New model trains for the week of August 1, 2019

Broadway Limited Imports HO scale Baldwin Sharknose diesel locomotives

HO scale locomotives 2-6-2 Prairie steam locomotive. New paint schemes: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Boston & Maine. New road number: Pennsylvania RR. Model features operating headlight and smoke unit. $159. Bachmann Trains, 215-533-1600, www.bachmantrains.com Broadway Limited Imports HO scale Baldwin Sharknose diesel locomotives Baldwin Sharknose diesel locomotives. BF-16A ($279.99): Baltimore & Ohio (blue, […]

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Anatomy of a water feature

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Nancy Norris/Rick Johnson Water goes down to ‘seek its own level’. Hygroscopic tension forces water sideways when moisture follows the underside of a spill rock or fallen branch. Soil wicks water in all directions by osmosis. Splashing bounces up. Water evaporates into thin air and we wonder if the reservoir is leaking. Water needs to […]

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Waterscape your garden railway

train on trestle

Waterscape your garden railway: Swirling water stirs the imagination. Splashing shuts out city sounds, and viewers remember seeing famous falls at national parks or smaller watercourses near home. Bridges over brooks urge us to see connections to the land and how plantings create the habitat for a popular scenic attraction. There are countless reasons why […]

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Build a steel-frame snow plow

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Follow along with author Mike Lafond as he builds a steel-frame snow plow in the Fall and Winter 2019 issues. Download a full-size version of his CAD drawings here. Please note: Check your printer settings before printing. Uncheck the “scale to fit” box. You may need to tile these pieces into two pages. See gray […]

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Scratchbuild a freight truck

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Mike Lafond Figure 1 Mike Lafond Photo 1 Printed templates glued on the aluminum. I left the templates stuck on the alumimum until I had drilled out all the holes. I “cheated” here and used a bandsaw to cut these pieces from the main sheet. The two upper pieces are the outer bolster parts, cut […]

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Waterscape your railroad regional reports

Mynderup1web

The Mynderups keep their plants potted, which they grow on shelf-like terraces within their Redwood Creek and Tallulah Ridge garden railroad. Richard Mynderup Lighting under the Japanese maple illuminates the waterfall and is a beautiful and relaxing scene in the evenings. Richard Mynderup What tricks can you share about integrating water into your railway? Richard […]

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Dwarf parrot’s feather

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Nancy Norris Common name: Dwarf parrot’s feather Latin name: Myriophyllum aquaticum minima Plant type: Water plant USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-10 (overwinter indoors in colder zones) Cultural needs: Full or partial sun in water Plant size: 2″ high and spreading Dwarf parrot’s feather is one of my favorite aquatics for its lacy, fluffy look and its […]

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Bachmann Eggliners

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Bill Zuback Manufacturer Bachmann Trains 1400 East Erie Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Price: $229.00 Product nos.: 96281 (Christmas scheme); 96282 (bumblebee) Features: Self-propelled unit Single can motor with all-wheel drive and pickup Metal and plastic construction Polarity selector switch LED headlights and marker lights Runs on 45mm track using DC track power Available in […]

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Definitive dictionary

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Bill Zuback A Botanist’s Vocabulary By Susan K. Pell and Bobbi Angell Published by Timber Press 133 SW 2nd Ave. #450 Portland, OR 97204 Timberpress.com 7″ x 9″ 228 pages Hardcover Price: $24.95 Bill Zuback I’m the type of person who can open a dictionary and quickly get lost in the illustrations on the page. […]

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MTH Southern Pacific GS-4 4-8-4 Steam Locomotive

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Bill Zuback Manufacturer MTH Electric Trains 7020 Columbia Gateway Dr. Columbia, MD 21046-1532 www.mthtrains.com Price: $1,199.95 Era: 1941 to 2002 (varies with scheme) Road names: Southern Pacific (Daylight scheme with large or small lettering on tender in two road numbers each and black), American Freedom Train, BNSF Ry., and Western Pacific. One number per scheme […]

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