Steve Miazga describes how he built a potato warehouse, including modeling mortar rubble walls, for his N scale layout in the July 2020 Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this by clicking here. […]
Plans for a potato warehouse
Tag: How To
How to cast plaster rocks for model railroad scenery
David Popp Nothing says “impressive” quite like a rugged mountain range full of jagged rock faces. Though mountains appear solid to us, many are just individual layers of rocks, stacked one on top of another. If you keep this idea in mind, then adding impressive rock features to your layout isn’t a difficult task. Whether […]
DIY rock molds from Play-Doh
Use this quick tip to make custom rock molds for realistic model railroad scenery Want to make unique rock castings? Here’s an interesting method that was featured in the March 2002 Classic Toy Trains. Play-Doh, a children’s modeling toy, is a great one-time-use mold-making material. It’s water-soluble, easy to work with, and reproduces crisp details […]
How to choose a scale: A garden railroader’s guide
This three-rail track incorporates two different gauges—0 gauge and 1-gauge. Trains in 16mm-scale (1:19) and 15mm-scale (1:20.3) are equally at home on these rails. Marc Horovitz Download the PDF here. Let’s look at the various scales available and list their characteristics, with an eye to finding their advantages and disadvantages. As mentioned above, the thing […]
Modeling steers and bulls
Most N scale bovines offered by figure manufacturers are milk cows, but the Montana cattle industry requires steers and bulls, too. Dan Lewis uses wire and Microscale Kristal Kleer to turn cows into bulls, as well as to model longhorns, on his N scale Milwaukee Road North Montana Line. One problem I encountered with commercially […]
Modeling tip: Extra flags for locomotives
A feature one doesn’t see modeled very often is white extra flags. On a line like the North Montana that hosted mostly time freights, extra trains carrying livestock and grain were seasonal. Extra flags can be easily made from .008″ brass wire and small squares cut from white tissue paper. After gluing the flags onto […]
How-To Library: Spaces To Places II: Building Eagle Lake, Part 3 Road Construction
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Gerry Leone is back on the streets again. In this episode, he shares how to scribe cracks into concrete roads; apply a realistic, aged concrete color; include brick pavement; and add a dirt alley between buildings. […]
Tips for identifying modern diesel locomotives
Many readers have asked how we identify the current crop of big, modern road diesels. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy, as many locomotive designs have evolved into a family of similar looking locomotives. This means modelers have to study the details to figure out what locomotive is represented by a specific scale model. Comparing the model […]
Video 101: Along the line
We continually search for ways to encourage children to interact with the trains on Train Days at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (California). While it’s wise to keep the kids and adults at a safe distance from the live steam exhibit, the museum’s large collection of Brio train parts, the ride-on train in the […]
Video 101: Along the line
We continually search for ways to encourage children to interact with the trains on Train Days at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (California). While it’s wise to keep the kids and adults at a safe distance from the live steam exhibit, the museum’s large collection of Brio train parts, the ride-on train in the […]
HO scale Frisco Lines
Layout at a glance Name: Frisco Lines Layout owner: John Peluso Scale: HO scale (1:87.1) Size: 16 x 30 feet Prototype: St. Louis-San Francisco Ry. (Frisco) Locale: St. Louis to Springfield, Mo. Era: late 1950s to late 1960s Style: double-deck walk-in Mainline run: 400 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (main), 26″ (staging) Minimum turnout: no. 8 […]
How-to Library: Airbrushing with Aaron, Episode 13, Weathering small-scale vehicles
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Host Aaron Skinner takes up the task of adding realistic weathering effects to make the trucks and machinery on your layout appear like they’ve been working hard. Follow along to learn his techniques for modeling chipped paint, adding dirt and grime, getting a […]
