John Grosner’s New Haven Derby Junction in HO scale

First showcased in the April 2009 issue of Model Railroader, John Grosner’s HO scale (1:87.1) 15 x 19-foot model railroad depicts the sights on and along the tracks of Derby Junction, Conn., in the late 1940s to mid 1950s. In this walking/talking video tour of his basement, John’s attention to fine detail brings New Haven […]

Read More…

John Grosner’s New Haven Derby Junction in HO scale

First showcased in the April 2009 issue of Model Railroader, John Grosner’s HO scale (1:87.1) 15 x 19-foot model railroad depicts the sights on and along the tracks of Derby Junction, Conn., in the late 1940s to mid 1950s. In this walking/talking video tour of his basement, John’s attention to fine detail brings New Haven […]

Read More…

The Hills Line with James McNab | Catching up, Episode 12

Back by popular demand! James McNab has returned to host all-new video episodes of his previous Model Railroader Video Plus modeling series, The Hills Line with James McNab. This series featured layout construction insights and expert tips he shared while working to complete an HO scale (1:87) rendering 0f the IAIS Hills Industrial Spur. Take […]

Read More…

The St. Paul & Southern layout in HO scale

An image of the st paul and southern trackplan

Facts & features Name: St. Paul & SouthernScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 24 x 28 feetPrototype: Chicago & North Western’s “Spine Line”Locale: Minnesota, Iowa, and MissouriEra: 1995Style: Walk-inMainline run: 200 feetMinimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: FlatBenchwork: Open gridHeight: 47″Roadbed: CorkTrack: Micro Engineering flextrackScenery: Extruded-foam insulation boardBackdrop: Painted tempered hardboardControl: Switchable between DC cab control and MRC Prodigy […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of June 5th 2023

An image of a model freight car

News & Products for the week of June 5th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of June 5th 2023. […]

Read More…

The Norfolk & Western layout in HO scale

Facts & features Name: Norfolk & Western Scale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 12 x 25 feetPrototype: Norfolk & Western with Baltimore & Ohio and Chesapeake & OhioLocale: Virginia and West Virginia Era: 1950sStyle: Around-the-wallsMainline run: 240 feetMinimum radius: 22″Minimum turnout: No. 4Maximum grade: 4%Benchwork: open gridHeight: 38″ to 66″ Roadbed: corkTrack: Atlas code 100 flextrackScenery: Plaster-impregnated paper […]

Read More…

Short Amtrak consists of the 1980s

A model passenger train stops at a station.

Throughout the past few months, I have shown you how different small Amtrak trains can be modeled with only a few pieces of equipment. If you’ve read those previous articles, you might have noticed a pattern. Amtrak trains that operate between a big city and a much smaller city or town, such as Chicago and […]

Read More…

Create a multiple-unit consist using Digitrax

A man holds a model railroad throttle next to a model freight train.

Running a locomotive around a layout is fun, but eventually you may want to make your train to be powered by more than one engine. On the railroad this is called “multiple-unit operation.” If you have two or more DCC-equipped locomotives, you can run your own multiple-unit locomotive consists. This article will explain how to […]

Read More…

Five industries for small spaces

Color photo of a flatcar at lumberyard on an HO scale layout.

Do you need some industries for small spaces on your model railroad? If you ask modeler railroaders something they’d like to have more of, space will be a common answer. Everything in our hobby takes up space – benchwork, track, structures, and scenery, among other items. When I kick around layout plans for my basement, […]

Read More…

Model a merger-era caboose fleet

Color photo of transfer caboose.

When the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; and Spokane, Portland & Seattle merged to create the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, the new railroad had an interesting fleet of cabooses. While there were plenty of cars built by commercial builders, mainly International Car Co., BN’s fleet was also filled with cabooses […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of May 30th 2023

An image of a model freight car

News & Products for the week of May 30th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 30th 2023. […]

Read More…