Learning how to install roadbed at a turnout, a place where tracks meet or diverge, is a valuable skill for all model railroaders to have. Installing strips of cork or foam roadbed for straight or curved tracks is a straightforward process. Mark the center line, split the roadbed sections into flexible strips, and glue them […]
Rapido HO MOW flat and camp cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single camp car, $69.95; three-pack (diner, kitchen, and office vans), $199.95; and six-pack (sleeper vans), $399.95. Separate sale camp trailers (dining, kitchen, office, and sleeper), $24.95 each. Conrail F30A MOW flatcar with deck rails: Single car, $54.95; six-pack, $329.70. Era: 1980s to present Manufacturer: […]
Track selection is among the first decisions you’ll have to make when you get started in model railroading, second only to scale. In HO (1:87.1), the two most commonly used track sizes are code 100 and code 83. “Code” refers to the height of the rail, measured in thousandths of an inch. For a lot […]
This reboot of The Roundhouse, an on-camera interview series established in 2013, welcomes host Brian Schmidt, Editor of Classic Trains Magazine, and guest Rob McGonigal, former (retired) Editor of Classic Trains Magazine, back to the roundtable. Just as the Summer 2025 issue of the now 25-year-old periodical is set for publication, Brian and Rob sit […]
Facts and features Name: Buffalo & PittsburghScale: N (1:160)Size: 27 x 31 feet plus 14 x 14 feetPrototype: Buffalo & PittsburghLocale: western New York and PennsylvaniaEra: 1988Style: multi-deck walk-inMainline run: 187 feetMinimum radius: 16″Minimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: 2.5%Benchwork: open grid and modularHeight: 44″ to 62″Roadbed: cork over plywood and extruded-foam insulation boardTrack: Atlas code […]
Facts and features Name: NorthbrookScale: O gaugeSize: 29 x 36 feetPrototype: freelanceLocale: Northeast and Midwest U.S.Era: 1956Style: donutMainline run: 155 feetMinimum radius: 45″Minimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: open gridHeight: 42″Roadbed: corkTrack: Atlas O three-railScenery: painted extruded-foam insulation boardBackdrop: painted 1∕8” tempered hardboardControl: Lionel TMCC and Legacy; Sound Traxx Blunami Click the link to download […]
The cows are in the pasture, the sun is shining, and there’s not a cloud in the sky – it’s a gorgeous morning in rural New England. The crew aboard this Boston & Maine train is taking in all of nature’s glory from the cab of F7A no. 4265, seen here pulling a milk train […]
Q: Since Model Railroader has moved to a new location, have you given any thought to a video or magazine series on building a workbench? I’ve got to build a new one to fit my new train room and am looking for ideas. — Jim Burns A: Thanks for writing in, Jim. Our workshop space […]
Spectacular wooden trestles are numerous on the Monida & Yellowstone. George Hall caught an M&Y two-truck Shay bringing a short train over the trestle near South Fork on Claude and Cindy Leglise’s 1:22.5-proportion garden railroad. The freelanced railroad was featured in the June 2004 issue of Model Railroader. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features […]
Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $26.95; three-pack, $80.85 Era: 1930s to 1970s Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper features: Blackened metal wheels on plastic axles Body-mounted Accumate couplers Factory-applied brake wheel, chassis, and slope sheet covers Freestanding […]
News & Products for the week of May 5th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 5th, […]
A hobby industry campaign calls for targeted tariff relief to “protect American small businesses, STEM education, and community-based creative industries.” The Hobby Industry Coalition represents a wide spectrum of the American hobby and toy industry, including model railroading, among others. Per the Hobby Industry Coalition, the industry supports over 600,000 U.S. jobs and includes thousands […]
