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Should you include graffiti on your layout? When we set out to build our model worlds, one of the questions we end up answering is how realistic we want to be. This answer is defined by what we decide to include, and what we chose to ignore. Most of these choices will create little controversy, […]
Cody helps a reader locate a track plan. Find Model Railroad Planning 2012 and How to Build Small Model Railroads on the Kalmbach Hobby Store. This track plan can also be found in Model Railroader’s track plan database. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size […]
Working with wire cutters – Trains.com director David Popp demonstrates the application of wire cutters, crimpers and strippers in model railroading. A pair of wire cutters are an invaluable tool in wiring your model railroad, and David demonstrates the different usages for each tool as they relate to model railroading. You can read more about […]
Pacific Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar from Athearn Genesis Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $49.99 Era: 1960s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Pacific Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar features: Separate wireform grab irons, etched metal coupler platforms, and/or etched metal roofwalk as appropriate Underframe detail including […]
Heat-shrink tubing is something you need to have in your wiring toolkit. This material makes neat, insulated soldered joints simple and fast. What is heat-shrink tubing? As the name implies, the material shrinks when it’s heated. It comes in multiple sizes, some of which are somewhat specialized and are most likely to be found in […]
One piece of rolling stock I can bet almost every model railroader owns is a caboose. These cars are a staple in both real life and the model form, to the point where many people who don’t know much about trains at all know what a caboose is. Along with the existence of the word […]
Rapido Electro-Motive Division E8 Amtrak No. 4316 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: With dual-mode ESU LokSound sound decoder, $399.95 Era: 1971 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Electro-Motive Division E8 Amtrak No. 4316 features: Plastic and etched-metal details Unique nose with missing MU door Correct back ends, […]
Bobber boxcar from Conowingo Models Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $30.00 Manufacturer: Conowingo Models; conowingomodels.com Conowingo Models Bobber boxcar features: LaBelle truck frame Board-on-board interior deck Can be modeled with open or closed doors Plastic wheels Laser-cut wood Conowingo Railroad decals included Kadee couplers and coupler boxes Release date: Available now News & Products is a regular feature […]
Athearn Genesis General American Transportation Corporation 2600 Airslide hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.99; two-pack, $104.99 Era: 1953+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com General American Transportation Corporation 2600 Airslide hopper features: Three different body styles Detailed underbody including outlet piping Gravity or gravity-pneumatic […]
Weathering N scale locomotives: Our Canadian Canyon N scale layout just wasn’t complete without locomotives and rolling stock to bring it to life. Running through rugged mountain terrain, the bright red Canadian Pacific road units quickly accumulate a layer of grime. Road dust on the trucks, fuel tank, side frames, and pilots; soot around the exhaust […]
Broadway Limited 70-ton four-bay hopper in N scale Scale: N (1:160) Price: Six-pack, $139.99 Era: 1930s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited 70-ton four-bay hopper features: Detailed bay interiors Removable coal loads Separately-applied details Compatible with code 55, 70, 83, & […]
Q: What are the gray SPMX covered hoppers for? I see them everywhere, but never moving. – Carol Schuler A: SPMX is a relatively new reporting mark – so new that it doesn’t show up yet on many of the websites I use for reference. But that reporting mark belongs to Shell Polymers. That’s a […]
