Introduction In an article in the August 2011 Model Railroader, I described a method to control yard ladders with a single rotary switch. By simply turning the rotary switch, all turnouts would automatically line up for the selected yard track. The method was based on using a bipolar power supply, Tortoise switch machines, and one […]
Read how Brooks Stover made a three-hour operating session for a 6- to 8-member crew with what seemed like so little action. Adding operations to a model railroad […]
Read how John Armstrong developed the Southern Pacific Lines Shasta Division for Otis McGree, Jr. Main line through the mountains […]
Many of our model railroads have freight stations, but we don’t always make the most of their operational possibilities. Especially for cities from medium to larger size, freight stations can be among the busiest industries on our layouts. Freight stations provide rail service to businesses that don’t have their own rail sidings. You can think […]
Featured in the October 2020 Model Railroader, Thom Radice’s HO scale Western & Atlantic model train layout is set during the American Civil War and a line that ran between Atlanta, Ga., and Chattanooga, Tenn. […]
In any hobby, or indeed in any field, there is terminology used as shorthand by those with experience in the hobby or field, to refer to things specific to that hobby. That terminology, though, can be a barrier to entry for the uninitiated. This article is intended to serve as a brief introduction to model […]
Dispatcher control (cab control)To operate more than one train using direct current (DC) train control, a model railroad can be divided into a series of isolated electrical blocks. A dispatcher then assigns one or more blocks to an operator’s cab, allowing him to run his train in these areas. Memory throttleA memory throttle allows an […]
Want to add a basic locomotive servicing area but don’t have room for the turntable, roundhouse, and other shop and warehouse buildings typical of a large facility? As this 1953 photo of a Missouri Pacific RR fueling facility in Little Rock, Ark., shows, a no-frills fueling area can easily be modeled in limited space. At […]
Go to page 1 Go to page 2 The second component of car hire is the mileage payment. Each car has an assigned mileage rate, which is multiplied by the number of miles it runs over other carriers to determine payments. Railroad-owned cars (whose reporting marks are railroad initials) are subject to both per diem […]
A messy work area is not only unsightly, it is unsafe. A shop floor needs to be kept clear of dust and debris. Losing your footing can result in a sprained ankle, not to mention hitting your head on your workbench. Sweeping up at the end of your work session is all that is needed […]
Start watching this project model railroad video series 4 weeks to a bigger layout: Benchwork 4 weeks to a bigger layout: Roadbed and track 4 weeks to a bigger layout: Scenery 4 weeks to a bigger layout:Ballast 4 weeks to a bigger layout: Structures 4 weeks to a bigger layout: Operations […]
Follow Model Railroader Managing Editor David Popp as he shows you some of the configurations of our Beer Line project layout. He also show you some of the operations on the HO scale railroad, including how we use a car-card-and-waybill operating system. […]
