A solar-powered garden railroad building is a fairly easy project for most do-it-yourselfers. But one day while shopping at a home-improvement store, I stumbled on to a solar pathway light similar in shape to an HO scale model I liked. I thought the size would work well in my garden railroad as a structure. I […]
Here’s the story behind this magnificent O gauge no. 810/2273W Lionel Milwaukee Road freight set. It was one of the finest outfits cataloged by the company for 1956. Click here for a history of the Milwaukee Road. The brand-new no. 2378P and 2378C F3 A-B locomotive combination headed the train. The powered A and unpowered […]
Finding the best approach for a track plan isn’t always easy. Even if you’re building your layout in a small room, you still have an almost infinite number of choices, decisions, and trade-offs to make. What scale? Around-the-room or island shape? Duckunder/gate or walk-in? Staging? And if so, what kind? To illustrate my thought process […]
Enjoy photos of Lionel’s 6464 postwar boxcars! Lionel 6464 boxcars help Lionel Corp. mark 1953 as a turning point. Yes, a year after blazing a new trail with classic streamlined passenger cars, the engineering and sales teams at Lionel fielded near-scale models of a modern flatcar, a triple-dome tank car, and a porthole caboose. Perhaps […]
David is ready to work on the largest industry on our State Line Route project railroad – the rock quarry! He demonstrates how to use rubber rock castings to make the quarry walls. Then he shows to add realistic color to them using craft paints and drybrushing techniques. […]
Common name: String of beans Latin name: Senecio radicans Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-10 Cultural needs: Sandy, well-drained soil, in sun or part shade Plant size: 1″ high trailing to 2′ or longer String of beans’ succulent bead-like leaves grow from stringy stems and present a unique opportunity for railroad gardeners. The designers, […]
In the October 2000 issue of Classic Toy Trains, photographer William Zuback and I photographed performer Mandy Patinkin’s layout. We spent a couple of days with he and his family. Joining us was Rich Roman, whose highly successful layout building firm, East Coast Enterprises, was responsible for much of the design and look of Mandy’s […]
Industrial switcher locomotives add realism to any layout. Don’t believe me? OK, time for a show of hands. When you pass by a rail-served industry, do you take a quick glance to see if there’s a switcher on the property? That’s what I thought. I’m guilty of this, too. Today, thanks to satellite images on […]
This large scale indoor club layout started life as a custom build of a local large-scale collector. The 8-by-11-foot board had been unused for at least a decade and I immediately knew where this display would be best displayed — at the 7.5” gauge, 1.5” scale live-steam train club that I belong to. Many […]
The layout at a glance Name: Chesapeake & Allegheny RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13 x 36 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: mid-Atlantic Era: 1950-60s Style: around the walls Mainline run: 201 feet Maximum grade: 3 percent Minimum curve radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Benchwork: open grid and L-girder Height: 55″-70″ Roadbed: Homasote Track: handlaid […]
Seven operating session tips will help model railroaders step back from, or maybe step into, their layout by sharing the experience with others. For starters, operation gives a model railroad purpose. A layout compares with a theater’s stage, its props the scenery and rolling stock. In an operating session, this stage springs to life, re-creating […]
David and Rene prepare the State Line Route layout for scenery by smoothing out the terrain. Then they show how to model a farm field using scenery materials, such as grass mats, static grass, trees, and more! […]
