Tall Pine RR

Track plan at a glance Name: Tall Pine RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 24 feet Prototype: freelanced Era: 1940s Style: walkaround Mainline run: 125 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track […]

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Wisconsin & Southern Troy Branch

Track plan at a glance Name: Wisconsin & Southern Troy Branch Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 22 x 33 feet, including 16′-0″ staging yard Prototype: Wisconsin & Southern Era: present day Style: shelf Mainline run: 36 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the January 2008 issue of Model […]

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SBB Gotthard Line

Track plan at a glance Name: SBB Gotthard Line Scale: Z (1:220) Size: 30 x 50 feet Prototype: Swiss Federal Rys. Era: contemporary Style: island Mainline run: 310 feet Minimum radius: 10″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the December 2007 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of […]

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Good times at the Fairplex Garden Railroad

At the western frontier area, a section of fence can be lowered to allow fair goers a first-hand experience at running a train. The panel holds three buttons that control separate vintage trains. A streamliner skirts the area on the blue line. Don Emmons Railway at a glance Name: Fairplex Garden Railroad Scale: Various, between […]

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Getting power to your toy trains

Q: I live in a large space and have an 80-foot loop of Lionel O-27 track running through it. I’m having trouble getting enough power to the train. I need information on wiring methods and wire types and suggestions on how large a transformer I am going to need to get it working properly. – […]

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Wildcat Central

Track plan at a glance Name: Wildcat Central Scale: HO (1:87) Originally appeared in the January 2001 issue of Model Railroader. Click here to download a PDF of this track plan […]

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Southern Pacific Bakersfield Subdivision

Track plan at a glance Name: Southern Pacific Bakersfield subdivisions Scale: N (1:160) Size: 9 x 30½ feet Prototype: Southern Pacific’s crossing of the Tehachapi Mountains (Santa Fe has trackage rights) Theme: heavy freight and passenger mountain crossing Period: 1950s to present Style: around the walls and peninsula Minimum radius: 21″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 […]

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Central Vermont

Track plan at a glance Name: Central Vermont Scale: N Originally appeared in the February 2000 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]

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Donner Pass Division

Track plan at a glance Name: Donner Pass Division Scale: N (1:160) Size: 3 x 8 feet Prototype: Southern Pacific Period: 1940-1955 Style: twice around loop Mainline run: 33 feet Minimum radius: 10″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the September 2000 issue of Model Railroader. Also appeared in 102 […]

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Pennsylvania RR Middle Division

Track plan at a glance Name: Pennsylvania RR Middle Division Scale: N (1:160) Size: 2½ x 10 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR Era: 1950s Style: double-track oval with staging tracks Mainline run: 45 feet Minimum radius: 12½” Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: zero Originally appeared in the January 2001 issue of Model Railroader. Also appeared […]

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The Greenbrier Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio

Track plan at a glance Name: Greenbrier Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Scale: HO and HOn3 (1:87.1) Size: 15 x 24 feet Prototype: C&O, Greenbrier Logging Co. Period: 1930s to 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 80 feet standard gauge, 30 feet narrow gauge Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent […]

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