Lingonberry or mountain cranberry Common name: Lingonberry, mountain cranberry Latin name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-6 Cultural needs: Moist, well-drained, very acidic soil, full sun to partial shade Plant size: 4-12″, depending on variety and culture Hello, Zone 2 gardeners! This naturalized Scandinavian import is hardy to -50°F! Mountaincranberry, […]
Section: Modeling
Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 3 | Cutting holes in things
Can’t you just tell by the pile of materials, supplies, and tools on David’s workbench? Progress is being made on the construction of his O scale (1:48) Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout. But “change” is the name of this layout-building game! This time out David is really poking holes in his plans… all before he […]
Guilford Rail System’s Bishop Street Branch in HO scale
Enjoy this exclusive Trains.com Video highlighting the processes veteran layout builder and frequent author Lance Mindheim uses to build and deliver top-notch layouts to clients throughout the world. In this instance, you can glean rare insights from the construction of the 10’-6” x 22’-0” HO scale (1:87) Bishop Street Branch inspired by Guilford/Pan Am Railways […]
How to graffiti a freight car
Many hobbyists strive to model freight cars accurately. Selecting the right doors, installing the correct hatch covers, and using the proper ladders and stirrup steps are just some of the things freight car enthusiasts focus on. Those re-creating earlier eras may even add chalk marks to the car sides. How to graffiti a freight car […]
Working with wire cutters
Working with wire cutters – Trains.com director David Popp demonstrates the application of wire cutters, crimpers and strippers in model railroading. A pair of wire cutters are an invaluable tool in wiring your model railroad, and David demonstrates the different usages for each tool as they relate to model railroading. You can read more about […]
How to use heat-shrink tubing
Heat-shrink tubing is something you need to have in your wiring toolkit. This material makes neat, insulated soldered joints simple and fast. What is heat-shrink tubing? As the name implies, the material shrinks when it’s heated. It comes in multiple sizes, some of which are somewhat specialized and are most likely to be found in […]
Gerry Leone launches all-new Spaces to Places III
Gerry Leone launches all-new Spaces to Places III: If you’ve been watching my Back On Track series for the past couple of years, you’ve heard me talk a lot about the alleged road that’s going to go in here next to the main line and next to the main aisle. Well, I think it’s about […]
Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 1 | Benchwork
David is back to building out his O scale (1:48) Olympia Logging Co. On30 layout. But this time, he’s got a little bit of extra help from MRVP Contributing Editor Gerry Leone! Watch as the two team up to construct new benchwork for an expanded townsite and interchange for the logging railroad. Of course, you‘ll […]
Olympia & Sand Creek Trailer!
Watch the latest in narrow gauge, On30 with David Popp’s Olympia & Sand Creek Railroad. See this trailer video for a taste of what you’ll find! […]
Permanent garden railroads you can visit
Permanent garden railroads you can visit U.S. garden railroads Alabama Huntsville-Madison County Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave., Huntsville AL 35805, 256-830-4447. Railroad operates from mid-March through December, www.hsvbg.org Arizona Double K Ranch (bed and breakfast with a garden railway), 3930 N. Smokey Topaz Lane, Tucson AZ 85749, 520-749-5345. Gary Martin, 4625 E. Cerro De […]
Get your old trains running again
Get your old trains running again! It’s time to take them out of the boxes and have some fun. In this chapter from Beginner’s Guide to Repairing Lionel Trains, Ray L. Plummer offers advice on how to do it. Get your old trains running again “Old electric train” – that’s what it says on the […]
Rice Harbor Series: Model a harbor part 4 – adding wave effects
The HO scale Rice Harbor project continues after the two-part resin water has set. MR’s Cody Grivno shows how to add wave effects by brushing on Gloss gel with a paintbrush. In this video, Cody demonstrates the various brush techniques he used to create realistic results. […]