Troubleshooting vintage O gauge locomotives

Troubleshooting vintage O gauge locomotives

Troubleshooting vintage O gauge locomotives isn’t difficult. There are some common issues to look for when they won’t run, and most are fairly easy to fix. It happens to all of us sooner or later. You place your favorite vintage locomotive on the track, power up the transformer, and the darn thing just sits there, […]

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Canadian Canyons Series: Fraser River Water, Part 2

David Popp next to layout scenery

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The hardened resin water David added (Part 1) to our Canadian Canyons N scale layout is now ready for additional details. In this episode, David demonstrates how to use Woodland Scenics Surface Water – Water Waves product to model the swirling flow of […]

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Olympia 2, The Log Blog: Part 16 – Sawmill Saga

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page David dives into construction of a scratchbuilt sawmill for his Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout expansion. He shares insights gathered from researching the Phillips Bros. steam-powered mill built 1933 in Oak Run, California (https://youtu.be/zAvurSjBVW8). David then shows how he used this knowledge to […]

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PDF: Build the Arnold S. tugboat

Build the Arnold S. tugboat

Download the plan to build a 1:24-scale tugboat. Part 1 Part 2 Note: This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the break lines to create […]

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Canadian Canyons Series: Fraser River Water, Part 1

David Popp next to layout scenery

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Now that the surrounding Fraser River Canyon scenery is done, David can finally add realistic river water! In this episode of the Canadian Canyons Series, you’ll see just what it takes to prep the plywood layout surface, and then mix and apply the […]

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Modeling mines and quarries

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Photo 1 Mining means accessing Earth’s layers. Splitting slate exposes unusual fossil-faced stone. Taller flagstone hides structural elevated-roadbed posts. Shorter stone risers step up scenery to a higher mountain area. Slate cars wait to be winched up the 22% incline, held together by fines and concrete-bonding adhesive. The author’s Agriculture & Gravel Elevated also quarries […]

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Build a sugar industry caboose

caboose_plans

Thomas A. Yorke Thomas Yorke presents the third of three scratchbuilt projects in the August 2018 issue. Download these full-size drawings of his caboose and follow his instructions in the magazine. You will also need the basic flatcar drawings from the April 2018 issue for this project. Note: This drawing is broken into two pieces. […]

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Improve your garden’s success rate: Part 2

improve_success21

Photo 1 The author’s Hoot ’n’ Holler Railroad in the early stage of transplanting shrubs into amended and prepared soil. The upper-level track is mostly in place and being used, while the lower-level track has yet to be laid. Don Parker Photo 2 The middle of the tiny, white-edged lady’s mantle (Alchemilla faeroensis ‘Pumila’, Zones […]

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Lip fern

lip_fern

Nancy Norris Common name: Lip fern, Silver cloak fern Latin name: Cheilanthes argentea Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Cultural needs: Sun to part shade; well drained, slightly acidic, poor soil Plant size: 6″ high and wide The perfect dwarf fern for railway gardens elevated on rocks is the lip fern. Able to withstand […]

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Video 101: Sharper images

“Aria” wrote in, asking how to get sharply focused videos that reveal the road names on his rolling stock. His question appears here: http://cs.trains.com/grw/f/91/t/268387.aspx With some excellent comments by forum moderator Tom Trigg, and some research, we realized that sharper images of both prototype and model trains challenge our skills and our equipment. With professional […]

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Arduino control code for traverser

traverservideo

Click on the link  to download the computer code. Get the download here. Michael Hardwick described how he built a push-button traverser track using an Arduino microcontroller, 3-D printer parts, and other low-cost electronics in the August 2018 Model Railroader. Click on the link below to download the computer program that Michael uses to operate […]

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