Trains.com host David Popp invites you along for this initial overview of Model Railroader magazine’s emerging HO scale (1:87.1) project layout, the East Troy Industrial Park Railroad! To get things started, David shares how 1:1 scale operations of a Class III railroad (as featured in the Trains.com Video Series “Taking Care of Business: SMS Rail Lines”) helped inspire designs for a new, contemporary display at Firecrown Media’s Wisconsin office. Without question, this all-new layout also draws upon the heritage, traditions, and even locations established by the former MR&T model railroad. Throughout the build, David and Co. will devote attention to showcasing a wide array of old and new tips, tricks, and techniques they’ll use to bring this project to fruition – all in time for cover story presentation in the January 2026 issue of Model Railroader magazine!
Our design is for an L-shaped HO scale layout that measures 14 x 19 feet. The railroad has a 28” minimum curve radius on the main line and uses no. 5 turnouts or larger throughout. It will feature some of the East Troy Trolley Museum’s main line and operation, small pieces of both the town of Mukwonago and East Troy, and assorted industries collected from SMS in New Jersey and from southeastern Wisconsin. It also features an option to later add more of the trolley operation through a plug-in addition. Freight service on the ETIP will be handled by the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. While set in modern day, this layout could easily be backdated to most any operating plan in the past 120 years with minor changes to the industry choices and structures.
Awesome…was getting “withdrawals” symptoms from not having any new projects. 😂
I hope you will you have a segment on catenaries. A how to on designing and making catenaries would be very helpful. Make a video expanding on what will be on the layout Including multiple tracks and turnouts. with pictures . It is a new subject that MR can cover.
Interesting concept can’t wait until it is built. Soon the MR&T will be back. Let’s get to work and build it!
I am thrilled to see that the Myrt will live on, although in a different configuration. Looking forward to seeing how the new layout develops. Thanks for keeping the memory of the Myrt alive.
Looking forward to the build of the ETIP. From an operations standpoint I gather trains will enter the layout from the right on the MR&T main and/or passing siding in Mukwonago?
Given the heritage, Code 70 track seems ideal for the project, say Micro-Engineering with #5 and #6 turnouts operated manually. Or even hand-laid. But since this is now modern-day, Code 83 will work. Recommend that turnouts be thrown by push-pull knobs on the fascia so you don’t have to reach in to the points and mess up scenery. Great project!
This will be enjoyable to follow, especially the traction bit. I’ve never modeled a trolley line, although I have an interest in the former Capital Transit in Washington, D.C. I even bought a Corgi PCC car years ago with the plan to power it. I think my interest in running under the wires goes back to growing up near the Northeast Corridor and traction articles in MR in the 1980s, such as Bruce Goehmann’s Midland Electric.