High-tech modeling for garden railroaders

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There are many free modeling programs out there. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.  If you are interested in doing custom models, you should pick one program, learn how it works, and use it exclusively. YouTube is a wonderful resource for tutorials that explain how to effectively use the program. In this article, I’ll quickly […]

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A tour of the W&Q by handcar

A tour of the W&Q by handcar

Name:    Eric Schade Forum User Name:    captain perry Railroad Name:    Winnegance and Quebec Railway Location:    Phippsburg, Maine Scale:    1 to 13.7 or 7/8″ to the foot Theme:    A rural Maine two foot gauge line Description:    Follow along with the hand car as the section man inspects the line. This is the second hand car as […]

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Build a raised railroad outdoors

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1. In Jacques Verdier and Nancy Lagomarsino’s 1950s-era Verdi Railroad, SP’s Daylight snakes around three peninsulas in the front for lots of viewing and access pleasure. They have fitted 250′ of 0-gauge Lionel track in their relatively small yard. A friend visited in his wheelchair and vetted pathway widths and roadbed height. Every 6′, Ficus […]

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Add a cattle chute to your railway

Add a cattle chute to your railway

In the October 2106 issue, Jack Verducci describes how he added a cattle chute to his railway. Here, you can download full-size drawings of a cattle chute for your own line. Note: Because of the size, you will need to print this document out in sections. In Adobe Acrobat, select “Print,” and select “Poster mode” […]

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Layout-design software

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RailModeller Pro, v. 5.1.2 Layout-design software Isle of the Kakapo Price: $39.99 Website: www.railmodeller.com Size: 9.2MB Railmodeller Pro, from Isle of Kakapo, is a downloadable layout-design program for Macintosh computers (OSX 10.8 or higher), intended to aid in designing track layouts using commercial sectional track. The program offers over 200 track libraries, from 1:450 scale […]

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Soundtraxx Econami decoder

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Kevin Strong 4-amp DCC motor/sound decoder  ECO-400 Soundtraxx “Econami” Soundtraxx 210 Rock Point Drive Durango CO 81301 Price: $149.95 Website: www.soundtraxx.com Size: 2 3/4″ x 13/16″ x 5/8″ Pros: Excellent motor control; choice of sounds allows for a good degree of customization; good sound quality; plenty of volume Cons: No external trigger for synchronized chuff—must […]

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