Q: I live in Tennessee. We do not have train shows in our state. I am 84 years old. What can I do to get train shows near me? – M. Collins A: As one 84-year-old hobbyist, probably not much. But as a member of a group, you might be able to do more than […]
Q: I started model railroading in 1961, when I was a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Two years later, my family and my career began to grow to the point I wasn’t able to pursue my hobby. I packed up my model trains in 1963 and didn’t open the box until recently. To my surprise, it […]
Q: What diesels to pull a 50s coal train? I’m building an “N” scale layout set in the 1950s. I plan to run two loops independent of the rest of the layout, up high, at the back. One loop will have a train running counter-clockwise, consisting of a locomotive and four loaded coal hoppers. When […]
Q: I need some ideas to modernize a club layout. Our HO scale model railroad, which will appear in the July 2023 edition of Trackside Photos, is what I would call “mature.” All the track, scenery, and structures are well in place. We have discussed how to take our model railroad to the next level […]
Rene and Bryson unbox LEGO City trainset 60197. This will be the first of more LEGO train set unboxing and assembly videos to come! […]
Trains.com staffers Bryson Sleppy and Rene Schweitzer review LEGO trackwork basics, and the history of LEGO trains and trackwork. Looking for more information on LEGO trains? Watch Bryson and Rene unbox a LEGO City trainset! […]
Model Railroader‘s Bryson Sleppy loves LEGO! And of course, he loves “digital” interests in model railroading too! So why not put the two together? That’s exactly what he’s done by adding a SoundTraxx Blunami decoder to control his LEGO 10219 Maersk Train Set locomotive fitted with a battery-powered, motorized truck part. Follow along, and you’ll […]
The photo above shows a pair of HO scale 48-foot intermodal containers that I made using paper, cardstock, and cardboard. If you don’t want white containers, copy or print the drawings found in the link to the pdf below full-size on color paper. I find red or blue paper yields the best looking containers. I […]
Troubleshooting problems with gauge-1 switches: If you were to ask any model railroader what the biggest headache on his or her railroad was, “switches” would rank in the top three every time. If we want our trains to do more than just run around in circles, however, they’re a necessary part of any model railroad. […]
The Bay Area Garden Railway Society (BAGRS) is hosting the 2023 National Garden Railway Convention this year. The event runs from July 1-8 at the Hyatt Santa Clara, Calif. and features a variety of events for all ages. The show features an exhibit and vendor hall (The Santa Clara Convention Center, adjacent to the hotel) […]
If you’ve ever tried to run a big locomotive around a small radius curve of track, you probably realized that the minimum recommended track radius is still too small for a lot of rolling stock. Long-wheelbase steam locomotives, in particular, have trouble staying on the rails when the curve is too sharp. Model railroad manufacturers […]
Q: I want to run six-axle power and trains of 15 cars or so around a return loop without any tight curves to it. What would be the recommended curve radius I should use, and how much space for a loop of track do I need? – Mike Bailey A: The flippant answer is, how […]
