Home for the heaviest rebuild, repair, and repaint work on the Norfolk Southern system is the sprawling former Pennsylvania Railroad Juniata Shops in Altoona, Pa. The backshop is the heart of this operation in the Keystone State. Alex Mayes Diesel locomotives are amazing. They are built to withstand the rigors of service, running 24 hours […]
Scott Gould Scott Gould Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Zone 5 Concrete strong Sixteen years ago or so I built a layout that loops atop a mound of rock in the center of our backyard. I was agile then, but still had difficulty reaching tracks above a pond. Now, with my 75th birthday rapidly approaching, only my […]
Thomas A. Yorke Thomas Yorke starts the first of three scratchbuilt projects in the April 2018 issue. Download these full-size drawings of his flatcar and follow his instructions in the magazine. […]
Rails in New England: I lived in New England for 40 years. On a recent trip back to the northeast corner of the USA, I visited garden railways, mostly on the coast where trees often grow up to the shore. I also chanced upon some full-scale historic railways, which seemed to crop up everywhere. Predating […]
Nancy Norris Common name: Blue Star juniper Latin name: Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’ Plant type: Dwarf conifer USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, neutral or slightly acidic soil; sun or part shade Plant size: 2′ x 3′, spreading Blue Star juniper is a selection from Asian parentage, the Himalayan juniper. A plant […]
Kevin Strong 1:20.3 scale, push-cart kit Alscad Design Allen Pomeroy III PO Box 52 Winchester NH 03470 Price: $19.85 + s&h Laser-cut wood, metal, and styrene kit for small track-worker’s push cart. Dimensions: 4 3/4″ long over the handles, with the bed measuring 4 1/8 ” x 3″ Pros: Well detailed; easy-to-follow instructions Cons: Cast […]
Kevin Strong MyLocoSound Available in the US from: G Scale Graphics 4118 Clayton Ct. Ft. Collins CO 80525 Price: $79 Website: www.mylocosound.com MyLocoSound “Blue” sound system; economical system; provides a variety of typical steam-engine sounds; can be run with track power or battery R/C; not DCC compatible. Dimensions: 2 1/4″ x 1 3/8″ x 1/2″ […]
Marc Horovitz Replacement wheels for Aristo-Craft diesels NorthWest Short Line PO Box 1349 Hamilton MT 59840 Price: $49.95/8 wheels Website: www.nwsl.com Solid nickel-silver wheels (#2609-6) to replace plated wheels on Aristo-Craft diesels; direct replacement for factory wheels; will fit Dash 9, SD-45, GP-40, and other locomotives with tapered-axles. Dimensions: 1.379″ over tread; .214″ tread width; […]
Kevin Strong Four-amp DCC sound/motor decoder Soundtraxx 141 Burnett Drive Durango CO 81301 Price: $179.95 Website: www.soundtraxx.com Soundtraxx Tsunami2 TSU-4400; many sounds to chose from; diesel, steam, and electric boards available; many control variables. Dimensions: 2 3⁄4″ x 1 3⁄16″ x 5⁄8″ Pros: Good sound fidelity; multiple options for various sounds programmed on the board; […]
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Use this handy chart to convert your drawings to another scale. Download our PDF and start building! […]
The railway at a glance Name: Gartenbahn der Parkeisenbahn Chemnitz Size of railroad: 21m x 9.5m (69′ x 31′) Scale: Mostly 1:22.5 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Era: 1965-present Theme: Central German Mountains Age: 20 years Power: Massoth DiMAX 1210Z; Digital Central Station 20 V/12 A Length of mainline: 245m (803′) Length of storage sidings: 125m […]
