The local runs down the switchback to pick up an empty at the Miami Produce Center on my personal layout based on The Downtown Spur in...

My "second" layout is a simple, two turnout affair, in the corner of my office. It's based on the Los Angeles Junction. Structures are...

Prairie-themed layouts lend themselves well to modelers with lots of space but limited modeling time. (Caldwell, ID, 1941, Lee Russell....

Creating Visual Symmetry Shown above is a 1940's topo map of Frederick, MD. Note the general sense of order, the ninety degree grids,...

Having just left Newark Station, and crossed over the Passaic River dock bridge, a northbound Amtrak train passes the tower. This image...

Lift Out Bridge Design Standards Although they have their drawbacks, lift out bridges allow for such far superior model railroad designs...

Who wouldn't love to model this grain elevator in Farmersville, IL? The next town has one just as cool, as does the next. However, as...

Just because a track plan illustration is pleasing to look at from an artistic standpoint doesn't mean that it's a viable design. Read...

Washington D.C.'s Georgetown waterfront, shown above, makes for a compelling modeling theme if there ever was one. Library of Congress...

Let's talk about model railroad design strategy. At almost thirty feet in length, the above design isn't small. Even so, it's an example...

Model railroaders are an optimistic bunch, particularly when it comes to layout design! To be more specific, overly optimistic when it...