Sometimes, an idea for a layout strikes like a bolt of lightning. You can see everything, from the benchwork to the yard design to the topography. All you have to do is build. Occasions like that, though, are infrequent. More often than not, modelers require inspiration at one point or another in the process of […]
Though the hobby has evolved throughout the decades, one theme has remained constant: Model railroaders are a resourceful bunch. There are many in the hobby community who have a knack for looking items not for what they are, but for what they might become. In this article, we’ll take a look at 10 household items […]
News & Products for the week of June 17th 2024 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 June 17th 2024. […]
Facts and features Name: Southern Pacific Keeler BranchScale: On30 (1:48 proportion, 30″ narrow gauge, also called On21⁄2)Size: 6 x 17 feetPrototype: SP narrow gaugeLocale: Owens Valley, CaliforniaEra: 1950sStyle: sectionalMainline run: 36 feetMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: open grid Height: 50″Roadbed: 1 x 4 clear pineTrack: Micro Engineering code 83Scenery: sifted, demagnetized […]
News & Products for the week of June 10th 2024 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 June 10th 2024. […]
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “Model railroading is dying.” An adage seemingly as old as the hobby itself, right? That alone belies the truth of the statement. If it held any veracity, model railroading would be long dead, and I wouldn’t be writing this article, and you wouldn’t be reading it. It’s […]
Watch Gerry working hard to finish this entire set of projects in this segment, including the yard lead and highway! His final push begins by adding detailed markings to the sandpaper roadway surface. Then, Gerry jumps to the task of installing the overpass, complete with surrounding scenery. All that adds up to a space that’s […]
News & Products for the week of June 3rd 2024 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 June 3rd 2024. […]
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My big present for Christmas 1958 was a Lionel train set pulled by a Santa Fe F3a. It spent most of the time under my bed in an old suitcase. My brother and I would set it up and run trains in circles until we got bored […]
The Athearn HO scale GE P40DC diesel locomotive is back, this time with new tooling and operating strobe lights. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of Amtrak No. 813, points out the numerous details on the Genesis-series model, and demonstrates the sound and light functions. Then sit back and watch […]
The Athearn HO scale GE P40DC diesel locomotive is back, this time with new tooling and operating strobe lights. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of Amtrak No. 813, points out the numerous details on the Genesis-series model, and demonstrates the sound and light functions. Then sit back and watch […]
While sifting through my “someday” project box, I found an old Atlas elevated gate tower. I’ve had this little plastic structure since my earliest days in the hobby, but it’s been a number of years since I’ve used it on a layout. Despite its rough shape, I pulled it out of the box thinking it […]
