Harold W. Russell’s illustrations have been appearing in Model Railroader magazine since the mid-1960s. He has more than 150 bylines to his credit. In the July 2024 issue he shared plans for a masonry depot on the Lehigh Valley in Gorham, N.Y. Click on the link below to download Harold’s plans. Use this link to […]
Section: Building Model Trains
Car Swap Project part 7: Gerry’s creative touch
Car Swap Project part 7: Gerry’s creative touch: In this episode of our Car Swap series, Gerry explains how he completed the HO and O scale Bona Vista cars for Seth and David’s layouts. Starting with prep work and a few of decaling tips, Gerry then dives into extensive detail about weathering the two boxcars. […]
Car Swap Project part 6: Seth’s techniques
Car Swap Project part 6: Seth’s techniques: With the decals finally printed and distributed, it’s time to start the actual work of completing the cars. Seth, Gerry, and David each have their own techniques for doing this kind of work, so parts 6-8 will cover each modeler’s efforts in detail. Seth kicks things off with […]
Car Swap Project part 5: Printing decals with an ALPS printer
Car Swap Project part 5: Printing decals with an ALPS printer: As the three friends endeavor to make custom boxcars for each other’s layouts, Gerry Leone, Seth Puffer, and David Popp embark on printing custom decals. There are several easy ways to print your own decals, just as long as you don’t want white lettering. […]
Plans for a C&NW yard office
In the July 2020 Model Railroader, Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno shows how he scratchbuilt an HO scale model based on the Chicago & North Western yard office in Butler, Wis. See a PDF version of this by clicking here. […]
Modeling an N scale Great Northern layout in less than 13 square feet
Although I’m really an HO scale modeler at heart, I’ve always been intrigued with N scale trains and have more than once thought how neat it would be to “have a few.” Being without any other outlet for modeling, those very thoughts soon translated into construction of the Havaphew Central, my first N scale layout. […]
East Broad Top narrow gauge equipment drawings
Some of the most interesting narrow-gauge equipment to come off production lines is that made for the East Broad Top Railroad & Coal Co., especially the locomotive and cars pictured on these pages. Mikado No. 16 (Baldwin 1916) was one of the heaviest engines owned by the EBT, tipping the scales at 160,500 pounds. Nos. […]
Plans for a wooden railroad water tank
In the January 2020 issue, Donald M. Deuell described how he modified plans from a 1950s Model Railraoder article so he could add an operating spout to an HO scale wood water tower. See a PDF version of this by clicking here. […]
Plans for a rural rail-served dairy
Frequent Model Railroader contributor Brooks Stover built this small rail-served dairy for his S scale Buffalo Creek & Gauley model railroad. It’s based on a compact trackside industry found on the prototype. Learn more about the project in the December 2019 Model Railroader. You can also download a PDF of drawings of the structure, including […]
Tracklaying: adhesives, nails, or spikes?
Track and roadbed can be fastened to foam insulation board with construction adhesives made for use with the foamboard. Apply a ¼” bead along the center line, use a putty knife to spread it in a thin layer, and press the roadbed down into place. Add weights to hold it while the adhesive sets. Then […]
Model Railroader project plans: A freelanced factory
Many of us have hobbies within this hobby. Some like history, some collect freight cars or locomotives. Me? I read old issues of Model Railroader. In the past 15 years I’ve gone through my entire 50-year collection four times. Because my tastes and interests evolve over time, I inevitably find something new with each re-reading. […]
How to solder and conceal track feeder wires
Soldering track feeders isn’t that difficult. Learn this easy method for making reliable wiring connection that are also easy to conceal on a model train layout. Soldering feeders to the rails is a wiring method modelers have used since the hobby began. By soldering feeders directly to the rails instead of using other types of […]