Modeler’s Spotlight Video–Inside Cody’s Office for July 2013

Inside Cody's Office for July 2013

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Associate editor Cody Grivno shows you how to cut an stain strip wood for a model railroad project. Cody used these same techniques when scratchbuilding the freight house for the Model Railroader staff’s latest project layout. He’ll also show you some new model […]

Read More…

HO scale Lehigh & Keystone Valley

MRRA0913_Lehigh_A

Name: Lehigh & Keystone Valley Layout designer: Lehigh & Keystone Valley model railroading club Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 45 x 60 feet Theme: Eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey Locale: Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley Era: 1950-1970 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 960 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 1.5 percent in helix […]

Read More…

N scale Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line

MRRG0913_Norfolk

Name: Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Line Layout designer: Bob Sprague Scale: N (1:160) Size: 12′-10″ x 13′-4″ Prototype: Norfolk Southern Locale: Hershey, Pa. Era: present Style: multilevel walk in Mainline run: 35 feet Minimum radius: 15″ (except where noted) Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the September 2013 Model Railroader. Click […]

Read More…

S scale Central California RR

MRRB0613_Central

Name: Central California RR Layout designers: Robert Jackson and Brian Jackson Scale: S (1:64) Size: 27 x 39 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (diesel) and Southern Pacific (steam and diesel) Locale: Fresno to Sacramento, Calif. Era: 1955-1959 Style: walkaround Height: 55″ to 58″ Benchwork: L-girder Roadbed: Homabed Track: code 100 flextrack and handlaid […]

Read More…

Building Bay Junction part 1

Neil Besougloff next to layout

Beginning in the January 2011 issue you’ll see the latest Model Railroader project layout, the HO scale Bay Junction on the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. We built this modern junction town as part of our MR&T club layout, but we’ll show you how you can build the railroad as a standalone island or shelf layout. […]

Read More…

Thin Branch Series: Making puffball trees

Neil Besougloff holding materials for puffball trees.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Need a lot of tree-covered hills on your layout? In this video, MR’s editor Neil Besougloff shows you how to make common puffball trees. This technique models just the treetops, and it’s a great way to fill background hills with trees quickly. […]

Read More…

Thin Branch Series: Making puffball trees

Neil Besougloff holding materials for puffball trees.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Need a lot of tree-covered hills on your layout? In this video, MR’s editor Neil Besougloff shows you how to make common puffball trees. This technique models just the treetops, and it’s a great way to fill background hills with trees quickly. […]

Read More…

Thin Branch Series Ballasting a 1950s main line track

Cody ballasting alongside a track.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, our one-man ballasting crew, shares his tips and techniques for ballasting a well-groomed 1950s mainline track. Cody takes you through the process start to finish on our HO scale Thin Branch project, but his techniques work just as well in other […]

Read More…

Thin Branch Series Ballasting a 1950s main line track

Cody ballasting alongside a track.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, our one-man ballasting crew, shares his tips and techniques for ballasting a well-groomed 1950s mainline track. Cody takes you through the process start to finish on our HO scale Thin Branch project, but his techniques work just as well in other […]

Read More…

History According to Hediger: The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Ry.

Front of steam locomotive

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Back in the 1970s Jim Hediger and Model Railroader‘s then new editor, Russ Larson, took a fall trip to ride the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Ry., one of the famous western narrow gauge lines. Jim shares the story, complete with some great photographs […]

Read More…