February 2024 Burlington Northern Across Mike McGinley’s Southwestern Pacific in HO

Burlington Northern Across Mike McGinley’s Southwestern Pacific in HO
Join us as we tour the HO scale Southwestern Pacific (SWP) running the Burlington Northern Railroad. Regular Trackside readers will get to enjoy Mike McGinley’s layout again, now based in 1992 (but nothing is left out if you have not seen this layout in our publication previously). You’ll see a mixture of BN motive power in operation, including C30-7s, F45s, GP9s, and SD60Ms at work. This is one layout you don’t want to miss, and a special treat for fans of the BN’s Cascade Green paint scheme. You’ll see many full-page photos of the layout. A railfanning video is also included, where you’ll watch a local pick up a damaged locomotive that has been setout and haul it to the shops for repair.

Changing Time Periods on the SWP
We take a look back at different eras modeled on the SWP and compare photos to see some of the recent updates to the layout. You’ll see where Mike made layout and structure/scenery modifications.

High-Volume Track Weathering
Our project this month shows you a method of quickly weathering lots of rail; this project will be useful for modelers about to lay a lot of track on a new or expanding model railroad.

Mike McGinley’s HO Scale Layout as 1992

Mike McGinley’s HO Scale Layout as 2006