2026 HOn3 ANNUAL: Now in its 18th year, the HOn3 Annual returns with 116 pages devoted to narrow gauge modeling and inspiration. Tour John R. Short’s Rio Grande Southern from Durango to Ridgway and explore Johnny Graybeal’s modeling of the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina during its golden age At the workbench, follow along as Paul Buhrke reconstructs a brass locomotive, Andrew MacRossie revives a classic C&S B3-C Mogul, and Thomas Engstrand builds a D&RGW-style turret depot. You’ll also find practical projects covering realistic rock scenery, easy drop-in gondola loads, small-space modeling, freight cars, trackside details, and troubleshooting Blackstone C-19s. Plus, explore HOn30 modeling, narrow gauge prototype information, new products, and much more. All this and more in the 2026 HOn3 Annual!
Growing Together
In addition to editing the HOn3, On30, and Garden Train Annuals, Chris Lane is now the new editor of Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette.
A Case for the Colorado & Southern
The Colorado & Southern and its related and associated railroads are an often overlooked subject for model railroads. Yet, the C&S was the largest narrow gauge railroad contained wholly within the state of Colorado. It was made up of several other railroads that were joined together after the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, in 1893.
Models That Move
Burton Maxwell’s “Buffalo Landing” logging railroad scene includes a spreader bar loader which picks logs off log trucks, carries them by cable to log cars where they are dropped into place for the train trip to the mill.
East Broad Top’s “Company Square” in HO scale
From its junction with the Pennsylvania Railroad in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, the East Broad Top wound its way in a southerly direction for some 30 miles, to the coal fields on the east side of Broad Top Mountain. The town of Robertsdale, Pa., was named for one of the principal investors when the EBT was built, it was the epitome of the company town.
Blackstone Models Open Platform Coaches in HOn3
It may seem hard to imagine today, but once upon a time, the railroads were firmly in the passenger business. The new HOn3 open platform coach from Blackstone Models replicates the most numerous of the Rio Grande’s narrow gauge fleet with impressive fidelity and attention to detail.
Blackstone Models UTLX narrow gauge tank cars
Blackstone Models has recently released two HOn3 versions of the UTLX narrow gauge tank car. Once used to haul petroleum products on the D&RGW and RGS lines, some of these cars made it as far west as Hawaii and as far north as Alaska and British Columbia. These ready-to-run cars are beautifully detailed and will help you build a tank train fleet for your HOn3 layout.
Blackstone Models D&RGW Long Caboose in HOn3
The new Blackstone Models long caboose is an exceedingly accurate model of the prototype available in a ready to run form that narrow gauge modelers could only dream of a few years ago. The paint options and extra detail parts make it in a class by itself. It is the best rolling stock Blackstone has offered to date and a fine value.
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