Trains LIVE — In the Nevada Northern shop

Clip of a video interview showing three people. Trains LIVE — In the Nevada Northern shop.

Trains LIVE — In the Nevada Northern shop — 7-12-2023 — There is a rich tradition being carried out inside the 1907 enginehouse at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely, Nev. Here mechanics work to restore locomotive No. 40, a 1910 Baldwin 4-6-0. The engine is a National Historic Landmark and an official Nevada […]

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Installing abandoned tracks

In the course of building the HO scale Freemont Mills model railroad, Steve Otte shares his technique for adding a realistic representation of abandoned tracks. After gathering the essential materials – stained wooded ties, masking tape, and a spacing jig – Steve demonstrates the complete process, including how to add subtle scenery effects that help […]

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Operating and programming an NCE Mini Panel

Back on the MR&T HO scale model railroad, Ben demonstrates how to program the NCE Mini Panel device used to send out DCC commands to locomotive, accessory, or signal decoders. Ben’s thorough explanations of the NCE Mini Panel, its connections, and the programming steps required to make it a useful tool on your layout are […]

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Trains LIVE — Railroad artist J Craig Thorpe

Two men standing in front of a passenger train painting. Trains LIVE — Railroad artist J Craig Thorpe

Trains LIVE — Railroad artist J Craig Thorpe — 6-14-2023 — Take a look at a railroad painting. What do you see? A train? A scenic setting? History? An image you’d really like to hang on your living room wall? That is what meets the eye. What if in looking at this painting you could […]

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Trains LIVE — Railroad artist J Craig Thorpe

Two men standing in front of a passenger train painting. Trains LIVE — Railroad artist J Craig Thorpe

Trains LIVE — Railroad artist J Craig Thorpe — 6-14-2023 — Take a look at a railroad painting. What do you see? A train? A scenic setting? History? An image you’d really like to hang on your living room wall? That is what meets the eye. What if in looking at this painting you could […]

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Spaces to Places IV | Installing the Streets, part 4

Gerry Leone recaps his work on the sandpaper street of Westcott, a town on his new HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad. Now it’s time to add rule, order, and realism to the roadways – by means of basic road markings and subtle weathering. Grab your brush, paint, water-soluble decals, and tools, to join in the […]

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Trains LIVE — Geared locomotives

Split video screen showing two people. Trains LIVE — geared locomotives.

Trains LIVE — Geared locomotives — 5-31-2023 — Think of a steam locomotive. Right now, the majority of you have a mental picture of a locomotive with driving wheels connected by rods to the pistons. The pistons move back and forth as steam expands in the cylinders. The rods move, turning the driving wheels. Power […]

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Trains LIVE — Geared locomotives

Split video screen showing two people. Trains LIVE — geared locomotives.

Trains LIVE — Geared locomotives — 5-31-2023 — Think of a steam locomotive. Right now, the majority of you have a mental picture of a locomotive with driving wheels connected by rods to the pistons. The pistons move back and forth as steam expands in the cylinders. The rods move, turning the driving wheels. Power […]

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Working with NCE Switch-8 devices

In this episode, Ben shows how he used NCE Switch-8 devices to control turnouts on the upper staging yard of Model Railroader’s MR&T HO scale layout, with the goal of preparing the railroad for operating sessions. Be sure to follow the exclusive In The Workshop series for tips, tricks, tools, and clever insights, as demonstrated by various members of […]

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Trains LIVE — Walk through Fire

Woman and man in TV interview. Trains LIVE — Walk through fire

Trains LIVE — Walk through Fire — 5-17-2023 — It seemed as if the entire world had been turned upside down. On Feb. 24, 1978, that is what it felt like in the small town of Waverly, Tenn. Two days before, 23 cars of a 96-car Louisville & Nashville Railroad freight train derailed and piled […]

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