Canadian Canyons Series: Part 33 – Flexible foam and rubber rocks

Kent Johnson next to layout scenery

Looking to add a detailed rock face in a space that’s tall, narrow, and situated along a curved track section? In this episode of the N scale Canadian Canyons Series, Kent Johnson shows he’s up to the challenge as he demonstrates how to use flexible foam and rubber products to model rocks formations in a […]

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Realistic weathering tips for freight car models

Pelle Soeborg freight car weathering tips

This view of the Daneville Yard on Pelle Søeborg’s HO scale Union Pacific layout shows a variety of equipment with weathered roofs. He completed all of the weathering with powdered pastels, hobby paints, and an airbrush Years ago, when I became interested in weathering model trains, I found it extremely difficult to find roof photos, […]

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Computer desktop wallpaper from the May 2018 Model Railroader

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Click on the links at left to download this image sized appropriately for your computer screen. On a late fall afternoon, a New York Central Niagara departs Ellison with an express while a Pennsylvania RR E6 Atlantic picks up a cut of cars. Paul Kahne shot the photo on Lee Gasparik’s O scale Pennsylvania & […]

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Off The Rails: Episode 23

Off the Rails with Gerry Leone Episode 24

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In this episode of Off The Rails, host Gerry Leone puts the brakes on runaway trains! Gerry shares a couple helpful suggestions for keeping freight cars from rolling downhill, even when your entire layout is set on a pitch! Plus, Gerry’s friend Dave […]

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Build a layout that highlights 1950 Lionel

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Collectors concentrating on the outfits, locomotives, and accessories offered by Lionel during a single year in the post-World War II era will find inspiration in the compact O gauge layout developed by Robert Banks. He has designed an 11 x 11-foot three-rail display capable of letting three trains operate simultaneously. Build a layout that highlights […]

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Canadian Canyons Series: Part 32 – Carving rock strata

Kent Johnson next to layout scenery

Now that the sloped mountainsides have an initial surface, Kent returns to the scenes to carve out realistic rock strata. In this segment you’ll quickly learn how to use an inexpensive steak knife, a thinned Sculptamold mixture, and a variety of Woodland Scenics plaster brushes/tools to shape extremely eroded rock formations like to those found […]

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Canadian Canyons Sidetrack: Slide Sheds in SketchUp, Part 3

Eric White’s SketchUp design for an N scale slide shed has printed and shipped from Shapeways! Now it’s time for him to test the fit, finish the model, prep the material, and then add paint and weathering for a realistic rusty appearance. Follow all of the helpful tips and tricks Eric used to bring this […]

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Canadian Canyons Sidetrack: Slide Sheds in SketchUp, Part 2

Eric White is back at the computer to refine his SketchUp design for a 3-D printed slide shed on our N scale Canadian Canyons layout. This time, he’ll walk you through the steps for finalizing and proofing the design, and then preparing the file for production. Follow along, as Eric makes cutting-edge modeling look easy! […]

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Canadian Canyons Sidetrack: Slide Sheds in SketchUp, Part 1

For his second sidetrack series to our Canadian Canyons project, MR’s Eric White tackles construction of an N scale timber slide shed. But rather than launching into an complex scratchbuilding effort, Eric demonstrates how to use SketchUp modeling software to design and create an intricate 3-D model. Follow along as he blogs about this pioneering […]

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Scott Gould’s concrete roadbed

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Scott Gould Scott Gould Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Zone 5 Concrete strong Sixteen years ago or so I built a layout that loops atop a mound of rock in the center of our backyard. I was agile then, but still had difficulty reaching tracks above a pond. Now, with my 75th birthday rapidly approaching, only my […]

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Canadian Canyons Series: Part 31 – Surfacing with Shaper Sheet

Kent Johnson and Drew Halverson next to layout scenery

Drew and Kent have relied on paper-based Sculptamold to fill in the sloped mountainside thus far. In this episode, they demonstrate another scenery surfacing technique that utilizes a relatively new and versatile product from Woodland Scenics. Watch and learn how easily Shaper Sheet can be use to cover broad patches of terrain, all without adding […]

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