Order your 2011 HOn3 Annual Today!

Michael McClure takes us on a photo tour of his well-detailed Wolf Creek Lines narrow guage layout in the 2011 HOn3 Annual. "I began model railroading seriously in the early 1980’s. What drew me to the hobby was its incredible diversity. Its creativity is endless," says the author. "I jumped in with both feet and haven’t regretted making this hobby my own." Here's just a small sampling of the creativity you will find in the 2011 HOn3 Annual!

2011 Carstens HOn3 Annual Preview

By Chris Lane, Editor

Welcome to the 2011 HOn3 Annual from Carstens Publications! We have had an overwhelming response to our first two annuals, thanks to you, our loyal readers! Our third edition is packed with 116 pages of pure HO scale narrow gauge enjoyment. Thanks to the excellent response from our readers, we have a great selection of features, from exciting layout tours to comprehensive construction articles to historical research and prototype information. From the mountains of Colorado to the wilds of Pennsylvania to the hills of Tweetsie country and everywhere in between, we've got you covered! Here's a sneak preview of what's in store... Order your copy today!

We celebrate 25 years of fantastic narrow gauge modeling by the members of the Slim Gauge Guild of Pasadena, California. The HOn3 layout is based on the Denver & Rio Grande and the Rio Grande Southern, with many scenes modeled true to life.

Fans of the "Easty" love the heavy Mikados that powered the line until abandonment, but did you know the East Broad Top was run with beautiful turn-of-the-century Consolidations? Brian Budeit shares how he built three of the line’s graceful 1900-era locomotives in HOn3.

Some modelers have decided they like the prototypical appearance and operation of the Sargent Engineering couplers for HOn3, and a triumvirate of veteran narrow gauge modelers share how to install the couplers in a host of common locomotives and cars.

Are you condsidering expanding your model railroad empire? Perhaps you're looking for an alternative to heavy traditional benchwork. After a 25 year pause in construction on the Pacific City & Northern Railway, the company treasury finally began showing a small positive cash flow once again. At a hastily called Board of Directors meeting the purchase of construction materials was authorized for expansion of the mainline. After researching various methods for roadbed construction, Ross L. Ames decided to use a Masonite spline subroadbed with a Homasote roadbed to support the handlaid track for his expansion. The author describes his methods for using pine and plywood to create sturdy and lightweight spline roadbed.

We are pleased to be bringing an early preview of the NMRA's 2013 Peachtree Express national convention and Jim Hoffman’s wonderful Rio Grande Southern layout. Here we see two locomotives resting at the Rico enginehouse in between runs.

What makes Burton and Patrica Maxwell's layout of the West Side Lumber Company look real? Burton began his journey into realism by reading books and magazines, clipping and copying articles of interest and putting them into a notebook. He expanded his knowledge base by watching model railroad DVD’s. Through the years, he visited countless layouts, learning something from every visit. However, his favorite piece of advice it to "get out there" and tramp around in whatever prototype country you are modeling. Learn the secrets to designing great looking, realistic scenes that can be applied to your own model railroad.

Luxury rode the rails in the late-1800s and Duncan Harvey shows us how he kitbashed his ornate Denver, South Park & Pacific coach in HOn3. This car is not an exact reproduction, but comes as close as possible using kits and materials that are readily available. Starting with a kit from Model Railroad General Store, the core of the project uses a 13/12 window D&RGW coach. Here was the first problem in making an exact replica of a DSP&P car, which had 14 windows. Read how Duncan worked around the challenges to produce this handsome model.

2011 HOn3 Annual Table of Contents (subject to change)

Layout Tours
Slim Gauge Guild by Bill Beverly
Wolf Creek Line by Mike McClure
Jim Hoffman's Rio Grande Southern Layout by Jim Hoffman
Denver, South Park & Pacific Layout Plan by Gary Kohler

Construction
Sargent Coupler Installations
Red Mountain Resturant by Todd Leftwich
Spline Roadbed by Ross Ames
Scratchbuilding Vintage C-16s by Uwe Kaiser
Vulture Mobile by Keith Glaab
Narrow Gauge Varnish by Duncan Harvey
Blue Point Installs and DCC Friendly Turnouts by Vic Worthington
East Broad Top Locomotives by Brian Budeit
Blackstone Passenger Cars by Laurie McLean
D&RGW Baggage by Bob Bennet
Blacklog Street Buildings by Russ Norris
RGS Rico Station Roof Rebuild by Mike Conder
Rib and Spar Benchwork by George Riley
EBT Passenger Cars by Brian Budeit
Tsunami Install in a Westside C-16 by Jim Vail

Scenery
The Wow Factor by Burton and Patrica Maxwell
Scenery Basics - Where to Start by Ed Prime
Chama Yard Snow Scene by Duane Richardson
Bridging the Gap by Sam Swanson

Prototype
Eastern Tennesee & Western North Carolina Freight Cars by Larry Smith
Colorado & Southern Modeling by Duncan Harvey