There are three basic ingredients to any paint: the pigment, the binder, and the solvent. The pigment is what gives the paint its color. These are either synthetic or organic, depending on the desired color. The binder does just as the name suggests. Its job is to hold everything together once the paint dries. The […]
Have you ever been curious as to just how fast your locomotives can travel and what will happen if a speeding train encounters a sharp curve? With a stretch of straight track to accelerate on, and an O-27 curve at the end, you can usually find out. But the question remains: Just how fast can […]
3-D print problem I stopped using my 3-D printers for a couple of months, then recently printed a part and noticed that the layers were not adhering as I expected. Under a microscope I could see tiny particles that prevented proper adhering of the material. I found that everything else had dust on it. I […]
Garden railroad workshops come in all shapes and sizes. What is important about the workshop is that the work surface be large enough to accommodate whatever it is you want to work on without knocking into your stash of tools, paint and glue bottles, or anything else. Make sure your workbench is sturdy. The height […]
Narrow gauge modeler Gregg Condon presents a simple way to make model railroad scenery right at your workbench. In this quick-tip video, you’ll see how realistic model railroad scenes can be crafted from a comfortable, seated position, with all of your supplies right at hand! […]
Class is now in session! This period, Professor Roger Carp leads the lecture regarding the Lionel Trains post-war era Operating Cattle Car and Corral. CTT Editor Hal Miller also offers up insights on the operation of the beloved accessory. For even more info on the Cattle Car, read the March 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine. […]
The layout at a glance Name: Karlberg Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 15″ x 9′-0″ Theme: generic granger road Locale: upper Midwest Era: 1950s Style: shelf Mainline run: 8 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 4 percent (interchange) Benchwork: tabletop Height: 54″ Roadbed: Homasote Track: Micro Engineering code 55 Scenery: extruded-foam insulation board Backdrop: photographs Control: Digitrax Digital Command Control plus ProtoThrottle See a PDF version of this […]
Layout at a glance Name: CSX Thurmond, W.Va. Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 47 feet Prototype: proto-freelanced CSX Locale: Thurmond, W.Va. Era: Present day Style: Shelf Minimum radius: 32″ main, 24″ in industrial park and RJ Corman shortline Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: box girder Height: 56″ Roadbed: birch plywood Track: Peco code 83 flextrack Scenery: extruded-foam insualtion board Backdrop: hand-painted on medium-density fiberboard Control: NCE wireless Digital […]
The layout at a glance Name: Boston & Maine Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 14 x 25 feet Prototype: Boston & Maine Locale: Springfield, Mass., to White River Junction, Vt. Era: Autumn, late 1950s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 80 feet Minimum radius: 32” Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: less than 1 percent Benchwork: L-girder Height: […]
As CTT Editor Hal Miller shares, getting a toy train set up and running for the holidays is a timeless tradition! And as CTT Senior Editor Roger Carp explains, getting your hands on an uncatalogued Lionel/MPC set from 1973 can be a special treat in the 2020 holiday season. […]
The first lesson we learn when we take our trains outdoors is that nature doesn’t play favorites. Our sensible action is to choose materials for our projects that will stand up to the forces of nature. Plastic “Plastic” is a generic term, for which there exist many variants. Most large-scale trains are made of ABS, […]
Turn signals and taillights on model trucks and cars are easily applied using simple hobby chemicals and even a touch of food coloring. Painting turn signals and taillights The number of vehicle models available today is greater than ever. Though the selection of makes and models is large, it’s the small things that make or […]
