How to use heat shrink tubing

Hand holding a piece of heat shrink tubing

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page When working on a wiring project, it’s a good idea to protect solder joints. Model Railroader associate editor shows you an easy method using heat-shrink tubing. […]

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Kent Johnson rainy day run-by

In the September 2012 issue, Kent Johnson demonstrated how he accomplished the realistic backdrop for his O gauge railroad. Subscribers can watch this rainy day run-by on a moody wet morning on his layout. […]

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Video: Bachmann Trains HO scale Alco 2-6-0 Mogul

See and hear the Bachmann Trains Sound Value Alco 2-6-0 Mogul run along a stretch of the Model Railroader club layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. You’ll get a demonstration of some of the sound effect features of the model’s factory-installed SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. […]

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HO scale Boston Maine Bedford Division

Name: Boston & Maine Bedford Division Layout designer: Bill Moore Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-0″ x 18′-6″ Prototype: freelanced, inspired by the Boston & Maine Locale: west-central New England Era: late 1940s to early 1950s Style: multilevel walk-in Mainline run: 174 feet Minimum radius: 36″ (upper level), 28″ (middle level), 21″ (lower level) Minimum turnout: […]

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HO scale Long Island & Lake Erie RR

Name: Long Island & Lake Erie RR Layout designer: Charlie Weinhofer Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 17 x 24 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR and Long Island RR Locale: New York Era: 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 60 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (yards), no. 4 (spurs) Maximum grade: 2 percent […]

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Build an 1880s oil refinery

Pioneer Refinery

Refineries are a fascinating industry to model, and they can add considerable switching activity to a model railroad operating session. Kits for contemporary refineries are available, but they weren’t much help on my 1895-era railroad where the principal retail petroleum product is kerosene instead of gasoline. Some time ago, I became aware of the remains […]

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Lionel postwar No. 682 O gauge 6-8-6 locomotive

CTT-SEP2012_1600x900

In the September 2012 issue, Terry Thompson detailed how to restore an iconic Lionel steam locomotive. Use this image as a backdrop on your computer screen. Click on the image size appropriate for your monitor and drag the image onto your desktop. 1600 x 900 wallpaper 1600 x 1000 wallpaper 1600 x 1200 wallpaper […]

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The HO scale New England & North Coast

Name: New England & North Coast Layout designer: Sam Novello Scale: HO (1:87.1) Room size: 12 x 14 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: New England seacoast Era: 1955 to 1965 Style: walkaround Minimum radius: 22″ Mainline run: 100 feet Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the July 2012 issue of Model […]

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Video: MTH HO scale Alco PA/PB set

The MTH Electric Trains HO Scale Alco PA/PB diesel locomotives feature the Digital Command System (DCS) and the Proto-Sound 3.0 system. See and hear the locomotives in action as they haul a streamlined passenger train around our model railroad. […]

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How to make a more realistic puffball forest

Puffballtrees

The cardboard brings the puffball foliage to the same height as the foreground trees. The screen and cardboard are completely hidden in the finished scene. Modeling a dense forest area on your model train layout can get expensive if you start using individual trees.  I found a way to make puffball trees look more realistic, […]

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