What is liquid mask?

Color photo of metal wheelsets in painting jig and paintbrush applying liquid mask

Q: I’ve seen a few Model Railroader articles on painting and weathering that reference liquid mask. How does the product work, and where can I find it? — Michael M.  A: Liquid mask is a product that’s applied with a brush to keep paint off of areas that would be hard to cover using traditional masking […]

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News & Products for the week of February 24th 2025

A red model boxcar

News & Products for the week of February 24th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 24th, […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 3 | Adding legs to the frame

Host David Popp and Bryson Sleppy work to raise the wood framework of their East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) model railroad off the ground. Watch as they share how to plan, construct, and install the legs for a nearly any layout. And don’t miss the simple, yet extraordinarily helpful insights the crew shares in Model […]

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Railroad vehicles you can model

Color photo of white truck with black bed and yellow grapple

A few months ago I wrote about a boxcar storage shed in Crookston, Minn., my hometown. During that same visit my friend, then an employee of Minnesota Northern RR (since retired) gave me a tour of the rest of the yard. Sure, I spent time photographing the usual things — locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and […]

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WalthersTrack HO scale roadbed

Two men in tan work aprons standing in front of workbench with model railroad in background

By now, most of you are familiar with the WalthersTrack HO scale product range, which features turnouts, flextrack, and related accessories. We recently got a sneak peek of the latest addition to the product range that has yet to arrive in stores — dense, closed-cell foam roadbed. Join Trains.com Director David Popp and Model Railroader […]

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WalthersTrack HO scale roadbed

Two men in tan work aprons standing in front of workbench with model railroad in background

By now, most of you are familiar with the WalthersTrack HO scale product range, which features turnouts, flextrack, and related accessories. We recently got a sneak peek of the latest addition to the product range that has yet to arrive in stores — dense, closed-cell foam roadbed. Join Trains.com Director David Popp and Model Railroader […]

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Spaces to Places VII | Within yard limits, part 2

Host Gerry Leone is back for more work on his double-deck model railroad, specifically targeting the lower-level yard recently featured in Spaces to Places VII. Follow along as he finishes out the scene by restoring and recycling ballasted track from his previous HO scale Bona Vista layout! Want to see more of Gerry’s work on […]

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4 x 8-foot layout upgrades

Color rendering of HO scale track plan.

Q: I have two oval tracks, one inside the other, on a piece of 4 x 8 plywood. Just running a train around each track is boring. My funds are very limited. Do you have any suggestions as to how to make this more fun? — Elaine King A: Since space is at a premium […]

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Broadway Limited HO scale EMD GP30

Screen capture from video with red and gray HO scale diesel locomotive and title bar.

Welcome to our latest product review video. The Broadway Limited HO scale EMD GP30 is back in a colorful assortment of new paint schemes. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road switcher and Burlington Northern No. 2250; points out the various plastic, formed wire, […]

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Broadway Limited HO scale EMD GP30

Screen capture from video with red and gray HO scale diesel locomotive and title bar.

Welcome to our latest product review video. The Broadway Limited HO scale EMD GP30 is back in a colorful assortment of new paint schemes. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road switcher and Burlington Northern No. 2250; points out the various plastic, formed wire, […]

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News & Products for the week of February 17th 2025

A blue model boxcar from the front end of the model

News & Products for the week of February 17th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 17th, […]

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