Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page To complete her O scale scratchbuilding series, modeler Renee Grosser shares her technique for adding realistic roof shingles, chimney fixtures, and window/door details to the rustic farmhouse. […]
Train Topic: Beginners
Weathering winter in the woods
Fall is the time many builders begin preparing their railroads for harsh winter weather that lies ahead. Unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to live in a temperate climate zone. In the weeks before the cold arrives, some folks start to stow their structures, drain water features, and tuck the trains away for months of […]
Expert Scratchbuilding Tips with Renee Grosser: Part 1, Sub-wall construction
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Award-winning modeler Renee Grosser launches an MRVP exclusive mini-series highlighting her top-notch modeling skills and tips. Follow along as she shares her process for using styrene to scratchbuild a farmhouse from little more than a few snapshots! […]
Expert Scratchbuilding Tips with Renee Grosser: Part 3, Doors and Windows
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Expert modeler Renee Grosser demonstrates how she makes window and door openings in the O scale structures she likes to scratchbuild using sheet styrene material. You’ll also see how she prepares some of the finishing details and weathering effects for her farmhouse project. […]
Ask MRVP: Episode 47
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page It’s all tips or tricks in this October edition of Ask MRVP! David Popp addresses inquiries related to trackwork, wiring, mortar lines on structures, N scale gasoline service trucks, sound effects, whistle posts, and more! […]
Ask MRVP: Episode 47
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page It’s all tips or tricks in this October edition of Ask MRVP! David Popp addresses inquiries related to trackwork, wiring, mortar lines on structures, N scale gasoline service trucks, sound effects, whistle posts, and more! […]
Ask Trains: What equipment was involved in the making of ‘3:10 to Yuma’?
Q: Can you tell me what the train in the movie, “3:10 to Yuma” consisted of? — Frank Latorre, Baltimore A: Regarding the question of the origin of the railroad equipment on both versions of “3:10 to Yuma,” from the website, Obscure Train Movies, I found this information on the original 1957 3:10 to Yuma: […]
Ask Trains: Can train crews turn off crossing gates?
Q: Do train crews have the ability to activate or deactivate crossing lights and gates? — Richard Collingwood, Milan, Ohio A: No. Here’s why: Crossing circuits have set approaches based off of warning time required and maximum speed of the trains. The modern day crossing processors — mini computers inside a crossing gate bungalow (the metal […]
Ask Trains: Why do you see empty container trains headed away from East Coast ports?
Q: One reader recently asked why there were so many empty container trains heading away from the East Coast on railroads? Could it be the West Coast receives more loads and container trains need to be repositioned? — A Trains reader A: That East/Eest balances is one source of empty moves, but there are other […]
Ask Trains: What are the rules on when locomotive bells should ring?
An eastbound BNSF Railway train passes a stopped BNSF freight at “Summit” in California’s Cajon Pass in 2013 — this meet is one of several conditions which might require a locomotive bell to be sounded. Trains staff Q: What are the rules concerning when a train should ring its bell at a crossing or elsewhere? […]
Ask Trains: What is the Chicago-area yard that rhymes with ‘Marks’?
A Canadian National train with Illinois Central-painted locomotives departs Chicago’s Markham Yard in 2017. TEH-17089-16 Jacob Metzger Q: When I was in the second grade, we took a field trip to what was then the largest freight yard in the country. That was over 50 years ago, when I lived in a Chicago suburb. I […]
How-to Library: Easy Model Railroad Photography – Episode 3 Depth of Field and Lighting
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page In this episode, Gerry Leone talks about how to adjust your camera settings to capture model railroad settings with a realistic depth of field. He also addresses lighting options (type and placement)! […]