HO Model Railroad Buildings and Structures

The primary goal of the buildings and structures that line the tracks of a HO-scale model railroad is realism. Just as HO-scale trains are 1/87th the size of the real thing, HO-scale country stores, sawmills, office buildings, and train depots are supposed to be proportional, from their faux bricks to their shingles. While a lot of model railroaders choose to build their own structures from scratch, many more use a kit to get themselves started, a process known as kitbashing.

One of the most respected scratch builders was John Allen, who began work on his Gorre & Daphetid (G&D) model railroad in Monterey, California, shortly after World War II. Known as the Wizard of Monterey, Allen literally used mirrors to make his layouts look bigger, cast rocks from rubber molds, and pioneered the use of “scenicked” access covers.

Those who lack the skill or time that Allen lavished on his railroad can buy a kit from George Sellios, whose Fine Scale Miniatures has been producing high quality models of breweries, butcher shops, and mercantiles since 1967. Like Allen, Sellios is an avid model railroader. His HO-scale Franklin & South Manchester Railroad, circa 1935, is located in Peabody, Massachusetts, at the headquarters of Fine Scale Miniatures. Other kit makers include Bar Mills, Walther, and Campbell.

Interviews & Articles

The Beauty of Brass Model Trains

We’ve been operating Dan’s Train Depot, which is the parent company of BrassTrains.com, for about 11 years now. We bought out a ve… [more]

Train Talk with the National Model Railroad Association's Brent Lambert

The NMRA library’s original purpose was to focus on model railroading, but over time we’ve also received donations that have helpe… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

HOseeker.net

HOseeker.net

This site is a treasure trove of HO scale model railroad manufacturer catalogs and other reference information, inv… [read review or visit site]

Airfix Model Railways

Airfix Model Railways

Dave McCarthy's Airfix Model Railway treasure trove is an in-depth archive of the company's plastic railway kits fr… [read review or visit site]

Gateway NMRA

Gateway NMRA

This great reference site for model railroaders, from the Gateway (St. Louis) division of the NMRA (National Model … [read review or visit site]

Postwar Lionel Trains Library

Postwar Lionel Trains Library

Bernie Schulz’s Lionel Trains Library focuses exclusively on postwar Lionel trains and accessories. The site cont… [read review or visit site]

Eric's Trains

Eric's Trains

Eric Siegel's site displays his collection of O-gauge/O-scale trains, tracks, turntables, and other accessories. A … [read review or visit site]

Tech Model Railroad Club of MIT

Tech Model Railroad Club of MIT

MIT's model railroad club, as one might expect, has one of the best websites for learning about how people play wit… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Model Trains

Other Great Reference Sites: Model Trains

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