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My garden railroad, the Snake River Railroad, is named after my interest in the Union Pacific. This has been my favorite railroad ever since I saw the Big Boy. The 200 by 300-foot railroad is shaped like a mirror image of Idaho, because of large Ponderosa pines in the backyard. There are two separate […]
Crawling around on the ground to clean my rail was getting tiring. I needed a new method to clean track, so I built an elevated track cleaner to get the job done instead. Supply list Wooden extension pole Drywall pole sander head Two-truck LGB gondola car LGB #50050 track cleaning attachment Scrap thin-gauge aluminum ¼” […]
On Dave Abeles’ HO scale Conrail-inspired layout, locomotive fleet operations warrant the same careful attention as it does in 1:1 scale. Follow along to see how he and his crew ready the motive power for smooth and reliable performance at the head-end of his trains! […]
How did you get started in the hobby? I definitely remember my early years (age 5) with my first tinplate locomotive. My father built what is known locally as “Christmas Garden.” The outside loop was Lionel Standard gauge, while the inner figure eight was a wind-up O gauge passenger train. I am celebrating 75 years […]
Modeler Dave Abeles shares insights on the signal installations and operations on his HO scale Conrail-inspired layout. In this narrated trackside tour of the layout, Dave shares how to interpret signal indications. Also explore additional signaling info in the Kalmbach book, Guide to Signals & Interlockings, available from KalmbachHobbyStore.com. […]
Thrift stores can hold a wealth of treasures for hobbyists, if you know where to look. I have suggestions of which departments to look for items for your garden railroad. I suggest going into a store with an open mind. For just a few dollars and a little paint, you might find something spectacular for […]
“Projecting” signs have been part of the commercial landscape for years. In the early years of the 20th century, they often consisted of boards jutting out from the front of buildings with the business name on both sides. They’re also referred to as “blade” or “flag-mounted” signs. I wanted to model projecting signs in my […]
Why build a garden railroad tunnel portal Thanks to the invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer, several large ash trees had died and their falling limbs caused problems for the Blackstone RR Maintenance Dept., so I called in a professional. When the worker saw my trains, he offered to leave a 10-foot high, 40” diameter […]
When I was young, I had an American Flyer train and a set of American Plastic Bricks (interlocking toy bricks made in the 1960s). I liked running the train, but I was particularly drawn to the bricks. I could easily build something, tear it down, and build something else. Years later, I built an […]
Railroading is an industry that operates around the clock, and modeler Dave Abeles proves that model railroads can roll just fine in the dark too! Watch the night moves from a trackside position on Dave’s Conrail-inspired HO scale layout, and then look for additional coverage of the model railroad in the September 2019 and February […]
Railroading is an industry that operates around the clock, and modeler Dave Abeles proves that model railroads can roll just fine in the dark too! Watch the night moves from a trackside position on Dave’s Conrail-inspired HO scale layout, and then look for additional coverage of the model railroad in the September 2019 and February […]
Make a trek to this tourist railroad site in Hill City, SD, and you can also see a 300 square foot model railroad. Enjoy a quick look at an HO scale (1:87) display that works to depict the railroad scene in South Dakota. To learn more, visit www.sdsrm.org […]
