The author glued an owl nest to the top of her Aggie’s grain elevator. One day, a chickadee boldly robbed the straw as her family watched. Rooftop details add interest to garden railways The roof usually isn’t an especially attractive part of a structure – it’s a weather-proofing function. Yet, we usually look down […]
Section: Layouts
Behind the scenes at Milwaukee museum HO train layout
Milwaukee museum HO train layout: From a “spaghetti mess” of wires to controlling the train with TrainController version 8, Eric Grabczyk – the exhibit maintenance manager at Discovery World – is learning how to keep a model railroad at optimal condition for visitors to enjoy. This video walks you through some of the inner workings […]
Postwar and modern Lionel trains mix on this layout
Postwar and modern Lionel trains mix on Richard Shutt’s layout! The 21 x 24-foot O gauge display, featured in the March-April 2022 Classic Toy Trains, is built for operation. His lifelong interest in the Norfolk & Western Ry. matches a deep-seated fascination with trains and accessories from the post-World War II period. It also includes […]
The Fairplex Garden Railroad
The Fairplex Garden Railroad in Pomona, California is located in the middle of the Los Angeles County fairgrounds. The 100′ x 300′ railway has occupied the same space since 1935 and has been a part of the annual fair every year except for the war years of 1942-1947. However, the fair’s train display is […]
Layout Visit: Todd Smalley’s HO C&O Monroe Division
Take a look at the trains running on Todd Smalley’s HO scale C&O Monroe Division model railroad, which is featured in the April 2022 issue of Model Railroader magazine. This layout will submerge you into the world of Appalachian railroading. Enjoy! […]
New HO layout at Milwaukee museum available to the public
HO layout at Milwaukee Museum: Discovery World CEO Bryan Wunar speaks to Trains.com staff about Discovery World’s new HO scale model train layout. Discovery World in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is known for their emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and exhibits. Regarding this exhibit, Wunar says, “Trains and railways embody technological advancements from around […]
Layout visit: David Arrell’s HO Street life & Streetcars
Watch streetcars running on David Arrell’s HO scale Street life model, which is featured in the March 2022 issue of Model Railroader magazine. […]
O scale modular layout inspired by Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show
This operating layout features scenes visitors to the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show are familiar with, and some they are not. Did you know the site was once rail served? Now in O scale, it is again! […]
Large scale indoor club layout
This large scale indoor club layout started life as a custom build of a local large-scale collector. The 8-by-11-foot board had been unused for at least a decade and I immediately knew where this display would be best displayed — at the 7.5” gauge, 1.5” scale live-steam train club that I belong to. Many […]
Visit an amazing 4′ x 8′ O gauge layout featuring Lionel, MTH, and K-Line trains
John Cunius is truly the “Chairman of the Board” when it comes to his O gauge layout. The display, in a corner of his train room, puts the “fun” in “functional.” It has shelves underneath that hold his collection of locomotives, cars, and other equipment. See this and many other space-saving designs in Classic Toy […]
Layout visit: Marshall Sommer’s HO scale Rhode Haven
Watch trains running on Marshall Sommer’s HO scale Rhode Haven model railroad, which is featured in the January 2022 issue of Model Railroader magazine. […]
California-inspired garden railroad
A California-inspired garden railroad is what you can see in our Morning Glow Railroad. It was developed after watching numerous videos, reading many Garden Railways magazines, then determining the type of garden railroad I wanted to construct. Its theme is based on the type of natural setting that I enjoyed the most, namely a vacation […]