Gerry is back to reworking the river scene on his HO scale Bona Vista HO scale double-deck model railroad. As he heads for the homestretch, our host shares tips and tricks for making the new river bed easy to install (and remove); modifying bridge abutments; building the bridge itself; and then finally forming the river […]
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Welcome – Go ride a train Head End – A potpourri of railroad history, then and now Fast Mail – Letters from readers on our Spring 2024 issue Mileposts – Commentary by Kevin P. Keefe True Color – Union Pacific mixed in Nebraska Sequence – Santa Fe’s Grand Canyon on Raton Pass Short Rails – […]
In every issue News, p. 6 Michigan Central Station celebrates revival; NTSB sets final report on East Palestine derailment Bill Stephens, p. 10 Named passenger trains connect past and present Preservation, p. 44 Flooding on the Big Sioux River has inundated the Sioux City, Iowa, Railroad Museum Brian Solomon, p. 46 Traveling the Main Line […]
Rebuilding the S-Line | As detailed in the November 2024 issue of Trains magazine, the neighboring states of North Carolina and Virginia are up to something big! They are cooperating, collaborating, and even co-funding to create a 110-mph interstate passenger-train speedway dubbed, the “S-Line”. Watch this video to see some of the existing Amtrak trains […]
Ken Smith’s South Durham Ry. is an HO scale shelf layout that fills a 9′-6″ x 11′-0″ spare room. The freelanced model railroad depicts a North Carolina bridge line connecting the Southern Ry. (SOU), Seaboard Coast Line (SCL), and Durham Southern in the 1970s. Second-generation diesel power moves grain, plastic pellets, perishable fruit, and other […]
David recently installed new DCC decoders into his HO scale (1:87.1) Alco RS1 diesel locomotives. Now it’s time make what’s shiny and new appear more weathered, worn, and authentically detailed for the modeled era of operation. Follow along as David gets you started through the steps required to install realistic, fine details, before he begins […]
Acquire helpful tips for using an airbrush to apply shading and highlighting effects that mimic authentic wear and weathering patterns on freight cars. In this instance, David demonstrates the step-by-step process using HO scale (1:87.1) open hoppers. […]
Operating Behind the Scenes | La Mesa Model Railroad Club’s Tehachapi Subdivision | Join Model Railroader Editor Eric White for a rare, insider look at a world-class operating session over the gigantic HO (1:87) scale public display highlighting Southern California’s famed Tehachapi Loop. Peer into the invite-only November 2023 session that required more than 30 […]
In this episode, professional help is on the way! Jay Smith, former illustrator (ret.) for Kalmbach Media, heads for the basement to help make realistic mountains materialize on the backdrop of the On30 display layout. Guided by David’s practice painting, pretty pictures, and temporary placement of key structures, Jay shares his specific techniques for turning […]
Ride with Trains.com, as staff members Lucas Iverson and Ben Lake, as they enjoy grand scale railroading (often associated with miniature, ride-on trains) at The Milwaukee County Zoo’s North Shore Bank Safari Train! Enjoy up-close views of their visit in July 2024, and then read more details about the 15-inch gauge railroad’s past, present and […]
