The benchwork is built for the Model Railroader staff’s N scale Red Oak project. Next comes the tricky task of transferring the track plan to the foam tabletop. Get some tips from Model Railroader Video Plus producer David Popp, including a look at the layout’s styrene backdrop and the wiring channel around the tabletop. […]
Model Railroader readers first encountered a track plan designed by John Armstrong in 1952. John became popular, and dozens of his designs were published in magazines and books, earning him the title “dean of track planners.” He died in 2004. John’s style was fully “out of the box” for the time. You might wonder if […]
Don’t miss the updated track buyer’s guide in the January 2015 issue! Download this companion article on how to select the best track for your layout. How to select the best track for your layout […]
Layout designer: Ray Stuber Scale: O Layout size: 8 x 12 Track type: Lionel Fastrack Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the December 2014 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Steam in the coal fields track plan Steam in the coal fields track plan schematic […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Adding weathering effects to the trackwork of MRVP’s On30 Olympia Logging Co. layout can be just as beneficial as adding them to locomotives, rolling stock and structures. In this video, Cody Grivno walks through the steps for giving the rails and ties a […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page All the prep work is done, so now David can get down to the task of installing flexible On30 track and turnouts on MRVP’s Olympia Logging Co. layout. David demonstrates all of the essential tracklaying steps, including how to cut and trim the […]
Installing cork roadbed is the first step to laying reliable trackwork on MRVP’s On30 Olympia Logging Co. display-style layout. In this video, David shows you basic techniques for preparing, cutting, fitting, and securing the HO scale roadbed along the main line, sidings, and on the sector plate. Plus, David also demonstrates how one specific product […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page The sector plate used to transfer trains from one track to another is just one of the many intriguing features included on MRVP’s On30 Olympia Logging Co. display-style layout. David Popp walks you through sector plate and base assembly, installation, and alignment steps, […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page The sector plate used to transfer trains from one track to another is just one of the many intriguing features included on MRVP’s On30 Olympia Logging Co. display-style layout. David Popp walks you through sector plate and base assembly, installation, and alignment steps, […]
Three Peco curved turnouts (left) helped senior editor Jim Hediger fit this reverse loop staging yard on his HO scale Ohio Southern. The switch machines are top mounted for clearance underneath and easier maintenance. The smooth-flowing lines of a gently curved switch lead produce some of the most realistic looking trackwork we’re likely to find […]
Before starting construction, MRVP’s Kent Johnson introduces the concept of an all-new On30 display-style layout. Kent touches on On30 equipment, track, and a shadow box design he, David Popp, and other MR staff modelers will use to showcase a freelance logging operation set in the Pacific Northwest mountains. […]
It’s time to lay tracks along the waterfront on the Model Railroader staff’s HO scale Rice Harbor project layout. Associate editor Cody Grivno shows you how he used styrene to simulate concrete apron. He’ll also give you some tips for modeling rails in pavement. The harbor bottom has also been painted and is ready for […]
