Track plan at a glance Name: West Virginia Northern Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 16′-8″ x 20’8″ with 11′-0″ x 2′-0″ and 4′-0″ x 11’0″ off-layout staging Theme: freelance, based on the Chesapeake & Ohio Ry. Period: summer 1952 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 126 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (main line) Minimum turnouts: no. 6 (main line), […]
The railway at a glance Name: The R&F Railroad Size: 110′ x 165′ (1/3 acre) Scales: 1:20.3 to 1:32 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Era: 1920s through the present Theme: Predominately western railroads, including Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande Western Age: 19 years Length of track: Total, 3,000′; double 500′ mainlines Type of […]
TSOMO DRIFT. It’s the usual problem on a single-track railway—waiting for traffic coming the other way. A great horseshoe curve links Tsomo Drift with Orange River, although, as the crow flies, they are very close, so the driver of the Baldwin 2-8-0, Nº 724, can see the reason for this long delay. Over at Orange […]
Many old Marx steam locomotives have gears that extend the full diameter of the wheel, resulting in incompatibility with most track switches. Q: I am starting to build a small O gauge layout with two loops and some switching in between for variety. I have some newer Lionel trains and some old Marx trains from […]
The steel truss bridge spans a deep gully. It was assembled entirely with screws and nuts on a purpose-built table. Marc Horovitz The railway at a glance Name: Snake River Railroad Size of railroad: 200′ x 300′ (approximately) Scale: 1:29 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Theme: Mainline railroading in the Northwest Era: Modern Age: 15 years […]
CTT reader Phil Lea of Athens, Tenn., is looking to re-create the old West on his layout. Postwar Marx plays sets just might be his best source for buildings and decorations that look at home on the range, looking the other way regarding exact scale, of course! Q: I would like to do my layout […]
The names Lionel and Disney have a unique history. Modern toy production techniques have made the most of Walt Disney’s colorful animated characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck. Q: I have a Lionel O gauge no. 18311 Disney electric-profile EP-5 locomotive. I would like to collect all the cars that go with […]
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Bridges connect different areas. A train on the high line near Ophir passes above a standard-gauge train rolling into Rockwood. The upper train is a mix of scratchbuilt and LGB equipment. Christopher Zider From the outside, Barry Bogs’ house looks similar to most others in a subdivision northwest of Houston. But as soon as you […]
Track plan at a glance Name: New York Central Ypsilanti Branch Scale: O (1:48) Size: 26 x 28 feet Prototype: NYC branch line Era: 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 144 feet Minimum radius: 48″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of Model Railroader. Click here to […]
Q: What was the reasoning for the Lionel Corp. to produce two very similar track sizes – O-27 with a 27-inch-diameter circle and O with a 31-inch diameter circle? Wouldn’t production be a lot simpler and inventories less costly with only one? Since O-27 engines and rolling stock could run on O track, why retain […]
Q: I have a Lionel no. 257 freight station with diesel horn that is equipped with a D-cell battery to operate the horn. How do I convert the 1.5 DC voltage to 14-16 AC voltage so I can operate it like my other accessories from a transformer? – Peter Douglas Beam, Pasadena, Calif. A: Peter, […]
