Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th +1! No force of nature or pandemic fears could keep Trains.com Producer Kent Johnson from pressing ahead with his Amtrak victory lap across America in the summer of 2021. There’s no better way to reveal the highlights and highjinks of present-day rail travel, than to document the ride along routes of notable […]
Section: Videos
Midday Modeler — 04.27.2022 — hosted by Cody Grivno!
Midday Modeler — 04.27.2022 — This week hosted by Cody Grivno. This week Cody and Company offer up modeling tips, tricks, and updates. Eric White and Steven Otte, and Nastassia Putz, show of the progress they’ve made on their projects in the Depot Dash Kitbash project in 2022. Cody also shows tips of shoring up the […]
Make a Lake, Part 2 | Back on Track, Episode 19
Make a Lake, Part 2! In the previous video of this mini-series, host Gerry Leone launched an effort to add a realistic water feature to his HO scale Bona Vista RR. Now, he’s following up the groundwork and bridge construction by shaping the landforms along the shores. He also turns his attention to forming the […]
Elevate buildings to track height | It’s My Railroad, Ep. 30
Elevate buildings to track height! Work continues on the Star Industries project, a mid-sized industry modeled on Steve Brown’s N scale layout. In this episode, Steve shares how he raises his rail-served buildings to the appropriate track height, simply by adding a foundation. You’ll also see his techniques for making paved roads featuring proper curbing […]
Detailing a train depot scene — State Line Route in N scale, Episode 22
Detailing the train station scene on the N scale State Line Route is the focus of this video. David Popp is ready to install the train depot on the layout, but there some small projects to complete. First, David shows he made an Amtrak sign for the train depot. Then he installs interior and exterior […]
Rocky Mountaineer’s Colorado Adventure
In the fall of 2021, Trains.com staff rode Amtrak train no. 5, California Zephyr from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Denver, Colorado, with the expressed intent of capturing seasonal operations of Rocky Mountaineer’s Colorado-Utah excursion. While best known for day treks into the Canadian Rockies, this new Rocky Mountaineer route offers patrons a similar mountain canyon experience […]
Jason Shron’s Kingston Subdivision in HO scale
Kingston Subdivision in HO scale: Industry leader Jason Shron has successfully propelled Rapido Trains, Inc., into the model manufacturing spotlight. In this exclusive interview, you’ll get to see how his drive, dedication, and passion for the hobby is manifested in his own HO scale (1:87.1) Canadian-themed model railroad. Tour with Jason, as he walks the […]
Midday Modeler — 04.20.2022, Gerry Leone, Cody Grivno and a super episode!
Midday Modeler — 04.20.2022 — is hosted this week by David Popp! Special guests this week include Gerry Leone and Cody Grivno. Midday Modeler is a new, regular video segment, recorded live and unscripted at Kalmbach Media beginning in February 2022. The segment features Kalmbach Media staff modeling and talking about model railroads in a […]
Midday Modeler — 04.13.2022
Midday Modeler — 04.13.2022: This week! David Popp hosts the weekly Midday Modeler broadcast from the MR&T layout room, then off to the Model Railroader workshop we will go. Associate Producer Ben Lake kicks off the episode with a brief demonstration based on last week’s question from Facebook about a Wi-Fi control for the MRC […]
Menard’s Metropolis Theater, Aerial Bridge on Bob’s Train Box 80
Menard’s Metropolis Theater and Aerial Bridge highlight the 80th Bob’s Train Box. Bob Keller and CTT editor Hal Miller have an up-close look at the new and colorful movie house and the sturdy industrial-looking bridge from the home improvement chain. Plus, Bob reminisces on the history of the LocoMatic control box, a digital accessory for […]
Spring & Fall, Part 1: Building Bridges | Let’s Make a Scene
You’ve come to love Kathy Millatt as host of Let’s Make a Scene on Model Railroader Video Plus since October 2017. She’s now back with all-new episodes, Spring & Fall Part 1 Building Bridges, of the helpful scenery-making series on Trains.com! Even better, she’s also documented many of her expert modeling insight in the Kalmbach Media/Model […]
Frank Vodvarka’s layout has something for everyone
Frank Vodvarka’s layout, the 23′ x 27′ Eclectic Empire, is featured in the May-June 2022 Classic Toy Trains. It’s colorful and entertaining, with pre- and postwar Lionel and other O- and Standard gauge trains from the U.S. and abroad. Plus it has accessories, figures, and structures from multiple eras and manufacturers like Bayko, Britains, Bassett-Lowke, […]