In the October 2000 issue of Classic Toy Trains, photographer William Zuback and I photographed performer Mandy Patinkin’s layout. We spent a couple of days with he and his family. Joining us was Rich Roman, whose highly successful layout building firm, East Coast Enterprises, was responsible for much of the design and look of Mandy’s […]
Industrial switcher locomotives add realism to any layout. Don’t believe me? OK, time for a show of hands. When you pass by a rail-served industry, do you take a quick glance to see if there’s a switcher on the property? That’s what I thought. I’m guilty of this, too. Today, thanks to satellite images on […]
This large scale indoor club layout started life as a custom build of a local large-scale collector. The 8-by-11-foot board had been unused for at least a decade and I immediately knew where this display would be best displayed — at the 7.5” gauge, 1.5” scale live-steam train club that I belong to. Many […]
The layout at a glance Name: Chesapeake & Allegheny RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13 x 36 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: mid-Atlantic Era: 1950-60s Style: around the walls Mainline run: 201 feet Maximum grade: 3 percent Minimum curve radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Benchwork: open grid and L-girder Height: 55″-70″ Roadbed: Homasote Track: handlaid […]
Seven operating session tips will help model railroaders step back from, or maybe step into, their layout by sharing the experience with others. For starters, operation gives a model railroad purpose. A layout compares with a theater’s stage, its props the scenery and rolling stock. In an operating session, this stage springs to life, re-creating […]
David and Rene prepare the State Line Route layout for scenery by smoothing out the terrain. Then they show how to model a farm field using scenery materials, such as grass mats, static grass, trees, and more! […]
A large scale engine house project is just one example of how buildings complete a scene. It little matters if the large scale railroad is an indoor table presentation or an outdoor garden expanse. I built a two-bay roundhouse with the added feature it can be partially disassembled for storage and transport. It’s a hybrid […]
Looking for a budget Christmas train layout? Look no further. Classic Toy Trains Production Editor Rene Schweitzer and Digital Editor Steve Sweeney sort through garland, tinsel, ceramic buildings, and LED lights and more from Menards worth about $60. Watch them craft or place each piece for a winter-themed layout in less time than it takes […]
Senior Editor Eric White evaulates and troubleshoots an HO scale brass steam locomotive from Sunset Models to figure out why the gearbox isn’t turning. […]
Today’s sketch was drawn long before Sketching with Steve was a gleam in anyone’s eye. It was 2008, and I’d been with Model Railroader less than a year. Finally, the resources to build my HO scale version of the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern Ry. in 1906 were within my reach! I drew this track plan […]
Learn how David and Rene use materials such as foam, paper, and plaster sheets to begin forming the terrain on the State Line N scale layout. […]
Lionel 6464 boxcars help Lionel Corp. mark 1953 as a turning point. Yes, a year after blazing a new trail with classic streamlined passenger cars, the engineering and sales teams at Lionel fielded near-scale models of a modern flatcar, a triple-dome tank car, and a porthole caboose. Perhaps most important of all, the company […]
