Visual trickery has been part of model railroading for many years. John Allen used mirrors on his HO scale Gorre & Daphetid to make scenes appear deeper than they really were. John also made inches appear like miles on his model railroad using structures and scenery to create the illusion of distance, a technique known […]
I bought a second-hand Bachmann rail truck at a good price and wanted to convert it to battery power and radio control. I needed access to an on-off switch, fuse holder, charging plug, volume control, and programming jack. The truck is small and limited as to places to add these items, so I decided […]
David and Cody team up to build roadways on the State Line Route project railroad. Cody shows how to use Walthers’ modern parking lot kit and styrene to make a parking lot for Brown-Smith Global. David tries a new technique for making roads, and he shows how to weather them and add center line striping. […]
Facts & features Name: Richard Shutt’s O gauge layout Dimensions: 21 x 24 feet Track: GarGraves (diameters range from 42 to 72 inches) Switches: Ross Custom Switches Motive power: Lionel (postwar, modern), MTH Rolling stock: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (prewar, postwar, modern), Marx, Menards, MTH, Ready- Made Toys Accessories: Lionel (prewar, postwar, modern) Controls: Lionel […]
Facts & features Name: Herb Lindsay’s O gauge layout Dimensions: 25 x 26 feet Motive power: Atlas O, Lionel, Weaver Rolling stock: Weaver, Wm. K. Walthers Controls: Lionel’s TrainMaster Command Control Structures: Scratchbuilt Download a PDF of this track plan! […]
Reviving a 1980s Z scale train set I bought this 1980s Z scale train set, made by Märklin, as a high school student in 1981 while on a short exchange program visit to southern Germany. I immediately set it up in the bedroom of my host family in the village of Marienthal, in the Rhineland […]
David shares two options for modeling rivers on the State Line Route. He demonstrates how to make a muddy river using two-part resin and tints, and a clear river using one-part resin. Lastly, he adds waves, ripples, and other details to complete the water scene. […]
A solar-powered garden railroad building is a fairly easy project for most do-it-yourselfers. But one day while shopping at a home-improvement store, I stumbled on to a solar pathway light similar in shape to an HO scale model I liked. I thought the size would work well in my garden railroad as a structure. I […]
Durable roadbed for garden railroads, as a topic, developed for me after retirement. For many years, I was an “armchair” garden railroad enthusiast. With plenty of time on my hands I began focusing on building the railroad. Having more time did not make things easier because, being a rookie, I agonized over which method should […]
David is ready to work on the largest industry on our State Line Route project railroad – the rock quarry! He demonstrates how to use rubber rock castings to make the quarry walls. Then he shows to add realistic color to them using craft paints and drybrushing techniques. […]
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! […]
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. […]
