Learn the basics of the hobby of model railroading Illustration by Theo Cobb If you’re new to model railroading, a hobby shop is probably where you’d get your first crash course in hobby terminology. However, spending an afternoon staring at trains in display cases trying to get answers to basic questions can be frustrating. Having […]
Model railroading scales are described by letters such as N, HO, S, and O. This alphabet soup may seem confusing at first, but the letters are simply shorthand to describe the ratio of the model’s size to its prototype, which is what model railroaders call the real thing a model is based on. The chart […]
Led by a new MP36PH-3C, a MARC commuter trains curves past the historic depot at Point of Rocks, Md., on its afternoon run from Washington, D.C., to Brunswick, Md., June 10, 2010. Photo by Alex Mayes […]
Three Union Pacific diesels muscle a southbound intermodal train under classic Southern Pacific searchlight signals near Mojave, Calif., on Sept. 3, 2010. In the background are the Tehachapi Mountains, site of one of the world’s most impressive railroad crossings of a mountain range. Photo by William Steck […]
Bill Hildebrand used scale drawings and inexpensive hardboard material to construct an O gauge model of the famous Hoboken Terminal. Ornate architecture, magnificent concourses, and a seemingly endless parade of people and trains are just a few of the characteristics that make large passenger train terminals just as captivating on toy train layouts as they […]
Richard Van de Kieft formed an impressive O gauge passenger terminal out of two MTH structures. Photos by Michael Raynor 2. A motor tool with a cutting disk quickly removes a tapered support along the interior ledge. 3. Use a razor saw to cut the ledge and separate the walls. 1. Use a Phillips-head screwdriver […]
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The sight of a toy train locomotive puffing across a layout, its rhythmic white exhaust reaching out to the sky, is as captivating today as it was when the first smoking O gauge locomotive debuted more than 50 years ago. But what you see isn’t smoke. There is no combustion occurring. Without combustion, you can’t […]
Depot and diesel wear different heralds, but nothing is out of the ordinary as a Chicago Great Western freight ambles past the Rock Island station in Waterloo, Iowa, in June 1961. Richard J. Anderson A family visit took me to Waterloo, Iowa, on a June day in 1961, but it was good ol’ railfan instinct […]
F3s, Hudsons, and Girls’ trains – those are the postwar jackpots that everybody knows about. Here, though, are six underexposed Lionel items that are quickly moving up the charts. Models courtesy Joe Algozzini What’s hot today among postwar Lionel trains and accessories? I attend several train shows each year, check out eBay listings almost every […]
Two Wisconsin & Southern MP15s switch the MillerCoors brewery on July 1, 2010. The lead unit’s heritage is unmistakable, thanks to the Milwaukee Road lettering and “bandit” colors. Railroads and brewing propelled Milwaukee’s industrial might in the 20th century. Matt Van Hattem photo […]
A GIFT FROM THE HEART IS SOMETHING TO TREASURE. If the gift happens to be a train, that’s all the better. Such is the case with the Christmas train I created for my club layout to operate throughout the holiday season. While a variety of special holiday sets are readily available from toy train manufacturers, […]
