Adhesives for attaching roadbed

Color photo of man in dark red sweater attaching cork strip to model railroad.

Q: What is the best adhesive to use for attaching cork roadbed to wood or extruded-foam insulation board? — Ronald Jaeger A: In Basic Trackwork for Model Railroaders — Second Edition (Kalmbach Books, 2014), Jeff Wilson wrote, “Cork can be nailed in place, but glue is a much neater option. I prefer white glue for […]

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News & Products for the week of January 13th 2025

A white model freight car on model railroad track with red lettering

News & Products for the week of January 13th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 13th, […]

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Should you use flextrack or sectional track?

Color photo of HO scale track laid on cork roadbed.

Whether you’re just beginning in the hobby or you’ve been at it for 50 years, almost every model railroader comes across this question: should you use flextrack or sectional track when building your layout? I’ve used both throughout my time in the hobby, and in multiple scales. My first suggestion would be to use both. […]

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Rooftop weathering ideas

Color photo of blue and white locomotive in a freight train.

Unless your model railroad is at eye-level or higher, the first thing operators and visitors see when they look at your locomotives and freight cars is the roof (and on open-top cars, the interior). In recent years, some manufacturers have offered models with faded paint and light weathering. Other companies have released boxcars with paint […]

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Walthers HO EMD SD75M

Color photo showing cab of HO scale diesel painted orange, green, and yellow.

The Electro-Motive Division SD75M diesel locomotive has joined the WalthersMainline HO scale product range. The newly tooled model features an injection-molded plastic body; heavy, die-cast metal chassis; and all-wheel drive and electrical pickup. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the SD75M from February 1995 through February 1996. A total of 76 units rolled off the production […]

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Five common structures for a model train layout

A black steam locomotive approaches a tan-and-brown model wood depot

Structures help set the stage for a layout’s look and practicality. There are no bounds to the variety of buildings a modeler can bring to the table (or should we say benchwork). Yet there’s always that one particular building you’ll usually find on most layouts. With great insight from Model Railroader Editor Eric White, let’s […]

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EnterTRAINment Junction: Remembering a Legendary Layout

Colorful large-scale steam train passes by a depot

Original article published in Garden Railway’s Dec. 2019 issue by Bill Mefford; edited and updated for Trains.com by Lucas Iverson. For many model railroaders and garden railway enthusiasts, a trip to the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State area was on the bucket list. That’s because it was the home to EnterTRAINment Junction, which boasted the biggest indoor […]

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The evolution of the MR&T herald

Color image of four HO scale freight cars in brown, black, and yellow paint on white background.

Q: In the November Ask Trains video, you were standing in front of a display case filled with Milwaukee, Racine & Troy freight cars. Some featured the familiar square MR&T herald. Other models looked to be from an earlier era. What can you tell me about those cars? — Bert G. A: Alan Cerney, an […]

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Britt Allcroft, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ TV producer, dies at 81

Britt Allcroft, best known for her television adaptation of Reverend Wilbert Awdry’s Railway Series characters, which introduced a new audience to characters such as Thomas the Tank Engine, has passed away at age 81. Born Hilary Allcroft in West Sussex, England, Allcroft was a successful television producer prior to her involvement with the Thomas the […]

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News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025

A red model rolling stock snowplow

News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 6th, […]

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