My dad bought me my first HO trainset for Christmas 1983. Shortly after that, we went to the hobby shop, got subscriptions to MR and RMC and bought a number of planning books.
I'm looking for a specific one that I can't find either in the books I saved since he died nor on used railroad books shelves. The problem is I don't know the name, the publisher or even the cover of the book.
All I remember is the first 2 layouts in the book.
The first was an HO layout the theme was first layout from Christmas trainset. The layout was dogbone 4x16 with a small yard added on a leg on one side. It featured pictures of a "Cox?" trainset I think GP20. Low nose early Geep in Santa Fe Cubscout/Yellow and blue warbonnet. the idea was using a 4x8 sheet of plywood without it being in the shape of a 4x8.
The second layout in the book was N scale I think and was square shaped multiple loops with a mountain in one corner that the control panel was built into.
Do these layouts and the book that contained them sound familiar to anyone?
I'm pretty sure that you're thinking of "Small Railroads You Can Build", edited by Bob Hayden.
I couldn't find it on the Kalmbach site, but I did find it on Amazon.
I loved that book as a kid!
There's a second edition now, by Kent Johnson. Dunno if the layouts are the same as the original edition or not.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The layout sounds like the Marquette and Independence from the December 1975 Model Railroader (additional articles in Feb and Apr 1976.
The December issue had a picture including a Cox train set.
The layout is a 4x14 dogbone and used a 4x8 sheet of plywood cut into 2 irregular pieces and a 2x4 sheet of plywood cut into 2 1x4 pieces one of which adds length between the bigger pieces and the other is a small yard.
I don't know what if any books it was later included in.
Good luck
Paul
Small railroads you can build. That's IT!
Based on the cover, the first layout must have been the 4x6 Rock ridge layout based on Blazing Saddles THEN the dogbone. I completely forgot that layout was from that book. I loved that layout too. It was my first exposure to foam scenery.
Poking around, it looks like the second ed. has different layouts. :(
ooo, Powell's in Portland has it,