Click image for a larger labeled Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) view in a new window
Click image for a larger labeled Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) view in a new window
Click image for a larger labeled Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) view in a new window
N Scale Rail-Marine Switching on HCD
N Scale hollow-core door and shelf switching layouts of the real-life Howard Terminal in Oakland
When most people think of compact "pocket" rail-marine terminals, the well-known prototypes around the New York metro area come to mind. But there were also examples on the West Coast, including the fascinating Howard Terminal (HWDT) in the Oakland, California area.
The Howard Terminal packed a lot of railroading in a few acres of bayside property. I recently wrote an article for the Layout Design SIG's Layout Design Journal #46 about the prototype and offered some examples of N scale switching layouts designed around the HWDT.
Click on the prototype map at right or either of the layout images to download a free Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) copy of my six-page Journal article.
Along with the two variations on the ubiquitous hollow-core door footprint in N scale, I also included two examples of shelf-style switching layout track plans that make better use of the same space required for the hollow-core door versions. While island layouts have their attractions, it’s almost always possible to improve operation, appearance, and access by using at least two of the walls.
If you'd like to explore a custom-designed switching model railroad layout track plan in any scale and for any space, please contact me.
Click any image to download a free copy of this article
If you are interested in articles that explore replicating prototype areas in the model, please consider a membership in the Layout Design SIG. I edit the Journal and there's a lot of great content in each issue – and now the magazine is published in color!