Carrabasset & Dead River

Name: Carrabasset & Dead River Scale: HOn2½ Size: 28 x 28 feet Prototype: free-lanced, based on Maine two-foot gauge prototypes Locale: coastal and interior Maine Period: 1941 Style: around-the-walls walkaround Minimum radius: 18″ Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download a PDF […]

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Franklin & South Manchester

Name: Franklin & South Manchester RR Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 23 x 42 feet Prototype: free-lanced, based on Boston & Albany, Boston & Maine, and New York, New Haven & Hartford Locale: New England Period: 1935 Style: walkaround Minimum radius: 30″ Maximum grade: 2 percent Scenery construction: hydrocal on nylon screen over plywood forms Originally […]

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Garden railroading/Large-scale railroading terms

Garden Railways

Annual refers to a plant that lives for only one season and must be replanted each year. Ballast is the medium, usually gravel of some sort, that provides a firm underlayment for track, helps to hold it in place, and drains water away from the ties. Battery power is another way of operating electrically powered […]

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Choosing rail for the garden railroad

Garden Railways

Rail comes in many different sizes and materials. Here’s a little background information to help you chose the one that’s right for you. Rail sizes The size of model-train rail in any scale is referred to by “code.” For instance, in large-scale railroading we commonly use code-332, code-250, or code-215 rail, although code 197 is […]

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Basics of gauge-1 switches, part 2

Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz Keeping dirt and debris out of the moving points is imperative to proper operation. The author uses a stiff brush to keep things moving freely through an operating session. Kevin Strong The frog and guardrail flangeways—like the points—need to be kept clear. These areas aren’t […]

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Build a 1:22.5-scale creamery car PDF

Build a 1:22.5-scale creamery car

Download the PDF of this project here. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the break lines to create the larger piece. Despite our best […]

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Cat Mountain & Santa Fe

Name: Cat Mountain & Santa Fe Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 29′-6″ x 35′-6″ Prototype: Fourth District, Plains Division, AT&SF Ry. Locale: Lubbock to Slaton, Texas Era: 1978 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 210 feet Minimum radius: 32″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See […]

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Haysi RR

Name: Haysi RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9 x 11 feet Prototype: Haysi RR (Clinchfield RR) Era: 1976 to 1980 Style: Walk-in Mainline run: 47 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan […]

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Montana Northland

Name: Montana Northland Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 20 X 26 feet, plus adjacent staging Prototype: freelance Locale: Western Montana/Central Idaho Era: late 1970s Style: three-level mushroom Mainline run: 495 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version […]

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Video: Remembering the N scale Clinchfield RR

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The Clinchfield RR was a staff-built N scale layout featured in the November 1978 through June 1979 issues of Model Railroader. In this video Model Railroader staff member Dana Kawala interviews senior editor Jim Hediger about his experiences researching, building, and operating this […]

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Video: Remembering the N scale Clinchfield RR

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The Clinchfield RR was a staff-built N scale layout featured in the November 1978 through June 1979 issues of Model Railroader. In this video Model Railroader staff member Dana Kawala interviews senior editor Jim Hediger about his experiences researching, building, and operating this […]

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