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“Dead Rail” or “Power on Board” — no matter what you call it, the concept is the same: a model locomotive that carries its own power source. This eliminates the need for alternating or direct current track power, along with multiple headaches such as short circuiting, dead frogs, and dirty rails. Rechargeable batteries have become […]
Milwaukee and model railroading share deep, historic ties. Model Railroader Magazine, Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., and the National Model Railroad Association all had their humble beginnings in the beer city. This rich heritage has fostered a healthy and diverse group of model railroad clubs throughout Southeast Wisconsin that are still active today. Finding these clubs […]
Painting is one of my favorite aspects of the hobby, though I guess that shouldn’t come as a big surprise. My father and grandfather were auto body repairmen, so painting (albeit on vehicles, not model trains) has been a part of my life from an early age. I started airbrushing model trains in my early […]
Model Railroader magazine’s Editor Eric White catches up with National Model Railroad Association President Gordy Robinson at the NMRA-sponsored Trainfest 2025 event, held November 1st & 2nd, 2025, in downtown Milwaukee, Wis. Gordy outlines the new vision and strategy for the organization, aiming for 35,000 members, reducing membership costs, and improving the member experience. He […]
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 […]
Hear about the future of MTH Electric Trains directly from company principals Rich Foster and Bradley DeLeon. Even as MTH founder Mike Wolf annouced his retirement, Rich had a plan to keep the company going. Today, custom/specialty products now account for about 30% of the business. MTH has also made commitments to its RailKing One Gauge […]
In 2020, MTH Electric Trains President Mike Wolf announced his May 2021 retirement and the subsequent closure of the company after 40 years in business. It’s now 2025, and MTH remains alive and well, continuing to produce products for the model railroad and toy train industry at a more modest pace in O, Standard, and […]
Q: I’m excited by all the new 3D-printed figures and details that have become available. Lately, however, I’ve received some figures that are still attached to the support structure. I work in HO scale, and I’m not sure how to safely remove all this material without damaging the details or figures. Do you have any […]
Menards recently sent Classic Toy Trains a box of sample products. At the bottom was a small package I almost overlooked because of its size. It was marked “O Scale Telephone Poles” (No. 275-9417). I was heading to the workshop to test another product, so I added the telephone pole box to my pile. Before […]
I never thought I’d get serious about Large scale (G gauge) model railroading, but here I am. This past summer, I successfully bid on a 1:22.5-scaled C-16 2-8-0 in Colorado & Southern livery at an online auction. This model, from the 1989 product line of the former Delton Locomotive Works (before its tooling went to […]
Manufacturers come and go in model railroading. The large scale market, primarily G gauge, is no exception, with a wide range of scales to choose from, and whether you’re taking the hobby indoors or outside. Let’s explore who is producing for customers today, from those with vast offerings to those specializing in specific products. If […]
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 […]
