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.
Scratchbuild a 24-Foot Boxcar in HOn3
This scratchbuilt HOn3 24-foot boxcar was typical of the equipment on The Milwaukee Road’s 3-foot gauge Bellevue & Cascade subsidiary in the 1930s.
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.
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.
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.
More Up Clear Creek on the Narrow Gauge
More Up Clear Creek on the Narrow Gauge picks up at Part 55, and runs through Part 120, the last article in the series. The book also includes the 22 other Gazette articles that Harry wrote following the series’ conclusion. The book chronicles the final of 5 moves into the 12′ by 65′ mobile home that Harry calls “Little Colorado” and ends with the layout in its final (current) form.
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.
Explore the world of White River Productions
