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The hybrid sequence lists John Pryke uses on his HO scale New Haven Cape Cod branch specify the switching work to be done and provide authority for trains to move between stations. Here the Boston yard operator is placing outbound waybills and the train’s sequence list into the train pouch. Most modelers build their first […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division FP7 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Atlantic Coast Line (black and yellow), Penn Central (black with red “P” on single unit, black with white “P” on two-packs), and Rock Island (maroon with yellow nose). Road-number-specific details, Blomberg B trucks, and etched-metal windshield wipers. Single FP7 (one road number): direct-current model, […]
Too many sound-equipped locomotives in one place, like those shown here on the MR&T, can spell trouble for a DCC layout. Paul Dolkos takes you through the steps he used to set up power districts on his HO model railroad. Imagine you’ve just begun running trains on a layout equipped for Digital Command Control (DCC) […]
The initial goal of a new model railroader flush with locomotives, track, and rolling stock is to operate two trains on his layout at the same time, each with independent speed and direction control. This milepost can be reached with cab-control wiring. With two direct- current power packs, single-pole double-throw toggle switches, and hardware-store wire, […]
Name: Progressive Rail Layout designer: Jim Hediger Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 3 x 16 feet Prototype: Airlake Industrial Park Locale: Minnesota Era: 1970s Style: Island Minimum turnout: no. 5 Originally appeared in the June 2002 Model Railroader. Click on the link to download the PDF of this track plan. […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Neil Besougloff, Editor of Model Railroader magazine, recently traveled to Greeley, Colo., with a video camera in tow. Watch the stunning footage he captured of the Colorado Model Railroad Museum’s massive HO scale layout. And don’t miss the bonus coverage of his side […]
Paul Scoles’ Sn3 Pelican Bay & Navigation Co. was featured in Great Model Railroads 2010. Well-known model railroader Paul Scoles, of Shoreline, Wash., died May 9 from cardiac arrest after surgery. He was 71. Paul was a well-known Sn3 hobbyist who had written nearly 100 articles for various model railroad publications since the 1970s and […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page David Popp catches MRVP host Drew Halverson in Kent Johnson’s office stealing a sneak peek at video clips of Union Pacific’s Big Boy no. 4014 steam locomotive on the move from California to Wyoming. Drew shares tales of his travels with fellow Trains […]
Before the trackwork can be added to MRVP’s On30 Olympia Logging Co. display-style layout, David Popp first makes a few modifications to the turnouts. In this video, he guides you through trimming the ties, preparing the connection points, soldering new wires, cutting the rails, and testing the modifications – steps that are intended to make […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Big diesels abound in this episode of Cody’s Office. This month Cody takes a look at prototype-specific HO scale SDP45 diesel locomotives from Athearn Trains. He’ll also show you HO scale ES44AC and SD70ACe diesels decked out in Norfolk Southern heritage paint schemes […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Now that the framework and backdrop are in place on MRVP’s On30 Olympia Logging Co. layout, work can continue on installing the plywood surface used to support track and scenery. In this video, David takes you through the cutting, fitting, and assembling steps, […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader magazine’s Dana Kawala addresses basic DCC programming modes. Dana first talks through Operations mode programming on the main, as well as Service mode programming. As with every episode in this helpful DCC Programming series, Dana shows you the essential steps, while the […]
