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.
Switching In/To HOn3
The author builds a detailed HOn3 diorama to help stay active in model railroad construction as his main On30 layout nears completion.
Rico Station Kitbash in HO scale
I have been building a module of the town of Rico on the Rio Grande Southern for our Hon3 Free-Mo group for a few years now. I chose the 1900-1910 era for this, as it would (theoretically) allow the Blackstone K-27’s to be on the line, but still have the original wooden engine house. One of the centerpiece structures is the Rico depot with its unique tower.
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.
Alpine Scale Models Company Houses in HO
By the late 19th and early 20th century long term housing for workers close to the mines, mills and construction projects in the sparsely settled sections of North America led to the development of “company” towns. Alpine Scale Models “Chilao Flats” offers three small cabins and back yard conveniences representing these basic structures that would have housed either four single men or a single family unit.
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.
MicroLux LaserKnife 2525 Laser Cutter
With only a few hours of practice, an amazing array of precise parts and models can be created in an almost limitless range of materials. Based on these attributes, Micro-Mark’s LaserKnife will allow the hobbyist to reach new levels with their models and may well prove to be “the ultimate tool” in anyone’s workshop.
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