Final details for Star Industries – Host Steve Brown concludes construction of his N scale rail-served industry, by adding scenery and details to the structure and right-of-way, including a proper perimeter fence. Of course, it’s all prepared using Steve’s simple, but effective “regular guy” techniques! It’s My Railroad host Steve Brown states he’s a “regular-guy” […]
Make a lake, part 4 – In this episode of the Back on Track mini-series, hosted by Gerry Leone on his HO scale Bona Vista model railroad, you’ll see how to apply the finishing touches and details on the water effects, painted backdrop, and adjacent shoreline scenery. All of this and more, as Gerry works […]
Modeling Background Trees – Can’t see the leaves for the trees? As noted modeler Kathy Millatt explains, that’s perfectly fine to when you’re modeling background trees on your layout. In this episode of Kathy’s Let’s Make a Scene video series on Trains.com, you can follow along as she shares her technique for shaping a distant […]
The Mineral Range railroad of Michigan is a family-owned and -operated railroad in the state’s Upper Peninsula. It’s actually the second railroad of the same name. The “original” began as a north-south, 14-mile narrow gauge mineral hauler, connecting the Osceola Mining Co.’s Osceola copper ore mine near Calumet, Mich., and the company’s stamp mill at […]
Make a lake, part 3 – It’s all water under the bridge for this episode of the Back on Track mini-series, hosted by Gerry Leone on his HO scale Bona Vista RR. With the lakebed colors applied, Gerry shows how to add water effects, as well as a few special details a keen-eyed visitor might […]
Apply decals and finishing an N scale locomotive. Senior Editor Cody Grivno shares the final steps to decorating an Atlas EMD GP38-2 diesel locomotive model into Milwaukee, Racine & Troy model railroad colors. To close out the effort, his process starts by applying waterslide decals, adding weathering effects, and then re-assembling the unit for layout […]
Shaping the Diorama – Kathy Millatt’s Let’s Make a Scene video series first appeared on Model Railroader Video Plus, and now continues on Trains.com. In this episode, you can follow along as she forges ahead with the basic framework, ground contours, and rocks of her spring and fall season scenery diorama. Even better, Kathy has […]
Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1! No force of nature or pandemic fears could keep Trains.com Producer Kent Johnson from pressing ahead with his Amtrak victory lap across America in the summer of 2021. There’s no better way to reveal the highlights and highjinks of present-day rail travel, than to document the ride along routes of notable […]
Make a Lake, Part 2! In the previous video of this mini-series, host Gerry Leone launched an effort to add a realistic water feature to his HO scale Bona Vista RR. Now, he’s following up the groundwork and bridge construction by shaping the landforms along the shores. He also turns his attention to forming the […]
Elevate buildings to track height! Work continues on the Star Industries project, a mid-sized industry modeled on Steve Brown’s N scale layout. In this episode, Steve shares how he raises his rail-served buildings to the appropriate track height, simply by adding a foundation. You’ll also see his techniques for making paved roads featuring proper curbing […]
In the fall of 2021, Trains.com staff rode Amtrak train no. 5, California Zephyr from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Denver, Colorado, with the expressed intent of capturing seasonal operations of Rocky Mountaineer’s Colorado-Utah excursion. While best known for day treks into the Canadian Rockies, this new Rocky Mountaineer route offers patrons a similar mountain canyon experience […]
Menard’s Metropolis Theater and Aerial Bridge highlight the 80th Bob’s Train Box. Bob Keller and CTT editor Hal Miller have an up-close look at the new and colorful movie house and the sturdy industrial-looking bridge from the home improvement chain. Plus, Bob reminisces on the history of the LocoMatic control box, a digital accessory for […]
