Must-have common products for a Santa Fe layout

A red-and-silver Santa Fe diesel locomotive leads a train paused at a southern California city.

From its 1859 charter to the 1995 merger into BNSF Railway, the history and size of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway made it a powerhouse in Class I railroading. Because of its overall popularity, modelers will find it easy to source the necessary materials to create a stunning representation of the iconic railroad. […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 19 | Filling out Terrain Features

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 […]

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Spaces to Places VII | Scenery behind the roundhouse

In this Spaces to Places episode, host Gerry Leone tackles the final touches around the lower deck roundhouse area of his HO scale (1:87.1) Bona Vista model railroad. Gerry first focuses on adapting background buildings, before transforming an empty space behind the roundhouse into an authentic place, including static grass and gravel roads. Want to […]

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Menards HO scale Grandma’s House

Color photo of HO scale house with blue siding and gray roof on scenicked base with a tree in the front yard, shrubs, a motorcycle, and figures.

Price: $49.99 Manufacturer Menards 5106 Menard Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54703 menards.com/trains Era: 1930s to present Comments: Kids on the porch swing, a dog in the front yard, and a neatly manicured yard. Those are just some of the highlights of Grandma’s House, a new HO scale structure from Menards. The two-story house has laser-cut […]

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Monongahela monstrosity

Monongahela monstrosity

Pittsburgh & West Virginia’s Connellsville, Pa., line was rife with major bridges. Biggest of all was this colossal crossing of the Monongahela River, seen in March 1950 supporting a 2-6-6-4 and freight 99. The three main spans had a lower level for the Monessen Southwestern, but it never used them. Ralph E. Hallock photo […]

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East Troy Industrial Park Sidetrack | Building a glass plant, Part 3

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 […]

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East Troy Industrial Park Sidetrack | Building a glass plant, Part 1

In this all-new Sidetrack Series, Model Railroader Editor Eric White begins building an HO scale (1:87.1) glass plant for the East Troy Industrial Park project layout. See how Eric studies prototype photos and Google Maps to inspire design ideas, and later confirms operational insights with an plant employee. Eric then reveals the Walthers and Pike […]

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Spaces to Places VII | Roundhouse Interior Detail

Trains.com video series host and Master Model Railroader Gerry Leone sets his sights on the interior details of the previously assembled three-stall roundhouse he reworked for his latest HO scale (1:87.1) Bona Vista model railroad. From the inspection pit, to the interior flooring and wall, to the oil stains, to a full complement of racks […]

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