Signs from swizzle sticks: When my wife, kids, and I visited the General Store Antique Mall in Kewaskum, Wis., I wasn’t really thinking about model railroading (although I did run into a fellow modeler at the store). Instead, I planned on enjoying an hour or two browsing the dozens of booths in the two-story building […]
Modeling Topic: Structures
It’s My Railroad with Steve Brown: Cement plant parts & paint, Ep. 18
Progress on Steve Brown’s scratchbuilt N scale cement plant continues with our celebrated Regular Guy modeler working to add a few more components. All that before he puts quick coats of primer and paint on the assembled structure, and then sets it in place on his Port Smith harbor scene […]
Building Bay Junction 17
Lots of work is taking place on the Model Railroader staff’s Bay Junction model train layout. Associate editor Cody Grivno has installed his United Cooperative grain elevator, while senior editor Dana Kawala describes building the fertilizer plant that will be located in front of the scene. Managing editor David Popp will also show how the […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 6 – Finished woodwork
For this weekend edition of Underground, only MRVideoPlus.com subscribers get to see how David puts the finishing touches on his O scale laser-cut wood kit. All before installing the structure, plus details and a fully loaded gondola, on the Olympia Logging Co. layout. […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 4 – Putting parts together
After checking the bond of the previously glued components, David moves to the next step — building the laser-cut pieces and parts into an O scale structure for the Olympia Logging Co. display-style layout. Along the way, you’ll see that even David has to make do with the tools and materials he has available at […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 3 – Some assembly required
David Popp is now working weekends to give MRVideoPlus.com subscribers an exclusive episode from his basement bunker. See how the parts and pieces of the wood kit start to come apart…all to come together again! But even in the midst of offering great tips and tricks, our expert builder must still manage a few unexpected […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 2 – Project prep and staining startup
Ready for another Underground update? David Popp hunkers down to take on the challenge of building a fueling stage for his On30 Olympia Logging Co. layout. After a quick overview of his modeling project and the laser-cut wood kit components, you’ll see how David tests and preps parts with stain. […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 14 — Plethra o’ projects
Judging from the stack of stuff on David’s MRVP Underground workbench, he’s gonna need to work fast to cover all of those projects! But given time and motivation to stay busy, you can bet he’ll jump right into several modeling, weathering, and kitbuilding efforts in this episode. […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 12 — Tipple time
Another laser-cut wood struture is on the horizon for David’s On30 logging-themed layout. After he preps the parts for construction, David then returns to making a good-lookin’ gon appear even worse for wear on the inside! […]
MRVP Insider: MRVP Underground with David Popp, Episode 11 — A virtual guest
David has a guest? A virtual guest, that is. But he’s certainly no stranger to MRVP! By way of virtual meeting software, Off The Rails host Gerry Leone checks out the Underground action, lets us know about his new layout progress, and even offers up a great tip. […]
Keep garden railroad buildings dry
It is difficult to keep garden railroad buildings dry. We have all spent hours constructing fine models of buildings for our railroads. Depending on your climate, they are not out long before they start to decay. More and more modelers are turning to plastic composite materials to build with, but certain plastic materials can be […]
Rehab My Railroad Sidetrack: Building a tugboat, Part 4
Details and decals do make a difference, as MR’s Eric White shows in this episode of Rehab My Railroad’s Sidetrack series. Follow along to learn Eric’s techniques for adding stripes and a custom-printed logo to his HO scale tugboat. […]