The HOME PAGE of this website has a link to a free catalog and the full range of downloadable model railroad building kits available on this website. The paper models can be glued to corflute (in the case of background structures), or to cereal card (3D structures).

Most railroad layouts include a freight yard of some kind whether it is utilized just for car storage, or as an integral part of the railroads function. It could be a weed-covered yard on a branch line, or a busy freight yard servicing nearby warehouses, industries or freight forwarding companies. Either way, it can look somewhat derelict without buildings, people and machinery to keep it busy.

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Problem:

Large structures can take up a lot of space.

Solution:

The answer is to position warehouses and freight forwarding companies against the backdrop. By doing that, the freight yard is not hidden by large structures that block the view of yard operations, and the buildings don’t take up valuable space that could otherwise be used for track.

The warehouse buildings in this series range in size and are designed in low relief (with a front, 2 sides and roofing), so that can be installed behind a rail freight yard to form an interesting backdrop for the trains. The model buildings can be constructed in low relief or as flats (with just the front of each warehouse visible). These printable model railroad building kits are very versatile and easy to download, print, and build for HO layout, or for N scale, or OO scale model railway layouts..

The paper models are intricately detailed and weathered to show dirt that has built up over many years from being situated so close to a rail freight yard. They currently include signage which you can alter if you want to, although I think you’ll agree the current signage is suitable the type of storage warehouse you would expect to see alongside a railroad track. The pre-done weathering and detailing is impressive and will saving a lot of time (and money).

To make these low relief railroad buildings is a simple 3 step process.

1. Download printable PDF plans for the paper models you want to make. You can save the file or files on your computer, or on another device such as a portable hard drive, USB stick, or a disk. That way you can keep downloaded files of the PDF paper models for future use. The PDF printable plans can’t be given way, sold or traded by you; otherwise you’ll breach international copyright laws – which is only fair.

2. Print the PDF(s). A home printer is ideal. Just adjust the PDF or printer settings if you want to change the scale. For OO or HO scale just select OO / HO at the checkout. For HO, the OO plans can be reduced slightly (to 87%) to replicate true HO scale. The paper plans can also be downloaded in N scale sizing.

3. Glue the PDF onto foam board or corflute (both are cheap to buy in a big sheet) and assemble by following the clear diagrams that are supplied. There is also a free printing and assembly manual for customers in the MY ACCOUNT area above. Plus, there are numerous helpful video tutorials on this website which are free to access.

When constructed these paper model railroad building kits are built to last, and are ready to be placed alongside a freight yard to transform the background from boring to interesting and lifelike.

How Team Tracks Operate To Service Railroad Industries

The purpose of railroads in the real world is to transport freight and people and between cities and towns. Sometimes the journey is relatively short like on a suburban passenger line, or on a track carrying coal from a mine to a nearby port. Long distance services on the other hand can carry passengers and freight for hundreds, if not thousands of miles – in some locations even crossing between countries or continents.

Freight yard operations on a model railroad

Industries (be they large or small) can be the lifeblood of any railroad, as they can generate ongoing revenue for the railroad company. However to operate efficiently, a railroad will require numerous sidings, various model railroad building kits and an adequate supply of reliable locomotives and freight cars. And, that’s precisely the reason why industries can be a model railroader’s dream come true. The likelihood of becoming bored is reduced because of all the operational possibilities and amount of activity involved around an industry.

That said; really big industries can pose the disadvantage of being to big to properly model. One option is to reduce a large industry down in size and compress the activities into a smaller space. This option may be necessary if the model railroad layout is particularly small. The printed model railroad building kits downloable from this size can easily be scaled on a home printer to suit the needs of the rail modeler or hobbyist.

There is however ways of making industries appear bigger than they are. There usually isn’t room for big buildings on a small N scale layout, but they can still be included when they are positioned to form a backdrop. Either “flats” which show just the front, or low relief building which typically show 3 sides and a roof, can be used as a backdrop behind a busy rail yard. If you want to include several towns each with sidings for train switching, then compromise is generally required. The scale model railroad building kits on this website are very adaptable and can be scaled.

Team tracks for large or small model railroad industries

There are however, industries that will fit in a smallish space without too much in the way of compromise.

A team track is one such industry worthy of consideration as they are prevalent in small towns as well as bigger cities. The basic purpose of team tracks is to service companies that don’t own a siding or freight yard. The companies still want to send and/or receive rail freight shipments but don’t own the track. Empty freight cars can also be sorted, and loaded ready for delivery to their next destination. There could be a mix of flat cars, tank cars, covered hoppers, and boxcars all adding to the interest.

The term “team track” originates from the days when teams of horses pulled wagons to the train track for unloading and loading goods.

Team tracks can be as basic as having a spur and an open land, or they can be more complex incorporating unloading pits constructed into the track, conveyers, hook ups for tank cars, forklifts, cranes, and loading docks. The surrounding land could be grass, gravel, or even paved. There could be security fencing and lighting for night loading and unloading. Team tracks don’t need to service a particular industry so they simply be a single track, or several tracks where cars can be loaded on an outgoing freight train or dropped off by an inbound freight train. A local train could deliver goods along a branch line. Even a town without an industry could have a short team track. It could be located close to the town, or nearby in an industrial district or freight forwarding company.

Switch crews kept busy on an industrial model railroad layout

The big advantage of having team tracks is the versatility they bring to a model railroad. The tracks and cars don’t belong to a specific industry or customer, so it is possible any type of wagon could suddenly arrive for loading, unloading, or sorting. Look through the range of downloadable model railroad building kits available on this website and you’ll see there are several suitable structures for positioning alongside or behind railroad tracks.

One day it might be an auto rack delivering vehicles to a local car dealership; the following day a heavy duty flat car could arrive with a large item of machinery for a local manufacturer, or a hopper with coal for a local factory; the next day it could be a boxcar with 70 ton of newsprint for a local newspaper or pallets of grain for a local bakery. The possibilities are numerous.

A team track could be as busy or as quiet as you want it to be. Dozens of wagons could arrive each day needing a dedicated switching crew, or there could be just one or two cars arrive. Cars could be loaded and unloaded as soon as they arrive, or they could sit for days on end without moving. A busy team track might require a waybill system for make for a smooth organized operating session. Above all; enjoy this hobby and most importantly enjoy making your model railroad building kits downloaded from this website.

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