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To a novice gardener, the topic of plant-hardiness zones can be as confusing as gauge and scale terminology is to the beginning model railroader. With gauge and scale, there are different standards used by various manufacturers. In gardening, growers and publishers utilize different hardiness-zone ratings. The main confusion comes from the fact that there are […]
Garden railroad electrical/electricity questions and answers Is it safe to power your trains outdoors? Will I get electrocuted? It’s completely safe to run track power outdoors! Our trains, like those in the smaller scales, run on low-voltage DC, usually 18-24V. Thus, it is perfectly safe to run your trains outdoors, even in the rain or […]
What grade can an engine climb? Different engines will climb different grades. If you are trying to stay within full-size railroad practice, your grades should be no more than about 3 percent for mainline traffic (3″ of rise in 100″ of travel) or 5 percent to 6 percent for logging, mining, or industrial lines. I […]
What grade can an engine climb? Different engines will climb different grades. If you are trying to stay within full-size railroad practice, your grades should be no more than about 3 percent for mainline traffic (3″ of rise in 100″ of travel) or 5 percent to 6 percent for logging, mining, or industrial lines. I […]
Follow along as the southbound local on Rock Island’s Mid-Continent Route operates from Inver Grove Yard in Minnesota to Armourdale Yard in Kansas City, Kan., and meets a few trains along the way. Video by Michael Armstrong. […]
Click on the image or link to download a PDF of this drawing of the Union Pacific Big Boy In 1941 the Union Pacific RR took delivery of its first 4-8-8-4 single-expansion articulated steam locomotives. Aptly named “Big Boy,” these 7,000 hp, 386-ton locomotives were the heaviest and among the most powerful simple articulateds ever […]
Climb aboard B&O no. 4580 and enjoy a cab ride along the B&O Ridgley Division. Your journey starts at Clarksville yard and terminates past the tiny town of Franklin. You will pass through Macauley, Heckton, the S curve around Leyden lake, and ride the high line. Video by Dale Ridgeway. […]
Alejandro’s “Random Semi-arid Railroad” (RSAX) is a small shelf layout set somewhere between 1970 and 1990. The layout is intended to be lightweight and portable, so that it can be hung upon storage. […]
The Mad City Model Railroad Show will be held in Madison, Wis., on February 16-17, 2019. Sponsored by the South Central Wisconsin Division – NMRA. […]
Here’s a quick clip of a Union Pacific mixed freight train crossing the Powder River in Natrona County, Wyo. Video submitted by Brian Olson. […]
Watch switching operations and see updates on the O scale Rayantown layout. Video by Paul Dell Ava. […]
Coffee stirrers can be a realistic load for flatcars. Stan Trzoniec Photo 1 Stan Trzoniec Stan Trzoniec Photo 2 Stan Trzoniec Photo 3 Stan Trzoniec Photo 4 Stan Trzoniec Photo 5 Stan Trzoniec Photo 6 Stan Trzoniec Scratchbuilding is fun! Do you remember making fences and small buildings out of ice cream sticks when you […]
