I came across this book at a used bookstore named McKay's Used Book Store (Note: if you're ever in the area GO THERE! It's a treasure trove of books and more) entitled Small Railroads You Can Build, and was published by Kalmbach Publishing. There were several printings of this book, with the first printing dated 1954 and the last printing, the ninth printing, dated 1972. Cost at the time of publishing: $1.00. I paid: $2.50. There's some other surprising things I learned from it. The first one is, of coarse, prices. The layout featured in it, Pine Tree Special, costs with the train, track materials, electrical supplies, lumber, tools and hardware, and a few other things, cost only $69.46. Another thing that surprises me is that the track is hand laid, using Tru-Scale roadbed and ties and Tru-Scale rails and Modelmaster HO spikes. The other thing that surprises me is that the whole train, a Mantua 0-4-0 Shifter, a Roundhouse box car, an Ulrich stock car, and a Varney gondola and caboose, are all kits, don't come equipped with couplers, and altogether costs $26.25 ($15.95 for the Mantua switcher, $2.70 for the Roundhouse box car, $2.75 for the Ulrich stock car, $2.95 for the Varney caboose, and $1.90 for the Varney gondola). To put it in comparison, Bachmann's HO scale "Gandy Dancer" costs $69.00. I would have just passed on this book, but what sold me on it was that someone used an old rubber stamp to stamp on the inside of the book Property of Kalmbach Memorial Library National Model Railroad Association, Inc.
I also got Linn Westcott's 101 Track Plans For Model Railroaders, with the same rubber stamp, for $2.50, when it MSRP is $6.95.
I also got Linn Westcott's 101 Track Plans For Model Railroaders, with the same rubber stamp, for $2.50, when it MSRP is $6.95.