Choosing roadbed | While adding track to your subroadbed layout base is an possible, you’ll want to consider installing an additional, more realistic layer of material specifically designed to support and secure your trackwork. Follow along as David shares various roadbed options that can be used across layouts of all sizes and scales! Be sure […]
News & Products for the week of April 14th 2025 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of April 14th, […]
In this episode of the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) project layout series, David and Bryson work to install trim panels at the front of the model railroad. These removable fascia panels are both decorative and protective hardboard components that help give the layout a finished look. The guys show you how to […]
Excessive track noise was one of the main reasons I decided to rebuild my HO scale Daneville & Donner River layout. I hadn’t paid much attention to the noise level until I started using locomotives with sound decoders. That’s when I recognized how the wheel noise from rolling freight cars nearly overpowered the sound of […]
When Kalmbach Publishing Co. moved from Milwaukee to the western suburb of Waukesha in 1989, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy had a blank slate. The ink-stained concrete floor; large, drafty windows; and sun-faded scenery were in the past. “Our new layout room is a beautiful place, an open, rectangular space with a tile floor, drop […]
The C30-7 is the latest addition to the lineup of General Electric diesel locomotives from Rapido Trains. The HO scale model, offered in eight paint schemes, has a five-pole motor with dual flywheels; a heavy, die-cast metal weight; and prototype-specific details. Prototype history General Electric produced the C30-7 from September 1976 to May 1985. During […]
Q: I have a pair of Northern Pacific HO scale Proto 1000 Alco RS11 locomotives that were stored new many years ago. I got them out the other day, and as I expected, the bearings on both sides of the worm gears were frozen. I oiled them and got them spinning again, then lubed everything. […]
News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of April 7th, […]
Reach, in model railroading terminology, is how far you can comfortably stick your arm into a scene without damaging the layout. Planning for reach is essential when designing a layout, as eventually you will need to dust, fix, change, or maintain one or more scenic features once it is built. The maximum depth the average […]
Facts and features Name: Missouri-Kansas-Texas RR St. Louis SubdivisionScale: N (1:160)Size: 15 x 25 feet with 19 foot extensionPrototype: Missouri-Kansas-Texas RRLocale: central MissouriEra: 1984Style: walk-inMainline run: 135 feetMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 3% on Columbia BranchBenchwork: L-girder with 1 x 4 box modules on perimeterHeight: 53″ to 60″Roadbed: AMI Instant Roadbed on main […]
With joists on the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) model railroad installed, David and Bryson set out to establish elevated and lowered sections, along with the grades required to reach those new heights and depths. Follow the duo as they measure, test, and recheck how the sections fit and function, before installing the […]
Facts and features Name: Danforth, Hadley & NorthernScale: N (1:160)Size: 38 x 52 feetPrototype: freelanced, based on Northern PacificLocale: central MontanaEra: 1955Style: walkaroundMainline run: 400 feetMinimum radius: 24″ (main), 20″ (branch)Minimum turnout: No. 5 (main), No. 4 (industrial spurs)Maximum grade: 1.5% (main), 2.25% (branch), and 3% (logging)Benchwork: L-girder, with Homasote and spline roadbedHeight: 52″ to […]
