An easy Halloween project for your O gauge railroad is sprucing up a store-bought holiday item to add to your layout. With a few supplies, you can complete this project. It’s appropriate for all skill levels, too, so the kids can help! While browsing the Halloween section at Menards, my husband found some fun décor […]
Q: In the ’70s I built an HO scale layout for my sons. Not knowing any better, I used flat black paint for my roads and streets. Now my sons are grown up, and I want to get back in the hobby with a new layout. Can you tell me what color to paint roads […]
What do you do if you have a car that has different colored numbers on each side and you want to change them? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email […]
Replacing the couplers Need to replace the couplers on your scale model? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com […]
Q: I was wondering, what regulations govern hauling steel? What are the rules for hauling steel beams, sheet metal, and rolled steel? With steel beams, do they go by the weight of the beam or the thickness? What about sheet metal loads; do they go by thickness or quantity of the load? With rolled steel, […]
Creating your own weathered models that look great? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and […]
What is the best way to secure roadbed to a layout? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for […]
Q: How were steam era water tanks filled? Was special water tank rolling stock used? – Tony Gastler A: No, steam-era water tanks were generally not filled with water brought by train. If that were an efficient way to move water in bulk, steam locomotives would just pull bigger tenders. Water towers were connected to […]
How to clean a dirty diesel locomotive Q: I just bought a 35-year-old Athearn HO SD45 painted as Electro-Motive Division’s demonstrator No. 4353. The old model has picked up a lot of dirt over the years, and I’m not sure how to go about cleaning it without damaging the paint job. Also, were the prototype […]
Cutting pliers are an essential modeling tool, and have many uses in model railroading. The most common are for cutting rail, brass stock, and plastic, depending upon the hardness of the steel that was used to make the plier’s cutting surfaces. Hobby cutting pliers are typically labeled for the types of materials they will cut. […]
Looking for help with your model railroad? Looking for a specific article or video? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature […]
Help celebrate CTT’s 35th Anniversary in the Nov.-Dec. 2022 issue! The cover features a specially painted set of Lionel F3s done by Len Carparelli. His business, L&L Model Train Restoration Co. celebrates a milestone anniversary of its own; we have a look at some of his work over the years. Of course, there’s also a […]
