Running a locomotive around a layout is fun, but eventually you may want to make your train to be powered by more than one engine. On the railroad this is called “multiple-unit operation.” If you have two or more DCC-equipped locomotives, you can run your own multiple-unit locomotive consists. This article will explain how to […]
Do you need some industries for small spaces on your model railroad? If you ask modeler railroaders something they’d like to have more of, space will be a common answer. Everything in our hobby takes up space – benchwork, track, structures, and scenery, among other items. When I kick around layout plans for my basement, […]
When the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; and Spokane, Portland & Seattle merged to create the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, the new railroad had an interesting fleet of cabooses. While there were plenty of cars built by commercial builders, mainly International Car Co., BN’s fleet was also filled with cabooses […]
Why use Digital Command Control? Related to this is whether you should, so I’ll start by answering that first, and say the answer is yes, you should. Now, as the reasons why? Let’s make a list, shall we? Why use Digital Command Control for locomotives? Digital Command Control (DCC) allows your locomotives to do more. […]
Modeling plate girder bridges: The most commonly found type of railroad bridge in the country has to be the good old plate girder. You see them everywhere. They’re simple, inexpensive, and can handle spans up to about 100 feet. (The longer the span, the deeper the sideplates on the bridge.) As long as there are […]
Tips for body mounting couplers: “Oh, no,” I can hear you saying, “He’s off on couplers again.” Well, sorry, I am, and perhaps not for the last time. Almost all N scale rolling stock until recently has come with truck-mounted couplers. It’s true that cars so equipped can handle tighter curves, but it’s also true […]
Unless you model a short line or branch line that owns only one locomotive, your layout probably needs some kind of model railroad signals. Signals are used to convey information to an engineer about the block of track ahead: whether it’s safe to enter, whether it’s occupied by another train, and how fast it can […]
Kid-friendly garden railroading: We all know that garden railroading is a magical hobby, one that we enjoy sharing with other adult enthusiasts. But have you considered inviting a child to share in the fascination? Kids of any age (and adults too) aren’t given to stand by and idly observe a garden railway. Rather, most would […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated magazines. The Alkali Central was an HO scale project railroad built by the MR staff and featured in the December 1995 issue. Robert Mountenay adapted the track plan to fit […]
It’s not hard to give a postwar Lionel GP7 a new lease on life. Unless they’ve really been abused, these workhorses can be returned to service with some cleaning, adjustment, and maybe a little lubrication. This particular model had been stored for years in a dry climate. Additionally, the previous owner had removed the D-cell […]
Six tips for better structures Build better stair stringers To build stairs with identical risers and steps, I cut a board, 1 x 2, or 1 x 4, into one wide stringer on my table saw with a dado blade set for 1/2″-wide cuts. You could also lay out the steps on the edge […]
My first model railroad operating session: One morning each month I join the Old Codgers, a group of mostly retired model railroaders, for breakfast followed by an operating session at one of the group’s home layouts. I hosted the Codgers on my N scale layout for the first time this past August, having given myself a year […]
