Thin Branch Series: Making puffball trees

Neil Besougloff holding materials for puffball trees.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Need a lot of tree-covered hills on your layout? In this video, MR’s editor Neil Besougloff shows you how to make common puffball trees. This technique models just the treetops, and it’s a great way to fill background hills with trees quickly. […]

Read More…

Thin Branch Series Ballasting a 1950s main line track

Cody ballasting alongside a track.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, our one-man ballasting crew, shares his tips and techniques for ballasting a well-groomed 1950s mainline track. Cody takes you through the process start to finish on our HO scale Thin Branch project, but his techniques work just as well in other […]

Read More…

Thin Branch Series Ballasting a 1950s main line track

Cody ballasting alongside a track.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Cody Grivno, our one-man ballasting crew, shares his tips and techniques for ballasting a well-groomed 1950s mainline track. Cody takes you through the process start to finish on our HO scale Thin Branch project, but his techniques work just as well in other […]

Read More…

Cody’s Workshop Episode 6 – rolled roofing

Cody Grivno placing a structure on a model railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Our July visit to the workshop finds Cody finishing the freight house project by adding rolled roofing and final details to the structure. Along the way, Cody will also show you how to prepare a plastic shell for painting, join Atlas and Peco […]

Read More…

Cody’s Workshop Episode 6 – rolled roofing

Cody Grivno placing a structure on a model railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Our July visit to the workshop finds Cody finishing the freight house project by adding rolled roofing and final details to the structure. Along the way, Cody will also show you how to prepare a plastic shell for painting, join Atlas and Peco […]

Read More…

Kato USA HO scale GE P42 diesel locomotive

KatoUSAHOscaleGEP42diesellocomotive

Kato USA HO scale GE P42 diesel locomotive Are two motors better than one? A typical HO scale locomotive uses a single direct-current (DC) motor mounted on the chassis. Earlier this year, Kato introduced a new approach on one of its HO scale Japanese locomotives by using two compact coreless motors mounted in the trucks. […]

Read More…

Bachmann HO scale hi-rail truck

BachmannHOscalehirailtruck

Bachmann HO scale hi-rail truck Price: $109.99 Manufacturer Bachmann Trains 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Era: 1980s to present Comments: This HO scale hi-rail truck from Bachmann Trains features a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder that operates on both direct-current (DC) and DCC layouts. The truck’s plastic body shell doesn’t represent […]

Read More…

Model Railroader Memoriam: John Allen’s 100th birthday

Born on July 2, 1913, John Allen was a model railroading pioneer renowned for his skill at scratchbuilding and scenery work, as well as his thoughts on model railroad operation. His original 3’-7” x 6’8” Gorre & Daphetid HO scale layout debuted in the January 1948 issue of Model Railroader. He built a larger version […]

Read More…

A Day With The Des Moines “Tramp”

Oblique rear view of a black model diesel locomotive on a bridge.

Follow Iowa Interstate Train NTSW-29, affectionately known as the Des Moines “Tramp”, as it delivers a carload to Beisser Lumber on the IAIS Grimes Line. Read about this modern-era model railroad and get a track plan in Model Railroad Planning 2014. Video shot by James McNab […]

Read More…

A Day With The Des Moines “Tramp”

Oblique rear view of a black model diesel locomotive on a bridge.

Follow Iowa Interstate Train NTSW-29, affectionately known as the Des Moines “Tramp”, as it delivers a carload to Beisser Lumber on the IAIS Grimes Line. Read about this modern-era model railroad and get a track plan in Model Railroad Planning 2014. Video shot by James McNab […]

Read More…