Six model railroad photography tips

White balanced image of scene on HO scale model railroad

Six model railroad photography tips. Whether it’s a feature for the pages of Model Railroader or an article for the Trains.com website, photography can make or break a story. Readers and website viewers expect quality images that are sharp, well composed, and free of distractions. There have been more than a few times in my […]

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Virginian & Ohio photo tribute

Photo of a train passing over a bridge with rocky outcroppings above and below

Virginian & Ohio photo tribute. W. Allen McClelland, builder of the freelanced HO scale Virginian & Ohio, passed away on October 28, 2022. You can read his obituary here. In this photo gallery, we’ll take a look at images from both versions of the V&O. The photos are from Andy Sperandeo’s article “Allen McClelland’s trendsetting […]

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John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch

Screen shot from a video of two maroon-and-yellow diesels pulling trains through a verdant HO scale landscape on John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch

John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch was featured in Great Model Railroads 2023. This is John’s second New England-themed railroad with that name; the layout includes several segments salvaged from his previous version, which was published in the March 2013 Model Railroader. For another look at John’s layout, watch his video on YouTube. You […]

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Working the float bridge, the log camp, and more

Model Railroader’s October 2022 Trackside Photos Send us your photos Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact senior associate […]

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Milwaukee museum debuts HO scale layout

A photo of the Milwaukee Everett Street train station in HO scale.

Milwaukee museum debuts HO scale layout: “All Aboard” is the name of a 10 x 35-foot HO scale model railroad at Discovery World, a family-oriented science and technology museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Set in the steam-to-diesel transition era, the proto-freelanced layout opened Nov. 25, 2021. The exhibit supports Discovery World’s mission of Science, Technology, Engineering, […]

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A 1930s-era garden railroad set in the western countryside

Two model trains at a model station

The railway at a glance Name of railroad: Virginia & DACS Railroad Size of railroad: Approximately 14′ x 36′ Scale: 1:22.5 and 1:20.3 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Theme: Pre-diesel, western countryside Era: 1930s-40s Motive power: LGB and Bachmann steam-outline engines Length of mainline: Outer loop, 90′; inner figure-eight with spur, 120′ Maximum gradient: 3.5% Minimum […]

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Trackside Photos: Don Ball model railroad images

Don Ball model railroad images: Man wearing glasses smiling for photographer wearing breastplate transmitter and headset.

  Don Ball model railroad images Don Ball model railroad images: Don Ball, a contributor to Model Railroader and Model Railroad Planning magazines, died on January 21, 2022 at his home in Blue Springs, Mo. He was 73 years old. Through the pages of our magazines, Don shared his passion for modeling the 1890s. He […]

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Icing at the citrus grove, waiting for the local freight, documenting the end of steam, and other model railroad photos

A set of Santa Fe F3 locomotives pull a freight train past an icing platform where reefer cars are being re-iced

Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact associate editor Steven Otte at sotte@mrmag.com. […]

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A busy engine shop, a peaceful river crossing, a river in the Steel City, and other model railroad photos

A maintenance crew works on a pair of diesel locomotives outside a shiny corrugated metal maintenance building

Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact associate editor Steven Otte at sotte@mrmag.com. […]

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A “Little Joe” electric locomotive, a sleek commuter train, a UP coal drag in the mountains, and other model railroad photos

A maroon-and-orange double-ended electric locomotive couples onto a manifest train in front of a depot

Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact associate editor Steven Otte at sotte@mrmag.com. […]

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