Rerouting track | Back on Track, Episode 23

In this episode, Host Gerry Leone acknowledges two areas on his layout where he needs to rethink the track arrangements. He discusses possible solutions and then shows how he rerouted the track on the lower and upper decks to fit his vision. Getting to know Gerry Leone Back on Track host Gerry Leone is just […]

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Make a Lake, Part 4 | Back on Track, Episode 21

Make a lake, part 4 – In this episode of the Back on Track mini-series, hosted by Gerry Leone on his HO scale Bona Vista model railroad, you’ll see how to apply the finishing touches and details on the water effects, painted backdrop, and adjacent shoreline scenery. All of this and more, as Gerry works […]

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Make a Lake, Part 3 | Back on Track, Episode 20

Make a lake, part 3 – It’s all water under the bridge for this episode of the Back on Track mini-series, hosted by Gerry Leone on his HO scale Bona Vista RR. With the lakebed colors applied, Gerry shows how to add water effects, as well as a few special details a keen-eyed visitor might […]

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Make a Lake, Part 2 | Back on Track, Episode 19

Man standing over a model train layout wearing an apron.

Make a Lake, Part 2! In the previous video of this mini-series, host Gerry Leone launched an effort to add a realistic water feature to his HO scale Bona Vista RR. Now, he’s following up the groundwork and bridge construction by shaping the landforms along the shores. He also turns his attention to forming the […]

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Make a Lake, Part 1 | Back on Track, Episode 18

By popular demand! Back on Track host Gerry Leone jumps ahead in time to begin an effort to shape a common layout space into a unique place! In this episode, you’ll see the start of the lake scene takes the curved mainline into consideration. First, Gerry works to build up a plate girder bridge to […]

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Gerry walks a fine line | Back on Track, Episode 15

Gerry walks a fine line…the recently completed main line of his HO scale Bona Vista layout, that is! Our host, with assistance from his wife, has driven the Golden Spike into the trackwork of his double-deck model railroad. That’s a great time to take a walking tour of the construction progress. Following the tour, Gerry […]

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Putting the layout to the test | Back on Track, Episode 16

Following his recent grand tour, Gerry puts his HO scale Bona Vista under greater scrutiny. In this episode, our host closely examines how his construction efforts align with his established Givens and Druthers. After failing to pass every part of his self-graded test, Gerry invites fellow layout builders David Popp and Seth Puffer to check […]

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Back on Track: How to hide backdrop seams, Episode 12

In this episode, host Gerry Leone gets back to the backdrop. Namely, he’s working to disguise those unpreventable seams that appear between sections of hardboard panels. Gerry shares his techniques for getting the job done in a satisfactory way, but without the painstaking efforts of a professional drywall installer! […]

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