Home railways are not large facilities and usually have under 1500’ of track. More times than not, more than one steaming bay is a luxury, and some don’t even have that. Many are in suburban tract homes or sit on less than two acres. 

Home railways have been around for as long as live steamers have been building their trains. At one time, home railways were the nly place to run. With the advent of live steam clubs, many people who didn’t have the time or space to build a track at home had a place to run their equipment.

Now, due to the changing dynamic of club tracks and the fact people like the ability to run a train any day they please, home tracks are making a huge comeback.

The Home Railway Journal focuses on these tracks that are generally private in nature, meaning clubs usually don’t use the track on a monthly basis.
 

What type of person builds a home railway?

Sounds like a cliché, but all types.

Many builders are good machinists and build all of their own equipment. This is how home railways started -- the live steamer simply needed a track to run his trains on. Many tracks built featured intricate track work and sometimes fascinating bridges.

And now anyone can have a home railway with the introduction of quality “starter sets” introduced over the last few years. These sets come complete with a locomotive and cars, as well as enough track to get you running in a short amount of time. Some steam locomotives can even be bought in sections with all the machining done, meaning you can nearly just bolt the loco together.
 

Are home railways electric, steam or diesel?

It is “to each his own” in this category.

In 3/4” and 1” scale, locomotives are usually steam or electric. The electrics are prefect for use in this environment and usually last an entire operating session. Remember, home tracks are not the marathon runs of some club tracks. But don’t rule out diesels, as there are some diesel locos in this size as well.

In 1 1/2" scale and larger, you find all types of motive power quite equally on home railroads.
 

What scale is a home railway?

Home railways are defined as a railroad you can ride. Those scales are usually 3/4", 1”, or 1 1/2” to the foot and the track gauge is 3.5”, 4.75”, or 7.25”/7.5” respectively. Yes, there are other scales and gauges, but lets keep it simple for now.

The Home Railway Journal focuses on those scales and gauges that are most commonly referred to as “live steam.” Those are the sizes listed above, but don’t be surprised to see something a little smaller or larger in an issue from time-to-time.

Any size can be a home railway. In fact, famed Disney animator Ward Kimball had a full-size, three-foot gauge track with two steam engines on his three-acre lot in Southern California. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that luxury. 

 
I heard about a great article on a building project, but didn’t get that issue. Can I still get a copy?

Yes. The Home Railway Journal sells past issues. Of course, we would recommend subscribing and you’ll never miss another set of plans.

 
Subscription or single copy?
We recommend at least a one-year subscription. Not only because you get great content for your own railroad four times a year, but single copy issues are hard to find in retail stores. We won’t even get into the reasons why, but suffice it to say it is logistically difficult to do at this time.

That said, we do offer every issue for sale individually directly from us.  The issues are sold at the $7.50 cover price, plus shipping.

I want to write an article, but my writing isn't so good. What do I do?

Write it anyway!!! Make sure to take lots of pictures and jot down notes as you go along. Then just write the story the best you can. Our professional writers can help those of us who were not English majors in college.

What requirements are there when writing an article?

Take a look at some suggestions for submitting to The Home Railway Journal.

How can we send you pictures?

We welcome pictures for articles as well as news photos and just photos of your railroad or latest project.

If you send us digital pictures, they should be from a four megapixel camera or better, or any digital SLR camera. If you choose to send printed pictures, we need 5x7 color or B&W prints.

How do I get a new product announcement to you?

Contact the editor at the address below for requirements and deadlines.
 
How do we contact you?
The Home Railway Journal
10011 Folsom Blvd., #106
Sacramento, CA 95827
matt@homerailwayjournal.com
916/812-0055