Welcome back to Cody’s Office! This month’s episode is packed with three new products, a helpful modeling tip, and answers to your viewer mail questions. Our featured products include the N scale Electro-Motive Division SD35 diesel locomotive from Atlas Model Railroad Co.; an HO scale Electro-Motive Division NW2 diesel switcher from the WalthersProto series; and a […]
In this Sidetrack Series departure from the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad, you’ll learn how to use brass wire and flat bar to create durable, small-diameter brackets and tension wires for the scratchbuilt generator structures. Throughout the demo, Eric shows viewers how to use specialized tools, including wire nippers and metal-bending […]
The initial segment of the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout edges closer to completion! In this episode, you’ll see how Cody Grivno and David Popp refine roadway detail and paint a touch of earth-tone color over the plaster covered terrain. Be sure to keep up with the construction progress by linking […]
In this episode covering the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout, the construction crew dives into adding scenery and details. They first demonstrate techniques for shaping and smoothing scenes representative of rolling Wisconsin terrain. And then you’ll see the process for adding a grade crossing where the road meets the rails. Be sure […]
Host David Popp shows viewers how to build realistic scenery around the high embankments of the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout. In this instructional video, you’ll learn how to use foam board, packing peanuts, and plaster cloth to create a durable base for additional ground cover and fine scenery materials. It […]
In this episode, David Popp builds out a river with rapids and waterfalls for his Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout. He gets things started by sharing his proven method for installing styrene dams to contain the resin “water” pour. Next, David focuses on creating the riverbed with a mix of sand, rock, and earth. […]
Enthusiasts of railroad engineering will enjoy this helpful, instruction episode, which details how to build and install bridges and abutments on a model train layout. Following the Canadian National prototype, this video focuses on a 70-foot single-track deck girder bridge and a 30-foot single-track through girder bridge. Learn how to properly use a Walthers bridge […]
Menards O rail maintenance office Scale: O (1:48) Price: $49.99 Manufacturer: Menards, 5106 Menard Dr., Eau Claire, WI 54703; menards.com/trains Menards O rail maintenance office features: Factory-assembled scene Factory-installed figures, barrels, cans, crates, ladder, and railroad ties Includes small Cripple Creek & Western Rail Maintenance sign on left side of boxcar and large logo on right […]
Gerry Leone, host of Spaces to Places, works along the streets of Westcott, a Bona Vista HO scale layout town site he thought was previously “finished.” Here, he shows how to add a key missing element – telephone poles (aka utility/power/line poles)! Follow along, and you’ll see Gerry’s process for building, painting, and installing the […]
Follow Model Railroader magazine Editor Eric White as he demonstrates how to scratchbuild generators for the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad. Using manufactured shipping containers as a guide, Eric constructs the generator structures using .040″ styrene sheets. He details the process of cutting and assembling the frame for the units, and […]
Trains.com staff members David Popp and Cody Grivno share their techniques for install printed backdrops on the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout. They use SceniKing paper backdrops and unique craft scissors to seamlessly blend printed scenes—including a river, barn, and tree line—into the painted sky. All of that, plus more scenery […]
From its 1859 charter to the 1995 merger into BNSF Railway, the history and size of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway made it a powerhouse in Class I railroading. Because of its overall popularity, modelers will find it easy to source the necessary materials to create a stunning representation of the iconic railroad. […]
