Local railfans wave at a passing westbound as the sun sinks over Sidney, Ohio, on June 7, 2011. This former New York Central line served as the Conrail – and now CSX – route to the St. Louis gateway. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]
Sunset over Sidney
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Violet hour
The light fades on the Sidney, Ohio, depot on April 13, 2012, as westbound train Q377 rolls by. Like many other organizations charged with historic preservation, the Sidney Big Four Passenger Station Preservation Association is just keeping everything standing … for now. Photo by Brian M. Schmidt […]
Walthers HO scale Cornerstone Interstate Fuel and Oil kit
Walthers HO scale Cornerstone Interstate Fuel and Oil kit Some time ago I was searching for an industry to fill part of an extension to my freelanced 2 X 5 foot shelf layout. As this layout is inspired by an industrial park in Salt Lake City, Utah, I found that some sort of oil or […]
Getting to know Miss Katy
In February 1944, Katy 2-8-2 910 rolls into Denton, Texas, with empty tank cars, probably destined for a refill in the Oklahoma oil fields. Frank Rogers During the fall and winter of 1943-44, I was in the Army’s Specialized Training Program at North Texas State Teachers College in Denton, Texas, about 35 miles north of […]
Living the postwar dream
Take a closer look at Craig’s train room where he both displays and operates his collection of postwar trains. […]
Modeling crop fields on an N scale model railroad
The oat harvest is in full swing on Pat Lana’s N scale Cedar River & Iowa Central. Corn and soybean fields are also visible in the photo. Pat shares techniques for modeling crops using items from craft and home supply stores. Mike Danneman My freelanced N scale Cedar River & Iowa Central Ry. is set […]
Just passing through
CSX train Q137 rolls through Sherwood, Ohio, without much local fanfare on July 30, 2011. This westbound intermodal train is operating over the former Baltimore & Ohio main line on its way to Chicago on this fading summer evening. Photo by Brent Kneebush […]
Sand house drawings in 1:29 scale
Download the PDF of this project here. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the break lines to create the larger piece. Please note: This […]
Animate your outdoor railway
1. Since 1928, Spruce Falls Power & Paper Company in northern Ontario has provided all the paper for The New York Times, which affectionately calls it “Uncle Spruce.” Jim and Julie Barber model real places from their past and present by building concrete-sided buildings. Protected inside, a smoke machine helps to model a high-pressure weather […]
Elfin thyme
Nancy Norris Common name: Elfin thyme Latin name: Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’ Plant type: Groundcover Plant size: 2″ x 6″ and spreading USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Cultural needs: Poor, well-drained soil, moderate to low moisture, sun to partial shade Elfin thyme deserves its status as practically everyone’s favorite scale lawn or meadow. It’s about “thyme” this […]
Brewer Railroad Plans water-tank plans
Marc Horovitz 1:22.5-scale Northern Pacific water-tank plans Brewer Railroad Plans1825 Evergreen DriveAgassiz BC V0M 1A3CanadaPrice: $10.50USWebsite: www.brewerplans.com One 24″ x 36″ drawing sheet, printed one side; one 8½” x 11″ instruction sheet, printed on both sides Pros: Excellent drawing, nicely hand lettered; drawing printed full size; very complete detail illustrations; complete historical, construction, and finishing […]
Locomotion Works G Scale Ballast
Kevin Strong G Scale Road Bed Locomotion Works205 Mountside DriveColumbus NC 28722Price: 2 gallons, $29.95; 5 gallons, $59.95; +s&hWebsite: www.locomotionworks.com Stone ballast mixed with binder for permanent installation Pros: Scale appearance, easy application, solid once dry Cons: None Kevin Strong When it comes to ballast for the garden railroad, there are two common concerns. First […]
