How to host an open house: What fun is a garden railroad if you can’t share it with others? An open house is where you get to show off your creation to fellow garden railroaders, tell them of your triumphs and tribulations, and hear their stories as well. How hard can it be, right? All […]
Click on the links at left to download this image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Southern Pacific No. 2, the Sunset Limited, races through Wellton, Ariz., on Ron Mei’s HO scale Sunset Route. Featured in the August 2019 Model Railroader, this 58 x 68-foot layout celebrates SP and other southwestern railroads in the 1950s. […]
When creating model railroads, it’s important to give your model cities and scenery the same realistic treatment you give your trains. A well-detailed and realistic downtown scene and scenery can add as much to a model railroad as any lineside industry. Download this free 15-page PDF for layout planning ideas that will bring your layout […]
Learn all about Digital Command Control (DCC) with the Model Railroader staff! Bill Zuback The July 2019 issue of Model Railroader magazine features a buyer’s guide for Digital Command Control (DCC) starter systems. To learn more about DCC, check out this DCC resources page. Below you’ll find links to reference articles, product reviews, and demo […]
Click on the links at left to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Rutland no. 208, an Alco RS-3, passes Duffy’s Coal as it approaches the north end of the Rutland, Vt., freight yard on Gregory Wiggins’ HO scale layout. This month you can download the trackside photo sized appropriately for your […]
The Westie Line today Ken Brody Ken Brody The Summer 2019 issue of Garden Railways features the Westie Line. Don’t miss the six-page feature on this gorgeous line! Owner Ken Brody shared these photographs from 1994, when he re-created a Golden Spike event on his line: These two photos were taken 25 years ago during […]
When it comes to designing your own model railroad layout, getting your ideas down on paper is the first and most important step. Drawing your plan to scale with a reasonable degree of accuracy will ensure you that your plan will fit your space. Download this free 15-page PDF to learn how to draw accurate […]
Click on the links at left to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Engineer Ed West checks ahead as he eases his outside-frame Baldwin 2-8-0 – a recent acquisition for the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes – and its local freight up to the platform at Strong, Maine. Model Railroader contributing editor […]
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. […]
Click on the links at left to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Union Pacific no. 8444, an Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe, and a patched-out former Southern Pacific General Electric AC4400CW barrel through the countryside on Jeffrey Meyer’s HO scale diorama. This month you can use this image as a computer wallpaper image. […]
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. […]
Click on the links at left to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Mat Thompson Oregon Coast RR no. 40 rounds the bend by the Columbia River on Mat Thompson’s HO scale model railroad. Mat’s photo is this month’s featured computer desktop wallpaper. Click on the links below to download the image […]
