Q: In the September 2022 issue of Model Railroader, Mike Tylick wrote “Add a gated crossing to your layout.” On page 36, there is an image of a gate that he built for the F scale Chester & Beckett RR. What is F scale? — via email A: The Chester & Beckett RR, featured in […]
Q: I’m trying to locate a source for large sheets of styrene. I can find the smaller sheets marketed by Evergreen, but I have been unsuccessful in my search for 4 x 8-foot sheets. Do you know of an online source? I live in the Toledo, Ohio, metro and there aren’t any plastics dealers in […]
Q: When I was looking at pictures of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy locomotive fleet, I noticed small numbers near the herald on some diesels. Were those numbers tied to the control system used on the layout, or did they have another meaning? — Jason Trew A: Those single- and double-digit numbers near the herald on […]
Q: Since Model Railroader has moved to a new location, have you given any thought to a video or magazine series on building a workbench? I’ve got to build a new one to fit my new train room and am looking for ideas. — Jim Burns A: Thanks for writing in, Jim. Our workshop space […]
Q: I need help identifying a specific Pennsylvania RR steam engine. The number on the cab was 1299. What class was this locomotive? I have a picture of me as a boy looking out the fireman’s window and want to model the engine in HO scale. — John Nagle A: Thanks for writing in and […]
Q: I’m setting up a model railroad on a 6 x 12-foot table. The layout will use Digital Command Control. What would be the best wire size(s) to use on the layout? — Greg Kurtz A: Two considerations when selecting the right wire size, Greg: First, that doesn’t involve long bus-wire lengths, so No. 14 […]
Q: The historic cars for the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy featured in the January 2025 episode of Ask Trains were very interesting (I grew up in Spokane, Portland & Seattle territory and am modeling some of that). What sort of steam and early diesel power would have been used to go with the cars of […]
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 […]
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 […]
Q: I was wondering if you could provide me with information on what kind of loads an oyster cannery sends and receives? — Markus Russ A: I cast the net wide (pun fully intended) to help answer your question. I started internally. Trains magazine Associate Editor Bob Lettenberger wrote “Five mind-blowing facts — Stilwell Oyster […]
Q: Was there ever an article on converting old railcars to accept modern trucks and couplers? I have a few HO Tyco cars that need to be converted. — Jason Trew A: Jim Kelly and Andy Sperandeo co-authored “Kadee couplers” in the May 1981 issue of Model Railroader. The article covered both N and HO […]
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 […]
