Ask MRVP: Episode 41

David Popp stands at the counter in the Model Railroader workshop to introduce a video.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page David Popp breaks out the Hawaiian shirt (and crutch) for this spring episode of Ask MRVP! This month he addresses your questions regarding trackwork, wiring, the glass on Cody’s workbench, packing a layout for a move, painting, and more! Watch, learn, and then […]

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Switch heaters

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A northbound BNSF coal train passes Coal Creek Junction, Wyo., in July 2008. Steve Glischinski Q The picture on page 42 of the March 2016 issue shows some interesting trackside equipment. It looks like they could be switch heater propane tanks, however, I don’t see any switches. – Bruce Bussert, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. A The […]

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Soo Line legacy

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A southbound CN freight passes the former Soo Line station in Waukesha, Wis., in 2012. Brian Schmidt Q How did Canadian National end up operating the former Soo Line route through Wisconsin. I thought the Soo was affiliated with Canadian Pacific. – Kirk Gobain, Dodge City, Kan. A The Soo Line acquired the Milwaukee Road […]

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Ask MRVP: Episode 40

David stands in front of an empty office and introduces a video.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Ask MRVP host David Popp gets back to the task of answering your specific questions! In this episode, he tackles topics related to DCC wiring, layout planning, applying static grass, and many other inquiries from MRVP subscribers. […]

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Ask MRVP: Episode 40

David stands in front of an empty office and introduces a video.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Ask MRVP host David Popp gets back to the task of answering your specific questions! In this episode, he tackles topics related to DCC wiring, layout planning, applying static grass, and many other inquiries from MRVP subscribers. […]

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Low-level platforms

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A track-level platform at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport station near Baltimore enables the use of the middle track, at bottom, for passenger boarding and detraining. Note the yellow step box behind the railing, for use with the lower platforms. Brian Schmidt Q I live near Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and see short track-level platform extensions at […]

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Garden railroad electrical/electricity questions and answers

Garden Railways

Garden railroad electrical/electricity questions and answers Is it safe to power your trains outdoors? Will I get electrocuted? It’s completely safe to run track power outdoors! Our trains, like those in the smaller scales, run on low-voltage DC, usually 18-24V. Thus, it is perfectly safe to run your trains outdoors, even in the rain or […]

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American Orient Express

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‘American Orient Express’ observation car ‘New York’ at Denver in June 1996. Ten years later, the train would be rebranded as GrandLuxe Express. Chip Sherman Q What happened to the American Orient Express? It appeared on several railroad videos from the 1990s. – Frank Klos, San Diego, Calif. A The genesis of the American Orient […]

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Mystery gondola loads

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MGPX No. 201, part of the first batch of Magnetation iron ore cars built by FreightCar America, arrives in Superior, Wis., in June 2014. David C. Schauer Q I live along the BNSF Railway main line west of Chicago, and I have seen black gondola unit trains with MGPX reporting marks. Even from my second-story […]

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Animal-feed trains

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A Cargill unit feed train rolls through Shawnee, Kan., in June 2009. The train consists of covered bathtub gondolas pulled from coal service. Zach Pumphery Q While traveling near Atchison, Kan., I noticed a BNSF Railway train with covered bathtub coal gondolas. What were the covers for, and could they be removed should they be […]

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Ask MRVP: Episode 39

David stands in front of a snowflake backdrop while holding a mini Christmas tree

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The holiday lights are shining bright on this episode of Ask MRVP! David starts the festivities by answering a question related to Christmas lighting, before addressing other hobby-related inquiries regarding painting, wiring, benchwork construction, rolling stock repair, and more! […]

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Ask MRVP: Episode 39

David stands in front of a snowflake backdrop while holding a mini Christmas tree

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The holiday lights are shining bright on this episode of Ask MRVP! David starts the festivities by answering a question related to Christmas lighting, before addressing other hobby-related inquiries regarding painting, wiring, benchwork construction, rolling stock repair, and more! […]

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