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How to Build an O Gauge Model Train Roundhouse

The locomotive roundhouse is an iconic model railroad structure. They were, and still are, built in a wide variety of sizes and materials. Finding the one for your O gauge model railroad layout that fits both your landscape and your budget can sometimes be a challenge. This project builds up to form the shell of a roundhouse that you can detail to your own taste. The front of each stall is narrower than the rear, resulting in the distinctly "curved" roundhouse found on most railroads. Each stall is tall and deep enough to handle a large locomotive.

Things You'll Need

10 balsa wood sheets, each 6 inches by 24 inches
Sharp hobby knife
Wood glue
Ruler
Straight Edge

Instructions

- 1
  Cut four rectangles from the balsa wood sheet, each 3 1/4 inches tall by 17 inches long for the sides and internal walls of the roundhouse. Cut three more rectangles, each 3 1/4 inches tall by 6 inches wide for the three back walls. Cut the three front walls, each 3 1/4 inches tall by 3 1/2 inches wide. Finally, cut six rectangles, each 3 1/2 inches wide on one end, 17 inches long, and 6 inches wide on the other end. Cut the two ends so that the narrower end is centered relative to the wider end. These will be the floors and ceilings of the roundhouse.
- 2
  Cut an upside-down "U"-shaped opening into each of the front walls so that only ½ inch remains around the sides and top, and so that the bottom is completely open.
- 3
  Glue one rear wall to a floor panel, holding it at a right angle until the glue sets. Assemble the rest of the structure by gluing the side walls to both the back wall and the floor panel, the outer tips of the front panel to the bottom panel and ends of the side walls, and the roof panel on top. Repeat this procedure to form three long boxes.
- 4
  Glue the three boxes side-by-side to one another. The outer side walls will not be parallel to one another, giving the finished structure its distinctive curved shape.

Model Railroads