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Q: Have the model railroad manufacturers ever considered making the wheels on car trucks free-wheeling, or more specifically, independent of the axles? It seems to me that trucks would bind less on tighter radius curves if each wheel could rotate independently. – Wilt Nelson, Leesburg, Fla. A: Wheels and axles on model trains are solid […]
Laurium, Mohawk & Brockway no. 2, a Baldwin 2-6-2T, maneuvers its work train through Phoenix Yard on its way to do some track work. Larry Burk of Holly, Mich., photographed the scene on his On30 layout, which was featured in our November issue. Engine no. 2 is a modified Bachmann Spectrum model. Download the […]
The first lesson we learn when we take our trains outdoors is that nature doesn’t play favorites. Our sensible action is to choose materials for our projects that will stand up to the forces of nature. Plastic “Plastic” is a generic term, for which there exist many variants. Most large-scale trains are made of ABS, […]
Picking the right power supply for your railroad has one toe in the present and one in the future. It will need to run what you have today and will be expected to perform just as well years from now. Transformers aren’t cheap, but today’s O and S gauge hobbyists have a better selection of […]
Toy train layout operators foiled by the lack of inexpensive details can you aluminum foil as the raw materials for unlimited “junked cars.” Best of all, the project won’t strain your how-to skills and will add detail to your layout. You’ll need heavy-duty foil, gloss black paint, your choice of flat colors, a hobby knife, […]
Question: What is the smallest point-to-point layout that doesn’t look like just a section of test track? How long does a shelf layout have to be to look like a working operation could be taking place? – Richard Helton, Meridian, Idaho Answer: That’s a matter of taste and perception, not something that can be quantified […]
Question: I have six freshly painted brass O scale auto racks that I need decals for. I’ve found some TTX flatcar sets that might be close. Do auto racks have special letters before or after the reporting mark different from those on a regular TTX flatcar? – Tom Champley, Oregon, Ill. Answer: Yes. Each type […]
Question: What type of couplers should be used for various types of cars (freight, passenger, Railway Post Office, Express, etc.) for the era between 1890 and 1920? – Michael Prahl, Cedar Falls, Iowa Answer: What kind of couplers you use isn’t dependent on the type or class of car; all classes of car had to […]
A pair of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe General Electric C44-9Ws leads a double- stack train out of a tunnel and up the 1.9 percent grade at Cascade Canyon. The action takes place on the HO scale railroad built by John Vavra of Escon-dido, Calif. The diesels are made by ScaleTrains.com, and the trees are […]
Get desktop wallpaper from the HO scale Bona Vista RR. Click on the links below to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Download the 1600 x 900 image Download the 1600 x 1000 image Download the 1600 x 1200 image […]
Get desktop wallpaper from the HO scale Baltimore Harbor District. Click on the links below to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Download the 1600 x 900 image Download the 1600 x 1000 image Download the 1600 x 1200 image […]
Get desktop wallpaper for the On30 Olympia Logging Co. Click on the links below to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Download the 1600 x 900 image Download the 1600 x 1000 image Download the 1600 x 1200 image […]
