Q: I have a tight HO scale helix with a grade of 3%. My smaller steam engines have a hard time pulling more than two or three cars up the grade. I know the standard answers: increase engine weight, add a second engine, apply Bullfrog Snot to the drivers, make sure car trucks roll smoothly. […]
According to a document saved by Maury H. Romer, who supervised production of the postwar S gauge line, the A.C. Gilbert Co. intended to make a No. 24068 Mr. Peanut boxcar in 1962. It received a five-digit catalog number on Sept. 7, 1961. For unknown reasons, the project was abandoned after two prototypes were created. […]
Q: I’m slowly building the industries on my HO layout and can’t seem to find one in particular: a glass plant. I see all types of industries one can buy in HO scale, but no one seems to make a glass plant. Why not? I once worked for one of the largest glass container manufacturers […]
Private cars, also called “private varnish”, represent a mode of passenger railroading that’s intriguing and seemingly elusive to most viewing trackside. Who’s in that car? Where is it going? How are they able to do that? All questions that Trains.com staffer Bryson Sleppy has also pondered…and can now help us answer! Follow video highlights of […]
Q: My father, who gave me my first train set in 1974, asked me a couple questions about steam locomotive power that I didn’t know the answers to, so I’m directing them to you. Which wheel configurations are better for pulling a train up a hill versus long freight loads a long distance, and why? Also, […]
If you’re like many model railroaders, your first train was set up on the kitchen table, on a 4 x 8-foot sheet of plywood in the basement, or maybe on the floor around the Christmas tree. But when you’re ready for your first permanent layout, you have to decide where to build a model railroad. […]
Are you building a siding or a yard? Or are you in the process of planning an N scale layout but not sure what turnouts are available? This N scale turnout roundup should help to answer some questions you may have. Turnouts (also referred to as switches) are pieces of track that allow a train […]
Q: I’m putting together some loads for flatbed and open gondola cars consisting of objects like pipe, wood, basically long straight pieces about half a car length in length. What would I use to model steel strapping to hold the loads together? I work in HO scale. — Rich Bond A: The easiest and best-looking solution […]
For many years, HO scale modelers debated whether to use plastic or metal wheelsets on freight cars. That discussion has quieted down over the past two decades, largely because most new models come with metal wheelsets. However, as evidenced by the number of offerings available today, there’s still a strong demand for aftermarket metal wheelsets. […]
Basic tunnel building: Building a tunnel for your layout can be a daunting task, but it’s not nearly as difficult as it may seem! The first step is to determine where on your layout you want the tunnel, a step which you have likely already completed. From there, determine the end points of the tunnel, […]
Christmas tree train set The history of the “putzen” In as early as the 18th century, Protestants immigrating to America were making miniature Nativity scenes in their homes around Christmastime. The Moravians, who at the time settled in the Lehigh Valley (eastern Pennsylvania), are recognized for consistently doing this activity. The term “putzen” is a […]
Q: I am inquiring about the Official Railroad Equipment Register (ORER). It’s been mentioned in Model Railroader articles from time to time. Where can you purchase it? Is it a subscription? And if so, how often is it? What is the pricing? How can it help model railroaders and/or railfans? What kind of information does it […]
