August 2020 Trackside Model Railroading Digital Magazine

Kirk Thompson's
Bitterroot Lines
Multiple Modelers'
O, N, and S Scale Layouts

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HO Scale


Various Scales


Create One-Way Loads

Layouts in the August 2020 Issue

Bitterroot Lines in HO Scale

Come tour Kirk Thompson’s Bitterroot Lines, a freelanced HO scale bridge line based in the 1950s. You’ll enjoy mostly passenger traffic from the Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, and Union Pacific crossing the mountains on this unique pike. The layout was inspired by the Canadian Pacific’s Spiral Tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass, but Kirk’s version of them is based in the U.S. The layout offers great railfanning views as the trains tackle the grade.

Details that Create a Story

We share some interesting scenes that have stood out over the years and how modeling your own creative scene or piece of history can add to a layout.

Create One-Way Loads for Realistic Operations

See how you can make your own one-way loads to add realism as you operate your layout. This project shows you how to build a wheel tractor-scraper one-way load, which can easily be applied to create loads for other machinery. The project is in HO scale.

Bitterroot Lines in HO Scale

RGS in S Scale