Q: In Model Railroader product reviews, locomotive speed is often measured and compared with the prototype. I was wondering how this is done so I can run my trains at prototypical speeds. — George Smitton A: When we test locomotives at the workbench, we use the Model Railroad Technologies Accutrak II train speedometer for measuring […]
According to Model Railroader Editor Eric White, former Editor Linn H. Westcott’s L-girder benchwork has been a hallmark technique in the hobby that’s been passed down to today’s modelers. It checks off many boxes, especially being a straightforward process in its assembly. How straightforward is it? Let’s find out as we learn how to build […]
Q: The historic cars for the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy featured in the January 2025 episode of Ask Trains were very interesting (I grew up in Spokane, Portland & Seattle territory and am modeling some of that). What sort of steam and early diesel power would have been used to go with the cars of […]
Today, model railroaders are blessed with a wide variety of commercial track in most popular scales. It wasn’t all that long ago that off-the-shelf track was largely one-size-fits all, with oversized rail, bulky ties, and little detail. Now, mass-produced track is available in different rail heights (called codes) with simulated wood or concrete ties, prototypical […]
By the time they’ve built the benchwork and installed and wired that track, the typical new layout builder starts asking a very important question: “What comes next?” The answer, of course, is scenery. Trains, track, or a command control system can be used more or less straight from the box. Even benchwork, which starts its […]
Marx offered a Missile Launcher & Carrier car that was a neat item. Unfortunately, it was only available in 1957, 1961 and 1962, making it both rare and hard to find. If you want a similar-looking car, I have a less-expensive solution that’s an easy weekend project. A couple years ago, a friend brought over […]
A few months ago I wrote about a boxcar storage shed in Crookston, Minn., my hometown. During that same visit my friend, then an employee of Minnesota Northern RR (since retired) gave me a tour of the rest of the yard. Sure, I spent time photographing the usual things — locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and […]
Our On30 Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad is a bit smaller than its prototype counterpart, running only from Kingfield to Strong, quite a few miles less than the 120 + miles covered by its full-scale counterpart. With this in mind, after seeing some Bachmann On30 18-foot boxcars on the internet, I decided that having […]
When building a model railroad, one feature you should consider is adjustable levelers at the foot of your benchwork’s legs. As the name suggests, these help level your layout when it’s standing on an uneven floor. Here’s how to install adjustable glides on benchwork legs. There are a couple of purchasing options for levelers. One […]
I love details. Thirty years ago, I built my first craftsman structure kit and found out what details could do to “raise the roof” on my modeling. If you think about it, what you mostly see of a structure on a layout is the roof. On my railroad, a roof has to have one or […]
Stone has long been used as a building material in the full-size world. Cut stone can be long lasting as the Greeks and Romans showed us centuries ago. A more recent pair of examples are the stone railroad arch bridges from my home in Melrose, Mass., built in 1848 and the Canton Viaduct, which has […]
The rotary is like a Swiss Army Knife for model railroaders. It can be used for many different tasks, and cutting off nail heads is just one of them. This is when a nail is hammered into a board at an undesirable angle, but can’t be pulled out by pliers without further damaging the wood. […]
