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By: Don Chaney Operating model trains with a good deal of switching is extremely popular, but I prefer watching trains run continuously. Moving around my finished 7 x 91/2-foot layout while watching a steadily moving train is a never-ending joy for me. As I planned a layout for my 12 x 17-foot game room, my […]
Here are five tools for a garden railroad you can make or obtain cheaply. 1. Make a ballast broom If you do a lot of reballasting (or ballasting) on your railway, take an old 4-inch paint brush and attach the handle with screws to an extension pole about 3 feet long. This becomes a mini-broom […]
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, […]
Weathering is one way to add realism to any garden railroad or garden railway. Weathering helps train models and rolling stock appear as though they have been exposed to elements and harsh conditions — like full-sized railroads. Here are top tips you can use. Paintbrush weathering To create a weathered finish on a passenger car […]
Freight cars are the stars of James McNab’s HO scale Hills Line layout, so he’s working to get them performance ready! Discover his helpful modeling tips, tricks, and insights that you can use to keep your rolling stock in prime operating condition! […]
It’s a new year and a new Cody’s Office! Cody shares the Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Vol. 35, an HO scale Menards water tower, an Athearn N scale Pullman-Standard 4,427-cubic-foot covered hopper, modeling tip, and viewer mail. […]
It’s a new year and a new Cody’s Office! Cody shares the Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Vol. 35, an HO scale Menards water tower, an Athearn N scale Pullman-Standard 4,427-cubic-foot covered hopper, modeling tip, and viewer mail. […]
What’s a port without the water? A drydock at best! So after months of work around and about his N scale (1:160) layout, host Steve Brown finally gets his feet wet in the Port Smith scene. Follow along to see what went right, what went wrong, and how he fixed it all the “Regular Guy” […]
What’s a port without the water? A drydock at best! So after months of work around and about his N scale (1:160) layout, host Steve Brown finally gets his feet wet in the Port Smith scene. Follow along to see what went right, what went wrong, and how he fixed it all the “Regular Guy” […]
Enjoy this exclusive video tour of Dave Abeles’ Onondaga Cutoff HO scale (1:87) layout inspired by Conrail railroad operations. Follow the action along the line, and then look for additional coverage of the model railroad in the February 2021 issue of Model Railroader magazine. […]
Host and star of MRVP’s Off the Rails, Gerry Leone, is returning to Trains.com with a new series on building a new layout for his home in the Upper Midwest — Back on Track. In recent years, Gerry not only scrapped his old layout, but he moved from his existing home in a brand-new house […]
In this final episode of our Trains.com Holiday Party, Cody Grivno shows how to assemble an HO scale kit made from styrene and acrylic parts. Cody shares his helpful hints for working with acrylic components to form a sturdy, contemporary structure. […]
