Scaling up that N scale design to HO would require a pretty large space overall (for layout plus aisles all around) and would create some access issues. And in a space that large, there would be other interesting options.
The November 1978 issue shows the plan to-scale, so it would be easy to determine the size of the various layout elements. But it would take some figuring depending on the scale of the archive pages. Since you know the overall size, you an scale from that.
That article also notes that the design-length train was 20 coal cars, two locomotives, and a caboose (although they occasionally ran much longer trains, they wouldn’t necessarily fit in the sidings).
So a good place to start might be to set your own target train length in HO and then design from there.
Good luck with your layout.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Thinking of modeling the Clinchfield from MR as done in 1978 in HO. I'm trying to figure out the passing siding lengths from figure 5 on page 87 of the December 1978 issue. The archive does not show the page in actual size. Can anyone help?