Rocky Mountaineer Colorado Adventure

In the fall of 2021, Trains.com staff rode Amtrak train no. 5, California Zephyr from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Denver, Colorado, with the expressed intent of capturing seasonal operations of Rocky Mountaineer’s Colorado-Utah excursion. While best known for day treks into the Canadian Rockies, this new Rocky Mountaineer route offers patrons a similar mountain canyon experience […]

Read More…

Bob’s Train Box Episode 75

Bob Keller in the studio for Bob's Train Box 75

Bob and regular guest CTT editor Hal Miller have a look at MTH Trains’ new SW1 switcher. Check out the review in the January 2022 issue. The host also lights up Atlas O holiday boxcars, and shows some of his collection of railroad signs plus others available at Kalmbachhobbystore.com. […]

Read More…

Bob’s Train Box Episode 75

Bob Keller in the studio for Bob's Train Box 75

Bob and regular guest CTT editor Hal Miller have a look at MTH Trains’ new SW1 switcher. Check out the review in the January 2022 issue. The host also lights up Atlas O holiday boxcars, and shows some of his collection of railroad signs plus others available at Kalmbachhobbystore.com. […]

Read More…

Ask MR: Building and powering a garden railroad

Large-scale track is seen resting in a bed of gravel in front of a small wood depot

Q: I am building a garden railroad in Colorado. Any suggestions as to how I should build and lay my track? – Dennis Dvorak, Colorado Springs, Colo. A: Our sister magazine, Garden Railways, published a whole lot of information about how to build a garden railroad. Model Railroader’s Rene Schweitzer, who comes from GR-land, says that many […]

Read More…

An introduction to track wiring basics

Diagram showing the path power takes from a booster, through a bus, and to the track.

There is probably no other aspect of our hobby that creates more anxiety and confusion for newcomers than wiring. When you’re starting at absolute ground zero on the learning curve it can be daunting at times. However, at the most basic level, what we’re trying to do is get electricity from a power source to […]

Read More…