Winston-Salem Southbound Series: Installing Homasote roadbed

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Construction continues on MRVP’s HO scale Winston-Salem Southbound layout. In this video, David Popp shows how to add Homasote roadbed along the track plan he transferred onto the plywood subroadbed. […]

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Winston-Salem Southbound Series: Handlaying track – Part 1

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Renowned MR contributing editor Tony Koester helps take your modeling skills to the next level by walking you through the process of handlaying a turnout on MRVP’s HO scale Winston-Salem Southbound layout. In part one of multiple videos, Tony first discusses turnout terminology […]

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Build the Black River Junction – part 3

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Good looking scenery includes a variety of layered textures and colors. We’ll take a look at how to build some of those first scenic layers on our HO scale project railroad, including this hillside. Bill Zuback photo You may be surprised to find that the biggest part of building our HO Black River Junction project […]

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Red Oak Series: Weathering freight cars

Fingers hold a small scale model boxcar.

Now that scenes on Model Railroader magazine’s 3 x 7-foot N scale Red Oak layout are nearly compete, MR associate editor Eric White turns his attention to enhancing the rolling stock with realistic weathering effects. In this video, Eric shares his techniques for applying weathering powders on both dark and light-colored freight cars. […]

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Winston-Salem Southbound Series: Attaching subroadbed

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Every layout, including MRVP’s HO scale Winston-Salem Southbound Railway, needs a foundation or “subroadbed” for attaching trackwork. In this video, David Popp shows how to install plywood subroadbed over L-girder benchwork. Along the way, he pauses to share helpful tips for making minor […]

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Winston-Salem Southbound Series: Transfer a track plan

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The L-girder benchwork for MRVP’s HO scale project layout, the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway, is now ready to go! In this video, David Popp shares his technique for accurately transferring the pencil-sketched track plan from paper to the plywood tabletop. Even if you aren’t […]

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Model Railroad Operations: Trailing and facing point moves

Andy Sperandeo standing at the MR&T HO scale model railroad layout

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Model Railroader magazine’s contributing editor Andy Sperandeo shows how to make trailing and facing point switching maneuvers on a layout of any size or scale. Viewers get to see and hear Andy talking through the steps, as he operates a diesel locomotive on […]

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Plans for the rail-served Clay Spur bentonite plant

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Vic Worthington built an impressive HO scale model of the Clay Spur bentonite plant that’s featured in the July 2015 Model Railroader. Bentonite is an absorbent clay that’s used in many industrial and consumer products and is often transported by rail. […]

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HO scale Carol Valley RR

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Name: Carol Valley RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-9″ x 18′-6″ Prototype: freelanced subsidiary of Baltimore & Ohio Locale: West Virginia Era: early 1950s Style: around the walls with dropdown Mainline run: 70 feet point-to-point, 98 feet with continuous run Minimum radius: 20″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: open grid, L-girder, […]

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HO scale Cornbelt Northern RR

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Name: Cornbelt Northern RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 30 x 54 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Chicago & North Western, Great Northern, and Milwaukee Road Locale: upper Midwest Era: early 1950s Style: around the walls Mainline run: 215 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Height: 51″ to 57″ Roadbed: […]

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Red Oak Series: Modeling a farm field

David Popp installing commercial grass mats.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page   The farm scene on Model Railroader magazine’s 3 x 7-foot N scale Red Oak layout needed a cornfield. MRVP’s David Popp shows you how he made quick work of this modeling task by installing commercial grass mats using white glue. […]

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Build the Black River Junction – part 2

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A Baltimore & Ohio Fairbanks-Morse switcher clatters over the crossing at Black River Junction. Bill Zuback photo A key part of building a successful model railroad is that the project keeps your interest. One way to stay “hooked” when building a layout is to make sure you can run some trains as quickly as possible. […]

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