Questions and answers about large-scale locomotives and rolling stock

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What grade can an engine climb? Different engines will climb different grades. If you are trying to stay within full-size railroad practice, your grades should be no more than about 3 percent for mainline traffic (3″ of rise in 100″ of travel) or 5 percent to 6 percent for logging, mining, or industrial lines.  I […]

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Making movies without a video camera

A camera pointing out an outdoor layout

GoPro cameras, cell-phone cameras, and video-capable DSLR cameras are everywhere. This column will review a dozen examples of video technique from my “Video 101” workshop, presented at the National Garden Railway Convention. Columns will include suggestions, with photographic links to a short demonstration videos of some Bay Area railroads. I recently saw a man filming […]

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Early catalogues from the Baldwin Locomotive Works

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Here are some additional interesting details from three early Baldwin catalogues in my collection, plus some more info about the facsimile I made of the rare and elusive 1885 Illustrated Catalogue of Narrow-Gauge Locomotives. Note: Click on any of the images to enlarge. The covers of three early catalogues from Baldwin Locomotive Works. The large […]

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Most Common Adhesives and Glues for Model Railroading

Kent Johnson next to assortment of glues

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page With such a wide array of materials used in model railroading today, it can be challenging to figure out which glues and adhesives you’ll want to have on hand. Kent Johnson of MR Video Plus takes a quick look at some of the […]

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Build a covered loading platform in 1:29 scale

Build a covered loading platform in 1:29 scale

Download the PDF of this project here. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the break lines to create the larger piece. PLEASE NOTE: This […]

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Modeling damaged trees on your train layout

Kent Johnson in front of layout

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Add a touch of realism to your modeled forest or wooded grove by including decaying or damaged trees. Kent Johnson demonstrates a quick and easy technique for making plague pines using plastic tree kits available for layouts of any size or scale. […]

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How to use ground foam in your model train layout

Hand applying ground cover to model train layout

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The wide array of scenery products available for making a model railroad look realistic can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting started in the hobby. In this video, Kent Johnson takes a quick look at some of the most common varieties of […]

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