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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Imgur user rwreagan built a quarter-scale backyard railroad for his granddaughter, according to 2017 project coverage. The reported build included 275 feet of wooden track, a motorized locomotive with Arduino-based controls, a crossing signal and an engine house. The construction details below come from accounts published in 2017, including captions attributed to the builder; they describe one project, not a certified set of plans.
How the backyard railroad was built
The project combined a small locomotive, a track made from lumber, basic electronic controls and a place to store the train. Hackster Staff reported the track length as 275 feet and described the railroad as quarter-scale. A longer feature republished the builder’s captions, which provide more detail about the materials and assembly.
Locomotive and propulsion
The locomotive reportedly used two 350 W DC motors. The builder’s captions, reproduced by LittleThings, describe two 12 V batteries arranged to provide 24 V for the motors. The same feature quotes rwreagan describing the train as powered by electric motors controlled by a custom-built computer circuit.
The captions describe wheels assembled from plywood and a V-belt pulley. They do not identify the exact motor, battery, wheel or other component models.
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Wooden track and alignment
For the rails, the builder reportedly ripped pressure-treated deck boards into narrower pieces. The captions describe grooves cut into 2×4 cross ties to hold the rails, with track sections pinned to the ground using rebar.
On curves, the builder said he increased the rail spacing by a quarter inch to help prevent the wheels from binding. That is a detail of this particular build, not a general track-design specification.
Rank #2
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Arduino-based controls
The reported motor-control setup combined an Arduino, a potentiometer for input, an H-bridge and an optional radio-control receiver. The accounts do not specify the Arduino model or provide a complete wiring diagram or tested parts list; an Arduino board alone would not reproduce the control system.
Crossing signal
A separate crossing signal reportedly used trailer stop lights, a 12 V battery, an ultrasonic sensor, an Arduino and relays. The feature says the signal was built for the grandfather’s lawn tractor. The sources describe how this project was put together but do not establish that the design meets current electrical or railway-safety standards.
Rank #3
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Engine house
The railroad also included an engine house. The published accounts name it as part of the project but do not give construction dimensions or a detailed description of its materials.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The inspiration behind the project
The project features say rwreagan was looking into train options when he came across a train-building article in Popular Mechanics from 1965. A separate plans page identifies the reference as the August 1965 issue and offers a download. The available accounts do not establish the current availability or reproduction rights for those plans.
Rank #4
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What the published account does—and does not—establish
The details are reported project descriptions published in 2017, not independently verified engineering specifications. LittleThings reproduces captions attributed to rwreagan, but the original Imgur project log was not independently verified in the available coverage. Exact electronics models, a complete build plan and safety testing are not established.
LittleThings reproduces this statement attributed to rwreagan: “I built a train in my backyard from scratch for my granddaughter, using readily available materials.” The same feature also attributes to him: “The train is powered by electric motors that are controlled by a custom-built computer circuit.”
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Hackster Staff’s 2017 project overview and LittleThings’ feature reproducing the builder’s captions describe the railroad. The plans page for the August 1965 Popular Mechanics material identifies the historical inspiration.
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