Repairing water-damaged locomotives

Model trains are often kept in spaces below grade, which are subject to dampness or worse, flood water! Fortunately, if your locomotives are left damaged from such flooding, it doesn’t necessarily equate to total loss. In this video, David Popp walks through the process of evaluating the damage through the steps required to get your […]

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Spaces to Places V | A new path to the underpass, part 2

Spaces to Places V: A new path to the underpass In the previous episode of Spaces to Places, host Gerry Leone got sidetracked from his efforts to build out a highway underpass. But his attention to accommodating a yard ladder will pay off when it comes to shaping up a more desired space for the […]

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Spaces to Places V | A new path to the underpass, part 2

Spaces to Places V: A new path to the underpass In the previous episode of Spaces to Places, host Gerry Leone got sidetracked from his efforts to build out a highway underpass. But his attention to accommodating a yard ladder will pay off when it comes to shaping up a more desired space for the […]

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10 snowy places you could model

As snowflakes whirl in the sky, a black coal train emerges from a tunnel into a white Rocky Mountain scene

Looking to take your modeling techniques to new heights while adding a cool factor to your layout? How about the unique challenge of recreating a winter wonderland full of ice and, of course, snow. From railroading landmarks to end-to-end railroads, consider these 10 snowy places you could model. If you have another place in mind, […]

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How to model snow on a model railroad layout

A geared steam locomotive leads a train onto a wood trestle covered with snow

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 […]

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How to ballast Kato N scale Unitrack

A steam locomotive sits on a diorama base with ballasted track.

I can’t deny that I love Kato Unitrack. Its ease of operation, solid electrical contact, top-notch quality, and quick setup time make it irresistible to me. And unlike other plastic roadbed track brands and products, it has more prototypical dimensions. But there’s also no denying that straight out of the box it looks toy-like, a […]

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Design a toy train layout

Toy trains on track

Design a toy train layout — O, S, or Standard/Wide gauge — it requires above all making one fundamental decision. Each operator must decide what sort of look he or she wants the layout to have. To be specific, each modeler has to figure out the extent to which the layout, regardless of size or […]

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The Hills Line with James McNab | The Magic in Pixels, Episode 19

In this concluding episode of the Hills Line series on Trains.com Video, host James McNab puts his HO scale module through the paces in a photo session designed to create stunning scenic vistas. Discover his clever lighting and composition techniques for bringing the expanse of the great outdoors into his basement – all to shape […]

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Spaces to Places V | Planning a dramatic highway underpass, part 1

Gerry Leone’s Spaces to Places rolls on! He’s back to build out yet another section of his Bona Vista HO scale model railroad. But first he shares quick insights on how he finished of a small portion of scenery just outside the city limits of Westcott. Then he’s ‘Back on Track’ for laying down the rails […]

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Spaces to Places V | Planning a dramatic highway underpass, part 1

Gerry Leone’s Spaces to Places rolls on! He’s back to build out yet another section of his Bona Vista HO scale model railroad. But first he shares quick insights on how he finished of a small portion of scenery just outside the city limits of Westcott. Then he’s ‘Back on Track’ for laying down the rails […]

Read More…