Back in 2010, I was part of a group of contributors to Scenery by the Seasons by Kalmbach Publishing Co. The 98-page book featured stories on modeling seasons on your layout. Among the topics covered were spring backdrops; lily pads, cattails, and pond scum; easy autumn trees; and ice and snow. Though the title is […]
Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Athearn recently released an F89-F TOFC flatcar in its Genesis line. The flatcar is based on a prototype built in the 1960s by Bethlehem Steel Co. at its […]
An assortment of Electro-Motive Division and Alco locomotives waits between assignments at the diesel shop in Barstow, Calif. It appears that a few Santa Fe employees are interested in taking a closer look at the EMD SD45 demonstrator in the foreground. Bill Pearce of Wichita, Kan., photographed the scene on his N scale Cajon Pass […]
Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. offers a vast range of products and services with something for everyone in the hobby, regardless of whether you’re a beginner or seasoned veteran. Product and Brand Manager Dana Kawala recently stopped by Firecrown Media’s Brookfield, Wis., office to discuss more with Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson, as well as to […]
Price: Single car, $37.99; six-pack, $219.99 Manufacturer Otter Valley Railroad Inc. 37 Tillson St., Unit E Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada N4G 0B7 ovrtrains.com Road names: American Iron & Metal Co. (20000 and 21000 series), Midwest Railcar Corp., Triple M Metal, and XRMX. Also available painted black with data only. Six to 12 road numbers per paint […]
From tabletop, to shelf, to open grid, there are a lot of different methods you can use to build model railroad benchwork. For our HO scale East Troy Industrial Park project layout, we used a combination of two methods, cookie cutter and L-girder, to make solid, stable benchwork. While not exactly framing for a layout, […]
“Which type of subroadbed is right for me?” It’s a question that is especially asked by beginners. The subroadbed is the material that you place under your roadbed, track, and often scenery. It serves as the foundation for your model railroad, so choosing the correct material is very important. Before evaluating good subroadbed options, let’s […]
Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 What’s your scale? NEWS AND REVIEWS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news ASK MR, pg. 17 Selecting the right wire size STEP BY STEP, pg. 24 Quick and easy car card racks ON OPERATION, pg. 53 Checkbox […]
When we moved to our new office in Brookfield, Wis., one of my favorite aspects of this new space was the workshop area. Not only do we have plenty of space for modeling and layout building, but we have just enough space for the Winston-Salem Southbound layout to sit next to our workbenches. One day […]
Q: I need help identifying a specific Pennsylvania RR steam engine. The number on the cab was 1299. What class was this locomotive? I have a picture of me as a boy looking out the fireman’s window and want to model the engine in HO scale. — John Nagle A: Thanks for writing in and […]
The WalthersMainline HO EMD NW2, an end-cab diesel locomotive based on a Phase V prototype, switches cars on our Winston-Salem Southbound Tar Branch project layout in our latest product review video. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the switcher and Great Northern No. 158; points out the various detail parts […]
PECO Model Railways has announced a new competition to honor 200 years of British railways. RAIL200 is open to modelers based in the U.K., with two simultaneous competitions focusing on different disciplines of model railroading. A press release shared with Model Railroader states: “The RAIL200 Competition aims to celebrate two centuries of railway heritage by […]
