Book Review: Railroads for Michigan

Railroads for Michigan

Railroads for Michigan by Graydon M. Meints Michigan State University Press, Suite 25, Manly Miles Building, 1405 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245; 640 pages, 180 black-and-white photos; hardcover, 8.5 x 11 in.; $49.95. Michigan’s railroad history is well served by “Railroads for Michigan,” a sprawling new survey by historian Graydon M. Meints. From […]

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In memoriam: Model Railroader author John Pryke

Pryke

John Pryke working on the Union Freight RR that appeared as a four-part series in Model Railroader in the year 2000. Long-time Model Railroader author and staff friend John Pryke died on Dec. 22, 2013, in Chatham, Mass. John was introduced to readers in 1965 when photos of his prize-winning New Haven RR 0-8-0 locomotive […]

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Scratchbuild a Dairy Queen graphics

dairy_queen

In the February 2014 issue, Steve Monson describes how to scratchbuild a 1950s-style Dairy Queen restaurant. Here, he provides extra graphics to detail your structure. Download a PDF file of signs and a checkerboard floor. For full instructions, see the February 2014 issue. PLEASE NOTE: This is a graphically intense file and it may take […]

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Scratchbuild a White Tower graphics

white tower restaurant

Bob Santos describes how to scratchbuild a White Tower restaurant in the February 2014 issue. Here, he provides extra graphics to detail your structure. Download a PDF file of signs, and full-size drawings for 1:24 scale. For full instructions, see the February 2014 issue. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most […]

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Build a pump house in 1:29 scale

Build a pump house 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 […]

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How to train trees like topiaries

trees on a hillside

Our little scale trees really make or break the scale quality of our railway gardens. Did you know you could choose from several methods of keeping trees in scale? Here are three practices, but we’ll focus on the third. One approach, planting genetically miniature* plants, ensures almost no pruning for quite a long time but […]

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Proxxon micro planer

microplaner1

Marc Horovitz Micro planer Proxxon Prox-Tech, Inc. PO Box 1909 Hickory NC 28603 US Price: $890 Website: http://shop.prox-tech.com Miniature planer; plastic housing over heavy aluminum castings; two cutters; 6,000 rpm; 1/4-horse motor; constant automatic feed rate; infinitely adjustable feed depth in .05mm (around .002″) increments; wrenches supplied; instruction manual supplied; replacement blades available; feed rate, […]

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Stoneworks 1:24 scale grist mill drawings

gristmill1

Marc Horovitz 1:24 scale plans and construction guide for three-story mill Stoneworks PO Box 190 Shell Knob MO 65747 Price: $17 Website: www.RRStoneworks.com Full-size plans and construction guide for building a three-story grist-mill structure in cement (#7116); three 24″ x 36″ sheets of drawings, photos, and instructions; one four page 81/2″ x 11″ pamphlet of […]

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The Train Department slate-wagon kit

slatewagon1

Nancy Norris Gauge 1, 7/8″ scale, Welsh slate-wagon kit The Train Department 26 Coral Dr. Hazlet NJ 07730 Price: $75 Website: www.thetraindepartment.com Welsh slate-wagon kit in 7⁄8″ scale (#TD5105); major parts, laser-cut steel; white-metal detail castings; curly-spoke wheels from Sierra Valley; instructions supplied Pros: Good instructions; helpful drawings; industrial strength, all-metal construction; plenty of detail […]

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Ride through Rainbow Canyon

  An eastbound Union Pacific intermodal freight enters Rainbow Canyon near Elgin, Nev., on Nov. 3, 2006. For 20 miles the train will follow the Meadow Valley Wash up the steep grade to the former division point at Caliente, Nev., on the Los Angeles & Salt Lake route. Photo by Robert Jordan […]

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Team Bethlehem

  An eastbound empty coal train, led by CSX AC44CW No. 418, passes Defiance, Ohio, on May 5, 2013. The train is made up mostly of old Bethlehem Steel “BethGon” gondolas, now used by successor ArcelorMittal. Photo by Brian Schmidt […]

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