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Backdrops are an important part of any model railroad. Whether you use drywall, tempered hardboard, or some other material, backdrops help operators and visitors focus on the layout and not other distractions in the room. If you’re looking for something beyond basic sky blue, and painting isn’t your game, then this backdrop round-up is for […]
Facts and features Name: Norfolk & Western Pocahontas DivisionScale: N (1:160)Size: 36 x 36 feetPrototype: Norfolk & WesternLocale: southern West VirginiaStyle: walk-inMainline run: 290 feetMinimum radius: 18″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 2 percentBenchwork: tabletopHeight: 52″ to 58.5″Roadbed: corkTrack: code 80 flextrackScenery: extruded-foam insulation board and SculptamoldBackdrop: hand-painted on drywall Control: NCE Digital Command Control […]
Facts and features Name: Great Northern Kalispell DivisionScale: N (1:160)Size: 29′-7″ x 36′-3″Prototype: Great NorthernLocale: MontanaEra: late 1950sStyle: walk-inMainline run: 238 feetMinimum radius: 18″ (main), 16″ (branch)Minimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: 2%Benchwork: box frame, shelf, and L-girderHeight: 421⁄4″ to 501⁄2″Roadbed: extruded-foam insulation board or 1⁄4″ plywoodTrack: Atlas code 55 and 80, Peco code 55Scenery: […]
Seemingly bringing an end to a saga of uncertainty, Model Train Stuff is set to reopen under the Factory Direct Hobbies family. In a statement released by Factory Direct Hobbies President Joe Grubba, it was announced that M.B. Klein and Model Train Stuff will live on as a part of the Arden, North Carolina-based company. […]
Rails of Sheffield has announced that it has bought the Hattons brand, allowing the famed company’s legacy to live on for years to come. Per a statement released by Rails of Sheffield: “We are pleased to annnounce that we have now brought ‘Hattons Model Railways’ into the Rails family! It was a shock to the […]
In order to start the scenery stage for his N scale (1:160) T-Trak module, host David Popp first looks to finish up a few trackwork and roadway details. And then it’s all about establishing a unifying base layer for the finished scenery. Keep up with the entire T-Trak series…exclusively on Trains.com Video! […]
The following project is an update of Gary D. Patterson’s “Simplified CTC signals” in the July 1988 issue of MR. Bringing the project up to date was a large endeavour. The block control project now incorporates “all” solid-state components controlled by an Arduino microcontroller. I refer to this updated article as “CTC Signals 2.0.” The […]
Model Railroader After Hours | February 29, 2024. After Hours is an informal livestream hosted by Trains.com staff members… after the “work” of the day is done, there’s aways something else fun! Host David Popp shares the frame with Trains.com Video Producer Ben Lake. Ben walks through a recent 3D printing effort, before David turns […]
Model Railroader After Hours | February 29, 2024. After Hours is an informal livestream hosted by Trains.com staff members… after the “work” of the day is done, there’s aways something else fun! Host David Popp shares the frame with Trains.com Video Producer Ben Lake. Ben walks through a recent 3D printing effort, before David turns […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated products. The New York, New Haven & Hartford RR originally appeared in the pages of Model Railroader in August of 2004. Fred Ciocciola adjusted this trackplan to fit the space he had […]
You’re hosting an operating session with a group of friends. What kind of snacks do you serve? Trains.com staff members chime in with their favorite items. Trains Associate Editor Bob Lettenberger Good meat sticks from a local butcher shop. They are not too greasy and don’t make a mess when spilled. Honey BBQ is the […]
Mike Farrow’s N scale Norfolk & Western Pocahontas Division layout is set in southern West Virginia during the 1970s and early 1980s. The 36 x 36-foot walk-in model railroad features a 290-foot mainline run, 18” minimum radius curves, and No. 6 turnouts. Among the items used to re-create the authentic Appalachian scenery were ground foam, […]
