With school back in session, the sun setting earlier, and the first hints of autumn showing up in the trees, it also means we’re getting back to peak model railroading season. Are you searching for some workbench projects to keep you busy this fall and winter? Here are five cabooses you can model. I just […]
Name: Walt Urban Jr.’s HK&WU RR Gauge: ODimensions: 12½ x 16 feet Track and switches: Lionel (diameters range from 31 to 72 inches)Motive power: Lionel (postwar, modern)Rolling stock: Lionel (postwar, modern)Controls: Lionel type-ZW transformers (2)Accessories: Lionel (postwar, modern)Structures: MTH, PlasticvilleVehicles: Lionel Download the track plan for this layout! Buy the Classic Toy Trains […]
Name: Russ Boersma’s O gauge layout Dimensions: 22 x 34 feet Track and switches: GarGraves (diameters from 72 to 120 inches) Motive power: Lionel (postwar, modern), MTH Rolling stock: Atlas O, Lionel (postwar, modern), MTH, Williams Accessories: Lionel (postwar, modern), MTH Controls: Lionel type-ZW, MTH No. Z-4000 transformers with Lionel Legacy and MTH Digital Command […]
I hope you’ve enjoyed the tour we’ve taken of Amtrak’s short consists throughout the railroad’s history. Starting with the modern era, we then went back in time to the 1970s, then the 80s and 90s. This month, we’re looking at my favorite era of short Amtrak consists. Is it because that’s when I grew up? […]
Classic Trains’ series “Diesels that didn’t” explores diesel locomotives that didn’t make it to large-scale production due to a variety of factors. However, some of those diesels made it to mass-production in the scale model world. Let’s take a look at the products offered to those modeling the diesels that didn’t. Electro-Motive Division BL2 HO […]
On our layouts, ballast is strictly a scenic element. We use the material, whether it’s crushed real rocks, dyed walnut shells, or other material, to simulate the rocks used on full-size railroads. But prototype ballast is far from cosmetic. Among the uses for ballast on the prototype are to prevent track from shifting up and […]
In recent months, I have dug deep into the archives to find the shortest Amtrak trains of each decade. Since most of us modelers have limited layout space, if we still want to model prototypical passenger consists, these short trains are a perfect fit. Join me on a tour of Amtrak eras, this time exploring […]
If you’ve read stories about diesel locomotives on Trains.com or in Kalmbach Media’s railroad magazines and books, you’ve most likely seen references to diesel locomotives by generation. But what does generation mean? Unlike automobiles, locomotive manufacturers don’t bring out new models each year. The same basic locomotive model can stay in production for years – […]
Name: The Train Masters of Babylon Gauge: ODimensions: 41 x 60 feetTrack: GarGraves (diameters range from 128 to 180 inches)Turnouts: Ross Custom SwitchesMotive power: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (postwar, modern), MTH, Weaver, WilliamsRolling stock: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (postwar, modern), Menards, MTH, Weaver, WilliamsControls: Lionel Type-ZW (5), MTH Nos. Z-1000 (2) and Z-4000 (11) transformers […]
Throughout the past few months, I have shown you how different small Amtrak trains can be modeled with only a few pieces of equipment. If you’ve read those previous articles, you might have noticed a pattern. Amtrak trains that operate between a big city and a much smaller city or town, such as Chicago and […]
When the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; and Spokane, Portland & Seattle merged to create the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, the new railroad had an interesting fleet of cabooses. While there were plenty of cars built by commercial builders, mainly International Car Co., BN’s fleet was also filled with cabooses […]
Today, it’s easier than ever to railfan without leaving the comfort of your home. Kalmbach Media is one of several companies that offers DVDs on various prototype subjects. If you prefer seeing trains in real time, you can watch any number of railfan webcams, such as the one Trains magazine has at Rochelle, Ill. This […]
