Q: I’m planning a reversing loop on my layout. Must isolated sidings inside a reversing loop be part of the reversing section? Or can they be part of the main power bus? – R. John Kohlbrand A: There are three potential ways to wire up separate sidings and spurs that connect to a reversing section […]
Common name: Trost’s Dwarf cutleaf birch, Dwarf European birch Latin name: Betula pendula ‘Trost’s Dwarf’, synonym: Betula platyphylla Plant type: Shrubs & small trees Plant size: 3-4′ high by 3′ wide before pruning USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 (10, given moisture) Cultural needs: Sun; moist, drained, slightly acidic One day a horticulturist noticed a finely divided […]
Q: I would like to add a speaker to a decoder in my Atlas locomotive. But I plan to run it on a DC analog system. Can I still put the speaker on or can I not? – Zachary Chevalier A: There are such things as motor-only and function-only DCC decoders, so to know if yours […]
Facts & features Name: Ottawa Junction Ry. Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 28 x 30 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Locale: Kansas Era: 1952 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 24 feet on Second District, 24 feet on main line through Ottawa Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: 3/4″ plywood on […]
Facts & features Name: Pacific Railway & Navigation Co. Scale: Proto:48 (O fine scale) Size: 40 x 60 feet Prototype: Northern Pacific; Great Northern; Spokane, Portland & Seattle; and PR&N Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: mid-1950s Style: walk-in multi-deck Mainline run: approx. 1,200 feet Minimum radius: 84″ Minimum turnout: no. 7 (spurs), no. 8 (main) Maximum […]
All Aboard facts & features Name: All Aboard Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10 x 35 feet Prototype: freelanced, based on Milwaukee Road Locale: Wisconsin Era: 1940-60s Style: walkaround Mainline run: Red Track, 58 feet; Blue Track, 49 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 (yard), no. 6 (other) Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: open […]
Q: Years ago, I used Liquitex Gloss Medium to create the water in two rivers on my layout. Now, I’ve noticed that they’re not as glossy as they once were. I periodically use a Woodland Scenics Dust Dabber and a wide, soft paintbrush to remove dust from the surface. How would you recommend that I clean the […]
A lot of model railroads – and model railroaders – start out with that old standby, the 4 x 8-foot train table. The main reason is convenience; 4 x 8 feet is the size of a standard sheet of plywood. Extruded-foam insulation board, a popular train layout scenic foundation material, also comes in that size. […]
Berkshire 2-8-4 locomotive: When I was a kid, my dad once showed me his childhood Lionel set. He had a Lionel no. 726RR Berkshire set with a few extra pieces stored in a metal crate. I never got to see it set up or operate, unfortunately. I had no idea what a Berkshire was back […]
Kitbashing a large-scale Pacific from a broken Aristo-Craft model wasn’t easy, but the result has been worth the work. My family has a history of model railroading spanning three generations. My grandfather modeled O scale as a child in the 1940s and passed that love along to my father in the 1970s, and who got […]
Overlooked Lionel postwar accessories? Yes, these stalwarts are well known but aren’t always top of mind when someone is asked to list the company’s greatest gems. Click here to see the 7 Lionel accessories that usually garner the spotlight. Read on to find out what the “Rodney Dangerfields” of postwar Lionel are. ZW transformer 1948-66 The […]
Sidewalks and curbs for a garden railway: My downtown area had realistic paved streets. Now it was time to add some sidewalks and curbs. I went to the local Home Depot and found inexpensive small square shower floor tiles in a natural stone color. I also found some beige plastic tile edging, which I’d use […]
