The Mon Yough Valley Railroad layout in HO scale

A model railroad track plan for the Mon Yough valley railroad layout

Facts and features Name: Mon Yough Valley RRScale: HO and HOn3Size: model railroad: 41 x 53 feet, room: 44′-0″ x 55′-6″Prototype: freelanced Class I and short linesLocale: western PennsylvaniaEra: late 1950s – early 1960sStyle: walk around with operator aislesMainline run: combined double track main of 13.5 scale miles.Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 22″ (industrial and branch […]

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Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive

Title screen of product review video showing HO diesel in orange, green, and yellow paint with BNSF lettering.

Hey folks, it’s time for another product review video! This time around we’ll take a look at the Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road unit and BNSF Ry. 2157; points out the various detail parts; and demonstrates […]

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Adhesives for attaching roadbed

Color photo of man in dark red sweater attaching cork strip to model railroad.

Q: What is the best adhesive to use for attaching cork roadbed to wood or extruded-foam insulation board? — Ronald Jaeger A: In Basic Trackwork for Model Railroaders — Second Edition (Kalmbach Books, 2014), Jeff Wilson wrote, “Cork can be nailed in place, but glue is a much neater option. I prefer white glue for […]

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Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive

Title screen of product review video showing HO diesel in orange, green, and yellow paint with BNSF lettering.

Hey folks, it’s time for another product review video! This time around we’ll take a look at the Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road unit and BNSF Ry. 2157; points out the various detail parts; and demonstrates […]

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News & Products for the week of January 13th 2025

A white model freight car on model railroad track with red lettering

News & Products for the week of January 13th 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 January 13th, […]

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Should you use flextrack or sectional track?

Color photo of HO scale track laid on cork roadbed.

Whether you’re just beginning in the hobby or you’ve been at it for 50 years, almost every model railroader comes across this question: should you use flextrack or sectional track when building your layout? I’ve used both throughout my time in the hobby, and in multiple scales. My first suggestion would be to use both. […]

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Rooftop weathering ideas

Color photo of blue and white locomotive in a freight train.

Unless your model railroad is at eye-level or higher, the first thing operators and visitors see when they look at your locomotives and freight cars is the roof (and on open-top cars, the interior). In recent years, some manufacturers have offered models with faded paint and light weathering. Other companies have released boxcars with paint […]

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Walthers HO EMD SD75M

Color photo showing cab of HO scale diesel painted orange, green, and yellow.

The Electro-Motive Division SD75M diesel locomotive has joined the WalthersMainline HO scale product range. The newly tooled model features an injection-molded plastic body; heavy, die-cast metal chassis; and all-wheel drive and electrical pickup. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the SD75M from February 1995 through February 1996. A total of 76 units rolled off the production […]

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The evolution of the MR&T herald

Color image of four HO scale freight cars in brown, black, and yellow paint on white background.

Q: In the November Ask Trains video, you were standing in front of a display case filled with Milwaukee, Racine & Troy freight cars. Some featured the familiar square MR&T herald. Other models looked to be from an earlier era. What can you tell me about those cars? — Bert G. A: Alan Cerney, an […]

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Britt Allcroft, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ TV producer, dies at 81

Britt Allcroft, best known for her television adaptation of Reverend Wilbert Awdry’s Railway Series characters, which introduced a new audience to characters such as Thomas the Tank Engine, has passed away at age 81. Born Hilary Allcroft in West Sussex, England, Allcroft was a successful television producer prior to her involvement with the Thomas the […]

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News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025

A red model rolling stock snowplow

News & Products for the week of January 6th 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 January 6th, […]

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