tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15078204852314190622024-03-05T08:42:54.720-07:00Free O Gauge Model Railroad Layout and Building PlansGet the Most out of Your Lionel, MTH, Atlas, or Other O Gauge Model Railroadjehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-6421385473938332842015-07-05T09:24:00.000-06:002015-07-05T09:24:07.612-06:00Free Plans of C&O Coaling Station<h1>
Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Coaling Station</h1>
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Serving Coal-hungry Locomotives in Thurmond, West Virginia</h2>
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Keep those Steam Locomotives Rolling on Your Model Railroad Layout with a Coaling Tower</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/trackside-buildings/plans-of-chesapeake-ohio-railroad-coaling-station/"><img alt="Free model railroad plans, Chesapeake & Ohio, coaling tower, steam era, trackside, building, photo" class="size-medium wp-image-501" src="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Coaling_Station_photo_East_North_172107pu-246x300.png" height="300" title="Chesapeake & Ohio coaling tower" width="246" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/trackside-buildings/plans-of-chesapeake-ohio-railroad-coaling-station/">Chesapeake & Ohio coaling station</a></td></tr>
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The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Thurmond Coaling Station sat astride the tracks at the west end of Thurmond yards in Fayette County West Virginia, servicing the railroad's coal-burning steam locomotives.<br />
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The reinforced concrete structure, designed by Fairbanks, Morse and Company of Chicago, was constructed starting in 1922.<br />
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The 500-ton capacity coaling station serviced all Loup Creek and C&O mainline engines operating through Fayette County. The mainline locomotives were coaled from a track on the north side of the tower while the Loup Creek locomotives were coaled on the south side.<br />
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Our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/trackside-buildings/plans-of-chesapeake-ohio-railroad-coaling-station/">free model railroad plans of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Thurmond Coaling Station</a> include elevation, floor, and section plans, as well as photos of the building great for detailing your structure.jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-72692936547687413502014-07-31T09:21:00.000-06:002014-07-31T09:21:56.861-06:00Model Railroad Layout Track Designs Fall into Three Basic Categories<h1>
Complex Model Railroad Track Plans</h1>
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Can be Classified as One of Three Basic Layout Designs</h2>
<h3>
Learning pros and cons of the three types of model railroad layout track designs helps you design your own Model Railroad Layout</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/basic-model-railroad-layout-types/"><img alt="Free model railroad plans, layout design, track plans, point-to-point" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7-zk4zPpOuWFoiDdRnTTQwTueVpDo41QJ_SSY9_ZHEz8YhEYXbsfZzgxIRZ5Cjlk38uCSF_X-2Zo81XJwzaU-Pk1bYE0tWViVFnz2R8IQyWGkLMdBGfpzCM_2Ojr3ZIEoXIvacioU9M/s1600/Layout_4x8_point-to-point.jpg" height="202" title="Basic point-to-point model railroad layout track design" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/basic-model-railroad-layout-types/">A basic point-to-point model railroad layout track design</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Perhaps the most important step in creating a model railroad layout is designing a track plan. But where do you start? Many of the plans available online look like a spaghetti bowl that's hard to understand. What's coming and what's going? Where will a specific train end up when traveling on a specific track?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">The very nature of model railroading's limited space often leads layout designers to curve track routes over themselves to create longer mainline runs that a direct route would allow. This works well in increasing the amount of track a train must traverse, but leaves many track plans hard to decipher. However, when it comes to model railroad layout track plans, nearly all can be classified as one of three main types: Continuous-run, point-to-point, and out-and-back.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Complex track plans may contain elements of all three, but the overall theme can usually still be brought back to one of the original three. Our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/basic-model-railroad-layout-types/">Basic Model Railroad Types page</a> examines each type, and its pros and cons to help you decide which type - or combination of types - best fits your operational desires for your model railroad layout.</span>jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-78221256639192187832014-07-23T09:27:00.000-06:002014-07-23T09:27:07.797-06:00Free Plans of a Baltimore & Ohio Pratt Truss Bridge<h1>
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Pratt Truss Bridge</h1>
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Would Make Intricately-detailed Model</h2>
<h3>
To Improve any Model Railroad Layout</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/baltimore-ohio-pratt-truss-bridge-no-4511/"><img alt="Free Model Railroad Plans, bridges, truss, pratt, through, Baltimore & Ohio" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWlFFro6c0qb8ELw5hj_iRDhfiL0MsOyHU1oSOUZpGUNXY_vNCfiLzBUg3P5r93oMrPg4Aw2W4qEA-Cr0UjDT6Avp_-EXN7OjtikBc4eurCjmGJq5TgLpE0YgloZRS5hGVl0bNJcTXOc/s1600/Truss_Pratt_00001a.jpg" height="400" title="Free Plans of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge No. 451/1" width="386" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/baltimore-ohio-pratt-truss-bridge-no-4511/">Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge No. 451/1</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge No. 451/1 crosses the Cuyahoga River carrying a switch track serving the Jaite Company, a paper mill in Summit County, Ohio.</span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">The Jaite Co. paid for the bridge construction, which otherwise would have been prohibitively expensive for a spur serving just one industry. Right of way for the switch lead was secured in 1907, and construction was completed by 1909.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">Bridge No. 451/1 is a through Pratt truss. It is 138 feet 9 inches pin to pin, and has a clear width of 13 feet 9 inches and a 19 foot 10 inch height clearance. Carnegie steel supplied the steel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">Our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/baltimore-ohio-pratt-truss-bridge-no-4511/">Free Plans of </a></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/baltimore-ohio-pratt-truss-bridge-no-4511/">Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge No. 451/1</a> would allow a model railroader to create an intricately detailed model that would definitely set their model railroad layout apart from others.</span></div>
jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-50151787659167731192014-07-12T09:10:00.000-06:002014-07-12T09:10:00.410-06:00What Type of O Gauge Track Should I Choose?<h1>
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O Gauge Model Railroad Track</div>
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Is Available in a Dizzying Array of Styles</div>
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Which One is Right for You?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/choosing-track-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout/"><img alt="model railroad track, O Gauge, Lionel, sectional, tubular" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesqgvcsWGS4_jDJmETtvODwaEhvnsOMQ9EhomotMn1B1Bh1HaY5rxsPSBXDyjHNQyeEd1ZiQpVWiTOuDQLV-mWzoxV6o6yHbFnEPwtHFEJwnRNrtUano4_NivmWrBS7Snu6_IsbxE2yY/s1600/FMRRP_Lionel_track2762.jpg" height="284" title="Lionel O Gauge model railroad track" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/choosing-track-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout/">Lionel tubular O Gauge model railroad track</a></td></tr>
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So, you want to add track to the oval that came with your O gauge train set. You visit a local hobby store to buy more, and you see a dizzying array of track that looks vastly different, all of it labeled O gauge. What’s up with that?</div>
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There are a number of manufacturers of O gauge model railroad track, and some manufacture more than one style of track. All O gauge track features the same width between rails (<a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/choosing-track-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout/o-gauge-vs-o-27-gauge-model-railroad-track/">What's the difference between O gauge and O-27 gauge?</a>) so your O gauge trains will run on any manufacturer’s track, but not all manufacturers’ track will work together well. Each manufacturer has a method of joining track pieces together, so to use track from different manufacturers often requires a special adapter piece.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">If you already have a lot of one style or brand of track, it'll be cheaper in the long run to stay with that, but if you are just getting started, and you only have enough track to make a simple loop, it’s a lot easier to switch track brands now, rather than later, after you have bought hundreds of dollars worth of additional track (see what expanding your layout can cost on our</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/choosing-track-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout/comparing-prices-of-o-gauge-model-railroad-track/" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Comparing prices of O Gauge Track">Comparing Prices of O Gauge Track Page</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">). Ask you local hobby shop about their opinions of the various track brands and styles available. They all have pros and cons, so this is a good time to study them and see if you want to change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">Our page <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/choosing-track-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout/">Choosing Track for an O Gauge Model Railroad Layout</a> explains the basic differences in types of O Gauge model railroad track, gives some pros and cons, and has tables of what variety of track sections each manufacturer offers.</span></div>
jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-28793487095881213692014-06-23T21:09:00.002-06:002014-06-23T21:09:56.906-06:00Union Pacific Passenger Station at Logan Utah<h1>
Logan Utah Railroad Depot Shows 19th Century Character</h1>
<h2>
Passenger Train Station Fits Range of Railroad Eras</h2>
<h3>
From Steam to Modern Diesel Model Railroad Layouts</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/depots/union-pacific-depot-at-logan-utah/"><img alt="Free Model Railroad Plans, Depot, Passenger, Union Pacific, Utah, Logan" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4VlRt_rAvPmlrvTVxAokQbWGf9cOhA0pNQlWfdYaDmCHTBH_QTw9cMgbOAJbd4s3CXQQP0q23vfiLUdCUdKz7nhAM9I1ZDNtOFBLu-DUbMneXsnlKDJhJmXGUBLZNfbw4D7rgzwqtxI/s1600/FMRRP_UP_depot_UT_Logan_plan_elevation_west_00003a.gif" height="120" title="Union Pacific Railroad Depot Logan Utah" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/depots/union-pacific-depot-at-logan-utah/">Union Pacific Railroad Depot, Logan, Utah</a></td></tr>
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The Union Pacific Railroad<span style="font-size: 14px;"> Logan, Utah, passenger station was built shortly before the turn of the century, during that lines’s short ownership by Oregon Short Line. </span></div>
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A typical 19th Century railroad depot, the Logan station had some attractive details. <span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">hip roof covered 178 feet of platform. </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">The symmetrical floor plan was split by the telegrapher’s bay, featuring ticket windows in each of the waiting rooms.</span></div>
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A timeless classic perfect for any model railroad layout based from the end of the 19th Century to the modern era, the small size of the building would fit well as a smaller town station, and the long platform could be selectively compressed if need be to fit a smaller space.</div>
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Check out or <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/depots/union-pacific-depot-at-logan-utah/">free model railroad plans of the Union Pacific Logan Utah Passenger Station</a>.</div>
jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-78354451652611888592014-06-12T09:06:00.000-06:002014-06-12T09:06:10.040-06:00Building Benchwork for our O Gauge Model Railroad Layout in a Spare Bedroom Project<h1>
Modular Benchwork for an O Gauge Model Railroad Layout</h1>
<h2>
Nothing lasts forever so plan for your model railroad future</h2>
<h3>
When building benchwork for your current model railroad layout</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/benchwork-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-in-a-spare-bedroom/"><img alt="Free model railroad plans, O gauge, layout, benchwork" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEdL1e1iZ7V7HsSKkFmgd9nUA3ywzsFVp-iP_p9owe7Qt4h8vuTfmoXuKzY23FvXT_NF5Lri4gQZ_prUlYe1HS10bdHd3jnMv9shceigqyOCcMLGpjTG1LfEFT1KgA03_W_DG0O4mZaY/s1600/fig07b_benchwork_tables.jpg" height="216" title="Free model railroad plans O gauge benchwork" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/benchwork-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-in-a-spare-bedroom/">Modular tables for an O Gauge model railroad layout</a></td></tr>
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After settling on the location – a spare bedroom – for our O Gauge model railroad layout on our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Picking a location for an O Gauge model railroad layout">first page</a>, and deciding how much room we had in the bedroom on our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/benchwork-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-in-a-spare-bedroom/" style="border: 0px; color: #9f9f9f; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Designing an O Gauge model railroad layout in a spare bedroom">second page</a>, we need to get busy <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/benchwork-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-in-a-spare-bedroom/">designing the layout’s benchwork</a> and trackwork.</div>
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The benchwork (the tables on which the tracks are fastened) is somewhat dependent on the trackwork (how the model railroad tracks are routed around the tables), and vice-versa. There are many methods of constructing benchwork from the basic 4×8-foot sheet of plywood on sawhorses for a transient layout, to building right into the structure of the room’s walls.</div>
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We went with <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/benchwork-for-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-in-a-spare-bedroom/">a modular design that is semi-permanent model railroad layout</a>, but also can be disassembled and moved if our needs for space change. Let's face it: people buy new houses and move, or interests change. If you don't take this into account, when the day comes that you have to tear down your model railroad layout, there won't be much to salvage. With this design, if you are no longer interested, you can sell the layout to someone else, or if you have to move, your model railroad layout can move with you.</div>
jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-85664109923975724562014-05-13T15:35:00.000-06:002014-05-13T15:35:03.135-06:00Free Plans of Steam Era Narrow Gauge Enclosed Water Tower<header class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 1.714285714rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-size: 1.571428571rem; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Plans of Enclosed Water Tower, East Broad Top Railroad</h1>
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Cole’s Station Enclosed Water Tower</h1>
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Kept the Water Flowing to Railroad Steam Locomotives During Harsh Pennsylvania Winters</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog7Yyamp6mKyUxRAax8DxjEJjTZM28qPz9G8Xvz_2MlX-gEqWzyyiaLUgvqF5Uaag4fMI-nCekerZou-QxBeg1aE_iMJ-j2m87NFsnCI3HI0BcfHAuhNYFQK3r3rIjDXW8k89RqquPjI/s1600/blog_post00002a.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Free Model Railroad Plans, water tower, East Broad Top, narrow gauge, railway" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgog7Yyamp6mKyUxRAax8DxjEJjTZM28qPz9G8Xvz_2MlX-gEqWzyyiaLUgvqF5Uaag4fMI-nCekerZou-QxBeg1aE_iMJ-j2m87NFsnCI3HI0BcfHAuhNYFQK3r3rIjDXW8k89RqquPjI/s1600/blog_post00002a.gif" height="225" title="Free Plans of Cole's Station Water Tower East Broad Top Railroad" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cole's Station Water Tower, East Broad Top Railroad</td></tr>
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The Coles Station, Pennsylvania, water tank is the last surviving enclosed water station along the East Broad Top narrow gauge railroad. The tanks were enclosed so that the water could be kept from freezing during winter months by use of a small stove.</div>
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This tank was built in 1919 to replace an older tank that had deteriorated beyond use. The structure includes a tub-style wood tank of approximately 8,000 gallons capacity that is elevated on heavy wood framing set in a concrete foundation.</div>
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Our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/trackside-buildings/plans-of-enclosed-water-tower-east-broad-top-railroad/">Coles Station Enclosed Water Tower Plans Page</a> includes site plans, elevations, floor plans, and details as well as photos from all sides.</div>
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jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-39279687271557132212013-08-19T15:20:00.001-06:002013-08-19T15:23:39.476-06:00Free Plans of a Warren Truss Bridge<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.5rem; line-height: 1.5; margin: 1.714285714rem 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A Small Warren Truss Bridge</h1>
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Perfect for a Model Railroad Layout</h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/warren-truss-bridge-range-line-road-antigo-wisconsin/"><img alt="Warren standard truss bridge, model railroad layout, free model railroad plan" border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJK83_3pqQU1PXsW37HPtuHkEQs_sbM3bRTaD3-O02pohzY5jIHs843V17890i4bEiZNjdm8LndudM9f8DQsvpWZBx0OFZ8CMqMX19n6wndgbLdW98OoAU6C8KBPQMluRWXj8f4tMnqE/s400/truss_warren_antigo_wi.png" title="Range Line Road Bridge single-span Warren standard truss bridge subject for a model railroad layout" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/warren-truss-bridge-range-line-road-antigo-wisconsin/">The Range Line Road Bridge is perfect for model railroad layouts</a></td></tr>
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Although built for vehicular traffic rather than railroad use, The <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/warren-truss-bridge-range-line-road-antigo-wisconsin/">Range Line Road Bridge</a>, a single-span Warren standard truss bridge, would be a great subject for a model railroad layout.</div>
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The simple bridge could be adapted for a branch line track bridging a small creek or gulley, or for a roadway overpass.</div>
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It’s simple design would be easily replicated using sheet and angle stock, either brass, or for the ultimate ease of construction, styrene.</div>
jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-60703076180359680592013-08-10T18:14:00.000-06:002013-08-10T18:14:43.372-06:00Free Plans of a Pratt Truss Bridge<h1 class="entry-title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.571428571rem; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Baltimore & Ohio Pratt Truss Bridge No. 451/1</h1>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuzDoWzcmjlBXvwR79PAW2SbodLCtppNybYHBGI6P9Uu6qNkuaDqnQvNKsuUACf16w84LcQdCiLPm14j01HVI0EWRpBzOgHoRhYYMMIC0FS-DK6dEWephY1Txkq0_eRA3lIg9-JP_4BE/s1600/Truss_Pratt_00001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="free model railroad plans, pratt, truss bridge" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuzDoWzcmjlBXvwR79PAW2SbodLCtppNybYHBGI6P9Uu6qNkuaDqnQvNKsuUACf16w84LcQdCiLPm14j01HVI0EWRpBzOgHoRhYYMMIC0FS-DK6dEWephY1Txkq0_eRA3lIg9-JP_4BE/s320/Truss_Pratt_00001a.jpg" title="free model railroad plans of a pratt truss bridge" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baltimore & Ohio Bridge No. 451/1</td></tr>
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There's nothing like a truss bridge to add character to a model railroad layout. The seeming complexity of the structure is impressive, but actually easy to model.<br />
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge No. 451/1 crosses the Cuyahoga River carrying a switch track serving the Jaite Company, a paper mill in Summit County, Ohio.
Bridge No. 451/1 is a through Pratt truss. It is 138 feet 9 inches pin to pin, and has a clear width of 13 feet 9 inches and a 19 foot 10 inch height clearance. Carnegie steel supplied the steel.
This bridge is the ideal size to recreate in scale for a model railroad layout and our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/truss/baltimore-ohio-pratt-truss-bridge-no-4511/">Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge No. 451/1 page</a> features five plans including detailed exploded isometric views.<br />
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This bridge would be a great addition to any model railroad layout, without being too large to create a scale model.jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-32933320996504448182013-05-19T22:07:00.000-06:002014-07-23T09:34:25.011-06:00Watch Our Project Layout GrowWe are posting articles on the progress of our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/">O Gauge Model Railroad Layout Project in a Spare Bedroom</a> on <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/">FreeModelRailroadPlans.com</a>, but with a visit scheduled for the grandkids, I hurried and finished the outer loop so they could see trains run:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wYMAtbMMxGs" width="420"></iframe>jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-61790746500439948632013-04-19T13:20:00.000-06:002013-04-19T13:23:17.596-06:00Deciding What is "Available Space" for a Model Railroad Layout<h1>
Designing an O Gauge Model Railroad Layout for a Spare Bedroom</h1>
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What is the "available" space in a room?</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/designing-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-for-a-spare-bedroom/"><img alt="Free model railroad layout plans O gauge Lionel MTH Atlas" border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfYCEUfy_aNHDQ7S_80s_HrxaQ1RO-JmS-CHRbfSwHmpR8oEpqF0UTb0EvX_uY13c79R9nkAHZd2d27rOgIrETJX6247KbL_9jQ5Tp67BRPCVR1pcpipQrv62NYq1SDpz4-r9S380los/s400/fig1_floor_plan.jpg" title="Spare bedroom will be site of O gauge model railroad layout" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/designing-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-for-a-spare-bedroom/">Spare Bedroom will be Model Railroad Layout site.</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">After deliberating between the two O gauge model railroad locations: garage or spare bedroom (discussed on </span><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #21759b; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="O gauge model railroad layout project page 1">Page 1</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">), I decided to build it in the spare bedroom, which is 14′ 10” by 11′ 6” .</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">So, now that the location is chosen, how big of an O gauge model railroad layout can we cram into it? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">My first inclination was to completely fill the area with benchwork. The advantages of this would be that I could not only use 72” curves, but even broad 96” or 120” curves on the outer main line.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">I finally settled on a more realistic plan. Read more on <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/designing-an-o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-for-a-spare-bedroom/">Page 2</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">of the <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/">O Gauge Model Railroad Layout Project</a>.</span>jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-81099809190381212562013-04-03T12:01:00.002-06:002013-04-03T12:01:16.615-06:00Free Plans of a Grain Elevator<h1>
A Grain Elevator for Your Model Railroad Layout</h1>
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Perfect for Almost Any Layout Theme</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/industrial-buildings/plans-for-armours-warehouse-a-typical-grain-elevator/"><img alt="Free building plans of Armour's Warehouse, a typical grain elevator suited for any model railroad layout" border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB67-aQn8vFj5N-Zgxx2TEVv4sXDs9w1PbAzQnJ-fXM0kH-Fc0aLkamR9nqVh-3Sl4dlrI3IZihTeLwywU6PhXjUKT9jtUOQ2-403yrL8GHQuo0OrHGDLs9pw6PNS00wd3C1EJd4MvHQ/s400/armours_warehouse_historic_detail062829pu.jpg" title="Free model railroad plans grain elevator Armour's warehouse industry" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/industrial-buildings/plans-for-armours-warehouse-a-typical-grain-elevator/">Armour's Warehouse, circa 1913</a></td></tr>
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A grain elevator is a perfect trackside industry for almost any model railroad, no matter what its theme. While many industries are specific to certain regions of the country, grain elevators can be found almost anywhere crops are grown, or grain is consumed.<br />
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The <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/industrial-buildings/plans-for-armours-warehouse-a-typical-grain-elevator/">plans for Armour's Warehouse</a> show a typical "county elevator" where farmers bring their grain for shipment by railroad or canal boat. Simple changes, such as wood or metal siding, can date the building anywhere from the steam to diesel railroad eras. And, since grain was shipped in closed rail cars (first in box cars, later in covered hoppers), model railroaders don't need to worry about simulating loads in cars leaving the elevator on their layout.jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-27211872896888726112013-03-29T11:02:00.000-06:002013-03-29T11:04:13.493-06:00Free Plans of an A.T.S.F. Railroad Depot<h1>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Give Your Model Railroad a Destination</span></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Depots handle both freight and passengers</span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/depots/a-t-s-f-depot-at-hardeman-pass/"><img alt="Free model railroad building plans to scratch-build the Santa Fe depot at Hardeman Pass, Texas" border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQCuD4_n4dSQqY4ZbSsowdb8SPXTHzD9B3hHuHwr_Huq-WcC6jsOXLejH5gkPtoKR3tFUw_plc2-KrQYfrLqF-joUm6IzBI7JcUKPMhQLcrJ1NWsJsAQP6DISRY79wC6GOUFEQf-LxL8/s400/ATSF_depot_hardeman_pass_front.gif" title="Free model railroad plans building depot ATSF Santa Fe Hardeman Pass" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/depots/a-t-s-f-depot-at-hardeman-pass/">A.T.S.F. depot at Hardeman Pass, Texas</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Every model railroad needs a depot. If you are modeling the desert Southwest, you’d have a hard time finding a better depot to model than the <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/depots/a-t-s-f-depot-at-hardeman-pass/">Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad depot at Hardeman Pass, Texas</a>. These free plans of the depot are mostly in 1/8″ = 1 foot scale, which is half size for O gauge.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Creating plaster casts of the brick walls would be an interesting scratch-building project, or commercially available brick sheets would simplify construction of this depot for your model railroad layout</span>jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-25571044611170213532013-03-28T09:19:00.002-06:002013-04-15T19:48:25.984-06:00Plans of Monongahela Railroad's Erecting and Machine Shops<h1>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Keep the Trains Rolling on Your Model Railroad Layout</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Modeling railroad maintenance facilities adds authenticity </span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/maintenance-buildings/monongahela-railroad-erecting-shops-brownsville-pennsylvania/"><img alt="Free plans to scratch-build a model of Monongahela Railroad erecting and machine shops" border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN6CxO1EvVbKi5LPHqqedF5OZfxYtYOko0z0sVSUXYPeaGfmqhvrk0GNIanwzIL_3SgUucrRbUQTgM0Ov5J56VEES1H_BteOZ4zKu4bJ1nzwBaSHOfOXK5rFZRkJgPlIyNl7kCDUeUy4/s400/monon_erecting_shop_exterior_356743pu.jpg" title="Free model railroad plans building erecting shop Monongahela Monon" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/maintenance-buildings/monongahela-railroad-erecting-shops-brownsville-pennsylvania/">Monongahela Erecting and Machine Shops</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Roundhouses for locomotive maintenance are common on steam-era model railroad layouts, but heavy rebuilding work was done in a separate erecting shop, which usually had a machine shop attached or very close nearby for fabricating the many replacement parts needed by a steam locomotive.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">The <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/buildings/maintenance-buildings/monongahela-railroad-erecting-shops-brownsville-pennsylvania/">Monongahela Railroad erecting shop</a> at Brownsville, Pennsylvania is a great example of an erecting shop that could be built on a model railroad layout. Unlike many of the larger railroads, the Monon facilities are small enough that they don’t have to be “selectively compressed” to fit on a model railroad layout as would be required to fit facilities modeled on a major railroad’s shops.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Erecting shops outlived roundhouses, which were mostly demolished when railroads "dieselized." So where a roundhouse marks a model railroad as being set no later than the late 1950s, erecting shops are much less limiting to a model railroad "theme."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">With the large window areas, the Monongahela Railroad erecting and machine shops would be a perfect model to create with detailed interiors. Placed close to the front of a model railroad layout and provided with interior lighting, the models would be an impressive focal point on any model pike.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-4798827739149350722013-03-26T08:51:00.000-06:002013-04-19T13:07:51.010-06:00Model Railroad Decisions, Decisions ...<h1>
Designing a Model Railroad Layout requires many decisions</h1>
<a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/" style="text-align: center;">*UPDATE: I picked the site, and am working on layout design!*</a><br />
Having moved into a new house that has enough room for an O gauge model railroad layout, I've got a major decision to make: location, location, location.<br />
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For possible locations, I have to decide between the third garage stall, or one of the spare bedrooms, that also would double as the office for my freelance writing work. Both sites have pros and cons:<br />
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<h3>
Garage Model Railroad Layout:</h3>
<b>Pro:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>More space;</li>
<li>Less worry about mess-making</li>
</ul>
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<b>Con:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>May be difficult to keep cool in a New Mexico summer;</li>
<li>Requires building a wall to separate it from the other stalls;</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Spare Room Model Railroad Layout:</h3>
<b>Pro:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Climate controlled;</li>
<li>Easier access may encourage more frequent use;</li>
</ul>
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<b>Con:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Less space;</li>
<li>More worry about mess-making;</li>
</ul>
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To assist with the decision-making process, I've been looking at classic and new layouts, trying to find one that just begs for one space over the other. Anyone who has searched O Gauge layout designs will attest, they tend to fall into two categories: 4x8 plywood sheet spaghetti bowls, or mammoth, meandering pikes that would require an a vacant ICBM silo to fit.<br />
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So, it's almost a certainty that a published plan must be adapted to the space available. So you must look at published model railroad layout plan not as the finish point, but the starting point of creating your own pike.<br />
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I look for features I am interested in recreating, and how I can increase or decrease the plan to fit the space I have. In my case, I want a model railroad layout that offers continuous running, preferably for two trains, but also has operational features such as sidings. I'd also like a railroad yard, but will probably have to settle for a passing track with a spur. Reversing loops would be nice so I can turn my model train locomotives with out relying on the "hand of God" to pick them up and flip them.<br />
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That's a lot to ask for a model railroad layout that must fit in a 14 x 8 kidney-shaped area in the spare room, or the slightly larger spare garage stall. So, I've been surfing the 'net looking for inspiration. One particularly good site I've found is <span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.silogic.com/trains/layout3.html">Mark DiVecchio's Lionel O-Gauge Train Layouts</a>. He chronicles building his latest layout with a clear set of photos and drawings showing how he took the layout he had, and using a published plan as a starting point, adapted the two into a stunning O gauge model railroad layout in his garage.</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, he had more room than I do, so I still have a lot of work to do, but his page inspired me to keep plugging along, and reach a solution to my model railroad decisions.</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/o-gauge-model-railroad-layout-project/">*UPDATE: I picked the site, and am working on layout design!*</a></span></span><br />
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<br />jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-10896023320076715652013-03-24T09:13:00.002-06:002013-03-24T11:03:20.669-06:00Free Plans of Western Maryland Railroad Deck Plate Girder Bridge<h1>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">A Great Scratch-Building or Kit-Bashing Project for Your Model Railroad Layout</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Western Maryland Railroad Bridge No. 1276, the Sideling Hill Creek Crossing</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/plate-girder/western-maryland-plate-girder-bridge-no-1276/"><img alt="Free Plans for scratch-building or kit bashing a deck plate girder bridge for your model railroad layout Western Maryland" border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpD-9yIgZCcgX56vi4T87SyVmxZVSMm8O5dMLYP_RVh7-Gs3HxrY74nDjQSK0iVNQ6lfG1Aa5nEw3LQ_uRzVY2ZqtXNV3csBEltExAZBwkLsyo6EC-3dp7gDajLQuFyCXVmUg1ndMMEv4/s640/WM_bridge_1276_elevation_detail_00005a.gif" title="Free Model Railroad Plans for Deck Plate Girder Bridge Western Maryland Railroad" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/plate-girder/western-maryland-plate-girder-bridge-no-1276/">Western Maryland Railroad Bridge No. 1276, the Sideling Hill Crossing</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">The westward expansion of the Western Maryland Railway after the Civil War ran smack dab into the Allegheny Mountains in the Cumberland Division.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">However, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">using modern construction materials and steam-powered construction equipment, engineers were able to force their way through the rugged terrain, creating a railroad with six major bridges, three tunnels, and extensive earthworks while achieving an average 0.5 percent grade (although it did have some tight curves).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Bridge No. 1276, the Sideling Hill Creek Crossing, is small by comparison with some of the other bridges on the Cumberland division, but that small size makes it perfect for inclusion on a model railroad. The </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">Sideling Hill Creek Crossing is a 145′-long bridge consisting of two deck plate girder spans carrying a single track on a slight curve, nearly 50′ above the creek bed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">These <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/bridges/plate-girder/western-maryland-plate-girder-bridge-no-1276/">free plans</a> would be a great way to scratch-built a prototype bridge for your model railroad layout, or you could modify commercially available structures, kit-bashing an accurate replica.</span>jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-66467612523817675592013-03-18T13:27:00.000-06:002013-03-18T13:27:04.525-06:00Free Plans of A.T.S.F. Interlocking Tower<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freeogauge.blogspot.com/p/free-interlocking-control-tower-plans.html"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha23hJxsaOKGZm3UuH2xnX5FmlinoJuQxNNF2CiwgIijMklREoWyC06t7oDg2b-GpDrPG3P8YtaBU2vtY8qoz_pmbbJhyphenhyphenE1CJHglB1K5auLQ-BnoqgzdlMIVZdp1km2cfICL2vs0-OJ1k/s400/Control_tower_santa_fe_366321pv.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"><a href="http://freeogauge.blogspot.com/p/free-interlocking-control-tower-plans.html">Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Control Tower 19</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://freeogauge.blogspot.com/p/free-interlocking-control-tower-plans.html">Free Plans of an A.T.S.F. Interlocking Tower!</a><br />
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Ubiquitous during the steam era and into the modern diesel railroad era, Control towers were placed wherever railroads needed to control a number of switches, such as the entrance to a yard, or a junction. A Control tower is a great structure for your model railroad that will give lend authenticity without taking up too much real estate.<br />
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There are many kits available, but with these free building plans, the average model railroader can make a scratch-built structure that will far surpass the results of all but the most expensive craftsman kits.<br />
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These <a href="http://freeogauge.blogspot.com/p/free-interlocking-control-tower-plans.html">free plans</a> are of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Control Tower 19, Santa Fe Railway Milepost 51, Dallas, TX.<br />
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jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507820485231419062.post-40672576194605464342013-03-17T21:05:00.000-06:002013-04-18T13:01:37.997-06:00New Track Plan Adds Fun to O Gauge Model Railroad<br />
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Once you get your first O gauge train set you imagine hours of enjoyment hauling freight across the country behind a smoking locomotive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEpzbl_yl3rkecQ_LhPqLIVJ37tAkl4HJ0CZA9bzFyQqVD8Uq2XWtqhOTtayHNa5UL5uiCiQejnjb1DLM3O5UZire003J3WId_DrAE3VYPu9ZHR_QPWSsOU4ZYZqs003hEPzXGGgJPj0/s1600/Layout_4x8_27oval.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="free O gauge model railroad track plan" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEpzbl_yl3rkecQ_LhPqLIVJ37tAkl4HJ0CZA9bzFyQqVD8Uq2XWtqhOTtayHNa5UL5uiCiQejnjb1DLM3O5UZire003J3WId_DrAE3VYPu9ZHR_QPWSsOU4ZYZqs003hEPzXGGgJPj0/s400/Layout_4x8_27oval.png" title="27-inch O gauge track oval on a 4x8 sheet of plywood" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">27" O gauge track oval on a 4x8 sheet of plywood</td></tr>
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Then you set up the small 27-inch or 36-inch oval that comes with the set, and watch your train chase its tail. That's interesting for a couple minutes. What now? It's off to the local hobby shop to buy more track and expand your iron horse empire.<br />
Add a couple more curves and a crossing, and you now have a figure 8. As your train runs around this track it seems to reverse itself, and crosses back and forth. Interesting for a bit longer, but still it loses its luster after a while.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What to do next? Your first step should probably be to get lumber to build a semi-permanent train table so you don't have to disassemble your track at the end of each operating session. The easiest method is to just put a 4-foot by 8-foot piece of plywood on a pair of sawhorses. For O gauge trains, we recommend 3/4-inch thick plywood. This will work for a while, but without a frame to stiffen it, even this thick plywood will eventually warp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjsg74xZFqzss00xsxyG-TNhFGcpmclBnK4Cv8rpNmYE1GqWOo_BKsoB2L0veDugV_ubfkvGFFtbKWyGHy3z6eR5odKjYS9C20ZTAjdtH3uwTEZFU-ZNasxvx2IrPuXCS2rra2qtq5l4/s1600/Layout_4x8_fig8.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="free O gauge model railroad track plan figure 8" border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjsg74xZFqzss00xsxyG-TNhFGcpmclBnK4Cv8rpNmYE1GqWOo_BKsoB2L0veDugV_ubfkvGFFtbKWyGHy3z6eR5odKjYS9C20ZTAjdtH3uwTEZFU-ZNasxvx2IrPuXCS2rra2qtq5l4/s400/Layout_4x8_fig8.png" title="27-inch figure 8 O gauge track plan on a 4x8 sheet of plywood" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">27-inch figure 8 O gauge track plan on a 4x8 sheet of plywood</td></tr>
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In later articles, we will show how to build a much sturdier train table as we explore more complex track layouts and start adding accessories.<br />
For us, that's half the fun of O Gauge model railroading: trying to plan what to do next to make your layout even more interesting. And, there's a lot of accessories to choose from. Lionel, MTH, Atlas, and many other companies manufacture accessories ranging from buildings to create an urban environment to operating accessories that can add the action of unloading and loading train cars on your railroad.<br />
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For more visit our <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/layouts/simple-4x8-layouts-for-o-gauge-model-railroads/">simple 4x8 layouts page</a> at <a href="http://freemodelrailroadplans.com/">FreeModelRailroadPlans.com</a><br />
<br />jehitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02656599897250852225noreply@blogger.com0