When designing their layouts, many model railroaders gravitate towards the 1960s. It’s easy to understand why — to many in the hobby, the 1960s represents one of the most dynamic decades in American railroading, as the last vestiges of steam power faded and diesel locomotives began their reign over America’s rail network, a reign which […]
Most model railroaders strive for accuracy in the construction of their model railroad layout. Of course there are modelers who do not, and of course “accuracy” means different things to different modelers, but broadly, accuracy, in one form or another, is the target for most model railroaders. When constructing their model railroad layouts, many modelers […]
Back in 2010, I was part of a group of contributors to Scenery by the Seasons by Kalmbach Publishing Co. The 98-page book featured stories on modeling seasons on your layout. Among the topics covered were spring backdrops; lily pads, cattails, and pond scum; easy autumn trees; and ice and snow. Though the title is […]
The evolution of model railroad scenery products has been fun to watch. In prior generations, molded-Styrofoam mountains and scenery mats with dyed green sawdust were considered the norm. Today, we’re blessed with a variety of tools and products that make our layouts look more like what we see when we’re standing trackside. In this article, […]
Although most model railroads are set in the verdant summer or colorful autumn, the snow-covered landscapes of a northern winter offer an unmatched visual drama. From paint to grout to powdered stone to commercial modeling products, there are many possible answers to the question of how to model snow on a model railroad layout. Modelers […]
