3 joists topped with 1/4″ plywood and 2″ Styrofoam Height: 43″ Roadbed: 1/16″ […]

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HO scale West Deerfield Industrial Park

HOscaleWestDeerfieldIndustrialPark

Name: West Deerfield Industrial Park Layout owner: Paul Boehlert Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 6′-8″ x 7′-11″ Theme: industrial switching Locale: northeastern United States (as shown) Era: modern Style: shelf Mainline run: not applicable Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none This track plan originally appeared in the February 2017 Model Railroader. Click […]

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On30 Dolly Varden RR

  Name: Dolly Varden Layout owner: Dave Revelia Scale: On30 (1:48 proportion, 30″ track gauge) Size: 3 x 28 feet Prototype: Dolly Varden RR Locale: British Columbia, Canada Era: 1920s Style: shelf Mainline run: 28 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 5 percent Benchwork: aluminum Height: 40″ Roadbed: cork Track: flextrack […]

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HO scale Los Angeles Junction Everett Avenue

HOscaleLAJunctionEverettAvenue

Name: Los Angeles Junction Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 5′-0″, x 9′-6″ Prototype: Los Angeles Junction Ry. Era: present day Style: shelf Mainline run: not applicable Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none The track plan originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download a […]

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HO scale Port of Brunswick Railroad

HOscalePortofBrunswickRR

Name: Port of Brunswick RR Layout owner: Paul Boehlert Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 15″ x 80″ Prototype: freelanced Locale: Brunswick, Ga. Era: mid-1950s Style: shelf switching Mainline Run: none Minimum Radius: 24″ Minimum Turnouts: no. 6 Maximum Grade: none This track plan originally appeared in the May 2016 Model Railroader. Click on the link to […]

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Bonus track plans for a small shelf switching model railroad

LappSidingtrackplan

Model railroad author Robert Pethoud wrote “How to operate a small switching layout” in the March 2016 issue of Model Railroader magazine. In that article Robert shows how to use three 15″ x 48″ modules to create an operationally interesting shelf layout. The story features an HO scale track plan, the Fall Creek Branch. As […]

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HO scale Fall Creek Branch

HOscaleFallCreekBranch

Name: Fall Creek Branch Layout owner: Robert Pethoud Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 15″ x 144″ Prototype: freelanced Locale: Oregon Era: 1950s Style: sectional Mainline run: 12 feet Minimum radius: 26″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: open frame Height: varies Roadbed: N scale cork on 1⁄4″ thick basswood Track: code 83 flextrack Scenery: […]

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Member video: C&O and Loup Creek Branch Line

C&O and Loup Creek Branch Line

A video description of the features on my HO layout. It includes a working coal loader that runs loads to the two coaling towers on the layout. It is a prototypical depiction of the C&O and Loup Creek Branch Line interchange at Thurmond, West Virginia. It is an around-the-wall, shelf-style layout in a 10×12 bedroom. […]

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