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Retired Model Railroader Managing Editor Jim Kelly remains active in honing his N scale skills and craftsmanship. The result has been the fourth incarnation of his Tehachapi Pass layout. Set in 1985, both the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Southern Pacific traverse the 2% grade between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, Calif., with the famous Tehachapi […]
Follow Model Railroader magazine Editor Eric White as he demonstrates how to scratchbuild generators for the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad. Using manufactured shipping containers as a guide, Eric constructs the generator structures using .040″ styrene sheets. He details the process of cutting and assembling the frame for the units, and […]
Trains.com staff members David Popp and Cody Grivno share their techniques for install printed backdrops on the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout. They use SceniKing paper backdrops and unique craft scissors to seamlessly blend printed scenes—including a river, barn, and tree line—into the painted sky. All of that, plus more scenery […]
Watch David Popp demonstrate his technique for sliding into a scene — it’s a slippery slope, as he creates realistic rolling hillsides and drainage ditches using foam material and Sculptamold! Elsewhere on the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout, Bryson and Cody showcase a new 3D-printed resin depot. All of that, plus […]
Donald Haney shares video of the overhead layout he built for his infant son. Get instructions and a diagram in the Fall 2025 issue of Classic Toy Trains! […]
Host David Popp continues to make progress on the roadway scenery he started in Episode 17 of the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout series. In this episode, David shares techniques for working with the foam material he selected to create sloped landforms along the inclined roadway. Then it’s back to the […]
For well over a century, copper mines and their structures dotted the landscape in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I was born there and several generations of my family worked in the mines. The last one closed in the late 1960s, marking the end of an era for thousands of people. Most of the facilities were removed […]
While David and Bryson allow the previously painted rail (Episode 16) to dry, they take a moment to focus on installing a switch motor…and they made an electrifying discovery! Follow along as they reveal the issue and the simple remedy that kept the project on the rails. Of course, other efforts must continue as the […]
Eric White, Editor of Model Railroader magazine, continues his HO scale glass plant project for the East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad, now focusing on building chimneys with intricate brass details. Discover the secrets to flawless metalwork as he shares tips and tricks for soldering metal parts in a manner that yields a seamless finish…and […]
Watch as Cody Grivno, Model Railroader Senior Editor, sets out to paint the rails on the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout. Learn how to prepare the layout, clean the tracks, and apply paint for a realistic, rusty appearance. Be sure to keep up with the construction progress by linking into the Trains.com […]
2025 NMRA National Convention, Train Show Highlights | Tour with Model Railroader Editor Eric White, as he makes the rounds to visit with small vendors and major manufacturers at the 2025 National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) Convention and Train Show recently held in Novi, Michigan. From new model announcements and releases to helpful modeling products […]
2025 NMRA National Convention, Layout Visits | Tour with Model Railroader Editor Eric White, as he discovers a diverse collection of model railroads from the 2025 National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) National Convention recently held in Novi, Michigan! Explore Steve Smith’s HO scale freelanced Sierra Valley & Harbor Junction; Dan Lewis’s nostalgic N scale Milwaukee […]
