David returns to the task of pulling the painted parts and pieces together…all in manner that ensures the passenger car will operate as well as it looks. But before he puts a lid on this project, David also shows how to add the most important component – the paying passenger figures! Before he gets away, […]
My railroad is located in the last 12 feet at the end of my backyard and occupies an area about 12’ x 43’, with no hope for expansion. Although I’m generally happy with the 120’ of track in a folded dog bone configuration, I’m always looking for ways to add more track without making it […]
Name: The Train Masters of Babylon Gauge: ODimensions: 41 x 60 feetTrack: GarGraves (diameters range from 128 to 180 inches)Turnouts: Ross Custom SwitchesMotive power: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (postwar, modern), MTH, Weaver, WilliamsRolling stock: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (postwar, modern), Menards, MTH, Weaver, WilliamsControls: Lionel Type-ZW (5), MTH Nos. Z-1000 (2) and Z-4000 (11) transformers […]
Running a locomotive around a layout is fun, but eventually you may want to make your train to be powered by more than one engine. On the railroad this is called “multiple-unit operation.” If you have two or more DCC-equipped locomotives, you can run your own multiple-unit locomotive consists. This article will explain how to […]
Do you need some industries for small spaces on your model railroad? If you ask modeler railroaders something they’d like to have more of, space will be a common answer. Everything in our hobby takes up space – benchwork, track, structures, and scenery, among other items. When I kick around layout plans for my basement, […]
Kid-friendly garden railroading: We all know that garden railroading is a magical hobby, one that we enjoy sharing with other adult enthusiasts. But have you considered inviting a child to share in the fascination? Kids of any age (and adults too) aren’t given to stand by and idly observe a garden railway. Rather, most would […]
Our host proves that you don’t have to focus on just one thing for great lengths to find the fun in this hobby! This time out, he’s got a paint stripping project to tackle, retaining walls to install, and a tunnel to daylight a tad more. And if that’s not enough, David even discovers a […]
Adding scenery to your layout can take it from a basic track setup to a realistic and immersive world. It’s an exciting and creative part of model railroading that allows you to design and construct a unique landscape for your trains to travel through. However, it can be overwhelming to know where to start which […]
Building a model railroad can be a fun and rewarding hobby. It can also be messy and time-consuming, especially when it comes to a wood-built surface for the layout. One has to ask, “Does my model railroad’s layout surface need to be wood-built, or are there other methods that don’t make such a mess?” Foam […]
Adding water and smoke to an O scale garden railway While picking up my supply of filtered water, I was “amazed and mystified” by the counter display—a faucet floating in mid air, spouting a stream of water that never quite filled a bucket. When the owner showed me the clear plastic tube that had been […]
OK, time for a show of hands. How many of you enjoy ballasting? That’s what I expected. Ballasting isn’t an aspect of the hobby most modelers enjoy. However, I’ve ballasted parts or all of several Model Railroader project layouts over the years, and I’ve come to enjoy adding those tiny granules to layouts. When I […]
Hypertufa recipe and techniques How have you made structures and walls with hypertufa or similar cement products? Two reports show four different applications for hypertufa. Ray Turner shows a picture of his helix mountain still unpainted for us to study; the final photo shows a magnificently finished set of bridges spanning the cement-product valley backdropped […]
