EVEN CONSIDERING THE fact that most kids (and adults) have never gotten closer to a steam locomotive than, say, an episode of Petticoat Junction, a steam-powered starter set is tough to beat. The visual elements of moving side rods and puffing smoke, combined with the gift-giving mood around the holidays, make a steam-engine starter set […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Deep Run RR Scale: On2 1/2 Size: 17′-3″ x 42′-6″ Prototype: freelanced Era: mid-1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 77 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared in the November 2007 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]
Q: I recently purchased a Lionel no. 313 bascule bridge that is in pretty good shape. Unfortunately, the linkage to raise and lower the bridge from the base is missing. I want to identify and replace the missing parts, so an exploded view with part numbers listed would be appreciated. – C.T. Gast, Buffalo, N.Y. […]
American Model Builders O scale grain elevator kit Price: $149.99Manufacturer American Model Builders8229 Brentwood Industrial Dr.St. Louis, MO 63144www.laserkit.comDescription: Laser-cut wood structure kitComments: Based on a North-western Line Elevator from the 1913 Grain Dealers Journal, this Laserkit model depicts a design commonly seen along the tracks across the country. The kit includes laser-cut wood and […]
Q: I rewound the motor for my Lionel no. 182 crane, and the motor works fine, but I am unable to make it reverse. I called Lionel but they didn’t have a diagram for the no. 182. Instead, the service representative sent a diagram for a no. 165 crane. The big difference in the cranes […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Boston & Maine Scale: O (1:48) Size: 17 x 28 feet Period: early 1950s or mid-1960s Style: single-level walkaround Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 48″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Originally appeared in the 2006 issue of Great Model Railroads. See a PDF version of this track plan by […]
Track plan at a glance Name: California Scenic RR Scale: O (1:48) Size: 17 x 24 feet Prototype: Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Period: 1940s to 1960s Minimum radius: 68″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the 1998 issue of Great Model Railroads. See a PDF version of this track […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Winged Foot & Western Scale: On3 (1:48) Size: 10 x 28 feet Theme: free-lance logging and mining railroad Period: turn-of-the-century Style: point-to-loop Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 4 percent Originally appeared in the 2000 issue of Great Model Railroads. Click here to download a PDF of this track […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Oregon Short Line Scale: O (1:48) Size: 38′-6″ x 51′-0″ Prototype: Union Pacific RR Era: June 1950 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 190 feet Minimum radius: 76″ Minimum turnout: main line, no. 8; yards, no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the April 2007 issue of Model […]
WHEN I SAW a Coors Silver Bullet commercial in 2004, I said, “Cool.” When I saw MTH’s announcement that it was making an O gauge model of the Coors Silver Bullet, I said, “Cool, but they’ll never really make that.” When I opened the shipping carton, I said, “Cool, look at all that crazy chrome!” […]
THIS “RETROVILLE” MONORAIL from MTH is a hoot. It had me recalling an old TV show where a character from the past ends up in the 21st century. He exclaims, “Where are the flying cars? We were promised flying cars!” Well, we were also promised jet backpacks, robot maids, and, of course, monorails. Seven years […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Algoma River RR Scale: On3 (1:48 proportion, three-foot narrow gauge) Size: 19½ x 22½ feet plus extension into workshop Prototype: free-lance Period: late 1920s, early 1930s Style: walk-in, walkaround Mainline run: 108 feet Minimum radius: 36″ (30″ on branch) Minimum turnout: approximately no. 4, handlaid to fit Maximum grade: […]
