Does your locomotive spark when it moves? Do you have a mass of indistinguishable wires under your layout? Download this free PDF to learn some basic electrical principles, practices, and commonly used products for layout wiring. […]
Back in 1869, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad worked tirelessly under brutal conditions to drive the last spike, The Golden Spike, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory, to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. Products could now be manufactured in the east and delivered to the west in under two weeks, benefiting the United States economy, […]
Looking to get started in garden railroading? Start by reading our free 17-page PDF. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of each garden scale, pick the right scale and gauge for your garden railroad, and gather the right garden railroad supplies for your backyard railroad. […]
Download this free 11-page PDF for train set scenery tips, techniques, and tricks! In this free download you will learn how to enhance the overall appearance of a layout, how to make artificial grass for models, and where to buy modeling scenery, structures, and tools. […]
The Canadian National Railways started off by acquiring a handful of bankrupt and government owned railways, but soon after this takeover, and over the next decade, the Canadian National Railways expanded significantly as it purchased railroads in the United States. In this free 39-page PDF download, we dive into the details behind: The Wisconsin Central, […]
Download this free nine-page PDF to learn how to control the growth of miniature trees, and prune, shape, and trim a variety of different plants. […]
Download this free 24-page PDF for a brief overview of track-planning terms, tips, and techniques as well as a handful of Lionel FasTrack plans of all sizes. […]
In honor of Jim Shaughnessy, a legendary railroad photographer, we have gathered together a free 15-page PDF download filled with three stories written and photographed by Shaughnessy. […]
When you have more than a bedroom for your railroad, you have some choices to make regarding what to fill the space with. Download this free 15-page PDF for 28 inspiring N, Nn3, HO, HOn 2 ½, Sn3, and On 2 ½ layout plans. […]
Sometimes finding the space to build model railroads can be difficult. To help combat this problem, we have compiled six railroads that you can model in an apartment-sized room. Download this free 15-page PDF to gain access to detailed information on room-sized plans for both HO and N scale layouts. […]
Staging, major industries, interchanges between railroads, and prototype inspiration are four characteristics that all successful model railroads tend to have. However, incorporating all four of these characteristics into one small space can be challenging. Download this free 12-page PDF download for HO and N scale plans, waterfront railroad layouts, small shelf Union Pacific inspired layouts, […]
Download this free 33-page PDF for a detailed look at how to recreate the town of Red Oak, Iowa. We organized this free PDF into four, easy-to-follow, sections: Part one covers how to utilize a hollow-core household door for a 3 x 7 N scale layout. Part two dives into building benchwork, working on terrain, […]
