Add a valance and dust cover

HowardLloydmadeasimplevalancetoconceallightfixturesandfocusviewersattentiononhisHOscaleNationalDocksRylayout

I think every model railroad should have a valance. What is a valance, you may ask? A valance is a view block suspended from the ceiling that follows the edge of the benchwork and frames the layout for viewing. If you think of a model railroad as a stage, then a valance serves the purpose […]

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Build N scale mountain scenery

BuildNscalemountainscenery

Building a small diorama for some of my N scale models allowed me to combine my two favorite hobbies: model railroading and photography. The idea for this project was formulated while I was building a number of N scale wood kits from Hunterline. In fact, I was having so much fun that I kept building […]

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Realistic model railroad ground cover

Fromgrassmattoweedpatch

As the prototype photo depicts (below), even urban roads like this CSX route through Miami aren’t immune to weeds sprouting up along the rails. To model these scruffy patches on his HO scale layout, Thomas Klimoski used Heki Wild Grass Fiber. When adding scenery to a model railroad, many layout builders tend to overlook the […]

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Mail and express train operations

ErieLackawannamailtrainNo7passesthroughBinghamtonNYin1965withamixtureofheadendcars

Head-end traffic helped cover some of the costs of America’s passenger trains for many years. Contracts with the United States Postal Service covered the transportation of mail, while the Railway Express Agency (REA) provided a nation- wide package delivery service. Small-to-medium-sized railroads forwarded most of the mail in Railway Post Office (RPO) cars and packages […]

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MR Insider: March 2014

Jenny Freeland sitting at Cody's workbench

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Even if spring hasn’t arrived quite yet, that’s just fine by us. Chilly temps in this long month should give you plenty of time to continue enjoying this great hobby and Jenny Maaske’s preview of model railroad related videos coming to Model Railroader […]

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Cody’s Workshop: Episode 13 – mini-scene makeover

Cody Grivno standing next to model railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, host of Cody’s Workshop, steps away from the workbench and heads to the MR&T layout to revamp a compact grade crossing scene. Cody shows how to install a new scenery base and shape the terrain using Shaper Sheet from Woodland Scenics. […]

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Cody’s Workshop: Episode 13 – mini-scene makeover

Cody Grivno standing next to model railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, host of Cody’s Workshop, steps away from the workbench and heads to the MR&T layout to revamp a compact grade crossing scene. Cody shows how to install a new scenery base and shape the terrain using Shaper Sheet from Woodland Scenics. […]

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Copper Range RR caboose drawings

CopperRangeRRcaboose

Check out these plans for a Copper Range RR caboose from Model Railroader magazine. When I scratchbuild rolling stock, I do my best ­to follow a prototype. I typically select a subject from one of my favorite railroads, which happen ­to be the Soo Line, Chicago & North Western, and neighboring roads. The Russell Car & Snow-Plow Co. […]

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HO scale Pennsylvania RR

PennsylvaniaRR

Name: Pennsylvania RR Layout designer: Brent Monahan Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: layout 51⁄2 x 191⁄2 feet, dioramas 41⁄2 x 17 feet Locale: north of Princeton, N.J., to New York Era: 1959 Style: island (layout) and dioramas Mainline run: 10 feet (visible track) on layout Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent […]

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HOn3 Glenwood & Black Creek

GlenwoodBlackCreek

Name: Glenwood & Black Creek Scale: HOn3 (1:87.1) Size: 16′-6″ x 35′-0″ Locale: western United States Theme: western narrow gauge Period: 1930s – 1940s Turnout minimum: no. 6 Minimum curve radius: 24″ Maximum grade: 2 percent (main), or 3 percent (branches) Originally appeared in the May 2014 Model Railroader. Click on the link to download […]

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