Action may be required on your Trains.com account in order to continue accessing content. Click here to learn more.
Dive back into the Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout project with host David Popp! The resin water David poured in the previous episode has dried, but he hit a snag – a hazy surface on one section! David shares a fix for restoring the crystal-clear view and reveal the details (like those planted […]
With the waterfall effects installed and cured, host David Popp is now ready to pour the Woodland Scenics Deep Pour Water (murky variety) on the Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout! He shares how to add a splash of detail to scene, using Miniprints fish and fowl, plus a figure of a former Model Railroader […]
This article will help you build a simple Arduino-based DCC system. Growing up in the 1980s I was living the dream. I had an HO layout on a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood in my parents’ basement in Reading, Pa., a soldering iron, a nearby RadioShack, and a subscription to Model Railroader. My favorite […]
Q: I would like to feature modern automobiles on my currently under construction layout. Is there a manufacturer that makes vehicles from the late 1990s to modern day? If not, is there any way to make them? — Jake, via email A: You didn’t specify your modeling scale, Jake, but there are multiple sources for […]
When designing their layouts, many model railroaders gravitate towards the 1960s. It’s easy to understand why — to many in the hobby, the 1960s represents one of the most dynamic decades in American railroading, as the last vestiges of steam power faded and diesel locomotives began their reign over America’s rail network, a reign which […]
2025 NMRA National Convention, Train Show Highlights | Tour with Model Railroader Editor Eric White, as he makes the rounds to visit with small vendors and major manufacturers at the 2025 National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) Convention and Train Show recently held in Novi, Michigan. From new model announcements and releases to helpful modeling products […]
Adding scale people to your layout can be as simple as opening the box and gluing them in place. Manufacturers such as Preiser, Merten, Woodland Scenics, among others, offer a selection of realistic, factory-painted plastic figures for model railroads. However, if you have a railroad that requires a large population, it can be more economical […]
Most model railroaders strive for accuracy in the construction of their model railroad layout. Of course there are modelers who do not, and of course “accuracy” means different things to different modelers, but broadly, accuracy, in one form or another, is the target for most model railroaders. When constructing their model railroad layouts, many modelers […]
A question many readers want an answer to is how to color bricks. Structures have been built with brick for millennia and material was very popular from the start of the industrial revolution through the advent of structural steel and reinforced concrete construction. Most railroads will pass by and serve multiple brick-built factories and warehouses, […]
Back in 2010, I was part of a group of contributors to Scenery by the Seasons by Kalmbach Publishing Co. The 98-page book featured stories on modeling seasons on your layout. Among the topics covered were spring backdrops; lily pads, cattails, and pond scum; easy autumn trees; and ice and snow. Though the title is […]
In 1980 and 1981, my wife and I rode round trips on the Viking and Badger, respectively, when they were still being used as railroad carferries operating between Wisconsin and Michigan. After those trips, I wanted to build an N scale version of the Viking. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time or skills required back […]
Q: What is the best adhesive to use for attaching cork roadbed to wood or extruded-foam insulation board? — Ronald Jaeger A: In Basic Trackwork for Model Railroaders — Second Edition (Kalmbach Books, 2014), Jeff Wilson wrote, “Cork can be nailed in place, but glue is a much neater option. I prefer white glue for […]
