HO scale track plan
A nice HO track plan for beginners on 6′ x 4′. This corresponds to 183 x 122 cm. Here designed for Märklin tracks, but feel free to adapt it for other HO manufacturers.
What is it all about? Rural scenery with a sleepy terminus station. Only a few trains run on this idyllic branch line. Sometimes a small passenger train, sometimes a few freight cars. Occasionally a load of ballast arrives from the nearby quarry.
Passenger trains arrive on track 1. After that the locomotive is shunted back and the train leaves the station again. Or the passenger carriages are parked on the long siding on the left, so that the locomotive can do other tasks. Sidings and shunting facilities are dimensioned for a small HO locomotive with 3 short wagons.
Construction of this HO model railroad layout is simple, as there are no gradients. So a nice HO track plan for beginners. All tracks are on the same level. For the road underpasses, just cut out the board here. If this is too complicated for you, make a railroad crossing instead. However, a road underpass provides more visual appeal.
The budget is not strained very much, too. There are only seven turnouts. The focused area at the front of this model railway layout features turnouts with a slim angle, what looks fine. The wide curve radii along the platform are visually attractive, too.
- Size: 6 x 4 ft.
- Tracks: Märklin C
- Levels: No levels, just basic board or table
- Due to the compact size, this HO layout needs some tight R1 curves
Download this track plan here:
Download PDF (private use only)
List of tracks
About HO scale
The distance between the left and the right rail is 16.5 mm, which corresponds to 0.650 inches. The scale of HO buildings, rolling stock and other HO accessories is 1:87.
HO scale model trains were introduced in the mid of the 1920ies. At that time, the existing gauge 0, specifically offered by Märklin, was regarded as too big for model railroading at home. The net distance of 32 mm between these rails was roughly halved, resulting in 16.5 mm. The German spelling still is “H0”, an abbreviation meaning “Halb Null” (= half of the number zero). English speaking countries spell it as “HO”, using the letters “H” and “O”.
But don’t mess it up: What in the UK is called “00 gauge” usually means the same 16.5 mm gauge. However, the scale varies slightly in UK. It is 1:76.
HO track plans: Advantages
Why Märklin HO track plan?
The track plan above has a reverse loop. But that’s no problem for the Märklin HO system, because it is based on the 3-conductor principle, also called 3-rail system. Märklin tracks have additional contact points in the middle between the two outer rails. The electrical polarity of these contact points is positive, the outer tracks are negative. So there is no alternating polarization in a reverse loop. Just plug the tracks together and enjoy the benefit of the reversing loop in that plan. If the loco arrives frontside ahead at the turnout nearby the gravel pit, simply drive around the reverse loop and then push back the wagons.
In contrast to that, HO 2-rail systems will require special electrical wiring for reversing loops.
About Märklin
The German manufacturer Märklin has a passionate fan communitiy all over the world. In particular vintage Märklin material is strongly sought after, fetching high prices on the market. Critics of the 3-rail system, on the other hand, find the additional contact points not true to the original.