There’s a new place in the making on Gerry Leone’s Bona Vista HO scale layout! Watch as he plans and plots out the details of a small community he calls “Westcott”. Take a tour down our host’s imagined Main Street, as he evaluates which structures and subtle details are best suited for the space. Plus, […]
Modeling Topic: Scenery
O and S gauge building flats round-up
Classic Toy Trains’ O and S gauge building flats round-up showcases manufacturers producing low-profile structures. These building flats mimic a full-size building but are generally only an inch or two deep. They may fit against a backdrop, or, if large enough, may actually be the backdrop. Modelers can use these at the edge of a […]
Spaces to Places III | Making a highway, part 4
Work on the highway underpass settings concludes. Watch as host Gerry Leone shares techniques for blending his realistic photo backdrop into the scenery. Starting from the back and working to the front, Gerry builds out the countryside setting with a variety of ground cover, strategically placed trees, and signature roadside details that turn this model […]
Spaces to Places III | Making a highway, part 4
Work on the highway underpass settings concludes. Watch as host Gerry Leone shares techniques for blending his realistic photo backdrop into the scenery. Starting from the back and working to the front, Gerry builds out the countryside setting with a variety of ground cover, strategically placed trees, and signature roadside details that turn this model […]
Woodland Scenics O scale traffic lights hit the streets
Chris from Chris’s Trains and Things on YouTube is back and checking out some new products from Woodland Scenics. He has the company’s much-anticipated traffic light system that looks great on any road. There are three different options, including suspended, pedestal, and mast-arm mounted versions. They are part of the Just Plug system that makes […]
How to add temporary winter scenery to your layout
Whether it’s a permanent layout or a temporary display, there are a variety of ways to add a touch of winter to any layout — without making a mess. Jim Forbes When you envision winter on a toy train layout, you most likely think of a display covered in a thick blanket of artificial snow. […]
Model railroad snow products
Winter is my favorite season, especially for watching trains. The snow gives everything in the background and foreground a pure, white canvas. Snow in the air gives photographs depth. Iced-over bodies of water give an awesome effect. It seems like snow scenes are quite rare when it comes to HO and N scale layouts, and […]
Rehab My Railroad | Rehab Effort Recap, Episode 16
Work on the HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T) Jones Island project has come to a close, so it’s prime time for David Popp and Eric White to survey the 14 x 3-foot finished layout section! Follow along as the two hosts, along with Cody Grivno and Ben Lake, point out specific scenes and […]
Rehab My Railroad | Rehab Effort Recap, Episode 16
Work on the HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T) Jones Island project has come to a close, so it’s prime time for David Popp and Eric White to survey the 14 x 3-foot finished layout section! Follow along as the two hosts, along with Cody Grivno and Ben Lake, point out specific scenes and […]
How do I add terrain to open grid benchwork?
Q: I have built three HO scale railroads and am in the planning stages of my fourth, which will be my last. I want to do this one right. I have seen many articles about how to construct open grid benchwork, but none provide instructions about how to install structures, roads, fields, etc. into the […]
Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 5 | Updates and wiring
This time around, our intrepid host lets anxious viewers see all the progress he’s made to prepare the O scale (1:48) Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout for the next big step! From backdrop to tabletop to trackwork to scenery, David shares the extent of his off-camera efforts — all to get things into place for […]
Spaces to Places III | Making a highway, part 3
After touching up the highway texture and color, Gerry Leone takes the construction off road! In this episode, he works to install abutments and wing walls along the underpass, before building out the adjacent scenery base. Off course, Gerry makes the best laid plans, and then promptly calls an audible. Follow along to see how […]
