Scuff pads for scenery

Color photo showing scenicked section of model railroad with trees in foreground and scuff pad in background and sky blue backdrop

Q: I’ve been trying to find the video Cody Grivno hosted a few years ago where he showed how to make a low-profile forest background using, I think, a furnace filter. I’m not talking about making furnace filter pine trees. This was more like cutting a continuous row of tree tops out of filter material […]

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Cody’s Office | October 2025

Welcome back to Cody’s Office! This month’s episode is packed with three new products, a helpful modeling tip, and answers to your viewer mail questions. Our featured products include the N scale Electro-Motive Division SD35 diesel locomotive from Atlas Model Railroad Co.; an HO scale Electro-Motive Division NW2 diesel switcher from the WalthersProto series; and a […]

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Cody’s Office | October 2025

Welcome back to Cody’s Office! This month’s episode is packed with three new products, a helpful modeling tip, and answers to your viewer mail questions. Our featured products include the N scale Electro-Motive Division SD35 diesel locomotive from Atlas Model Railroad Co.; an HO scale Electro-Motive Division NW2 diesel switcher from the WalthersProto series; and a […]

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East Troy Industrial Park Sidetrack | Building a glass plant, Part 5

In this Sidetrack Series departure from the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad, you’ll learn how to use brass wire and flat bar to create durable, small-diameter brackets and tension wires for the scratchbuilt generator structures. Throughout the demo, Eric shows viewers how to use specialized tools, including wire nippers and metal-bending […]

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Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 28 | Creating a realistic river

In this episode, David Popp builds out a river with rapids and waterfalls for his Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout. He gets things started by sharing his proven method for installing styrene dams to contain the resin “water” pour. Next, David focuses on creating the riverbed with a mix of sand, rock, and earth. […]

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