Model railroad cellphone photography tips

A model passenger train on a model railroad layout

While reminiscing and revisiting my archive of photos of our dearly departed Milwaukee, Racine & Troy HO scale layout, I found myself admiring my own work. No, not my contributions to the MR&T, of which there were none, but rather my own photos, all of which were captured with my smartphone camera. For better or […]

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Buying new O-scale trains without putting a dent in your wallet

Model trains next to a wallet full of dollar bills.

I’ll admit in preaching to the choir that O-gauge model railroading can be an expensive endeavor. Newer, higher-end scaled products that can be either preorders or recent releases can cost many hundreds to thousands of dollars. My time at the Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club (MLRRC) in New Berlin, Wis., has garnered friendships with fellow members […]

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Repairing an LGB Stainz locomotive

A toy train in an outdoor setting

LGB’s Stainz locomotive is an icon in the large scale hobby. Not only is it instantly recognizable, it also tugs at the strings in our modeling hearts. For many garden railway fans (myself included), the Stainz was most likely their first locomotive. When I found a milk crate full of used large scale items, including […]

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Make your layout tell a story

a steam engine pulls a short train around a curve past two workers conversing

If you want to fascinate visitors and draw their eyes into your layout, make your layout tell a story. Many modelers put a lot of effort into making their locomotives, track arrangements, and operating schemes as realistic as possible. But not all of us put the same amount of thought into the little plastic people […]

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Learn the basics of 3-D printing

A model railroad structure with a blue sky background and trains protruding from the structure on the base level

When I first started at Model Railroader in February 2014, I edited a story by Alex Marchand about how he created N scale hoppers using 3-D printing. That story was where I began to learn the basics of 3-D printing. But things have come a long way in the decade since. What was once a […]

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Views from a Colorado narrow gauge garden railroad

model steam engine next to yellow structure on garden railway

I model Colorado narrow gauge, specifically the Denver & Rio Grande Western and Rio Grande Southern. I own two separate garden railroads (not connected and about 8 feet apart). Trains run around approximately 250 feet of mainline tracks with a couple of short lines for logging and running the Galloping Goose. I can run five […]

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Paul Dolkos photo tribute

A red covered bridge on a model railroad layout with a man on one end and a moose on the other with a train passing under the bridge

Longtime Model Railroader author and photographer Paul Dolkos passed away on August 9, 2024. You can read his obituary here. In this photo gallery, we’ll take a look back at Paul’s home layouts, as well as his photography work published throughout his 50-year association with the magazine. The staff at Model Railroader extends its sympathy […]

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How to fine-tune wobbly rolling stock

HO scale boxcar being tipped from side to side

Sometimes, rolling stock needs a little fine tuning before it can be considered ready to run on a layout. One common quirk? Wobbling. Before you jump in and start making fixes, be sure to do some testing. Here’s how: With the model sitting on the track, lightly tip the body from side to side. If […]

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Restoration and painting tips

two gray locomotive shells

You might recognize my name as a restorer of Lionel trains, this having been my livelihood for more than 50 years. Some people may question my sanity in giving up “secret” painting tips that I have used for decades; I don’t mind at all. If I can make the hobby more enjoyable to my fellow […]

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Replacing roadbed on my garden railway

yellow vehicle on track

In my January 3, 2022, Garden Railways article, I detailed how I used landscaping timbers as the roadbed for my garden railway. The railway was built in the summer of 2013. Now, 11 years later, after successfully operating trains without any track or roadbed problems, I’m ready to do a much-needed maintenance service of this […]

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Celebrating “Flyer Fest”

vintage photo of train on track

Editor’s note: This manuscript was purchased in December 1990 for Model Railroader magazine. Over the years, it made its way around the office and finally landed in my hands last fall. Dave Ingles was a friend of mine, and with his passing and my becoming editor of CTT, it seemed fitting to finally share his […]

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The HO scale Southern Pacific Tehachapi Subdivision layout

A model railroad track plan

Facts and features Name: Southern Pacific Tehachapi SubdivisionScale: HOSize: 72 x 128 feetPrototype: Southern Pacific Tehachapi SubdivisionLocale: Bakersfield to Mojave, CaliforniaEra: 1950s-1960sStyle: Multi-level walkaroundMainline run: Bakersfield to Mojave: 1,500 feet; between staging yards, Goshen Jct. to Lancaster: 1,800 feetMinimum radius: main tracks, sidings and yards: 48″; branch lines and industry tracks: 36″Minimum turnout: main tracks, […]

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