Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD GP20

Screen shot of Product Review video.

The Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD GP20 is back in more than a dozen paint schemes, including Wisconsin & Southern (WSOR). Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they talk about the features on the four-axle road locomotive and switch cars on MR’s WSOR staff layout. In addition to […]

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Tips for successful ballasting

Color photo of HO scale figure by turnout with locomotive and boxcars in the frame.

OK, time for a show of hands. How many of you enjoy ballasting? That’s what I expected. Ballasting isn’t an aspect of the hobby most modelers enjoy. However, I’ve ballasted parts or all of several Model Railroader project layouts over the years, and I’ve come to enjoy adding those tiny granules to layouts. When I […]

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Pacific Surfliner sets new timetable to deal with San Clemente landslide

Passenger train departs station, as seen from bridge

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner has released a new interim timetable for the duration of the current interruption of service through south Orange County, Calif. The schedule, available here, includes the suspension of four trains. Ten offer bus-bridge connections between Irvine and Oceanside. Three start or end in Irvine, while six extend to […]

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Metrolink board approves union agreement

Commuter train led by white locomotive with blue stripe on curve

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink’s board of directors last week approved a collective bargaining agreement with members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1277. Union members had ratified the agreement earlier in April. The agreement covers the commuter rail operator’s rail traffic coordinators, rail traffic controllers, communications coordinators, and customer relations representatives. The 47 employees involved represent […]

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Hypertufa recipe and techniques

man on garden railroad near sculpture of human head

Hypertufa recipe and techniques How have you made structures and walls with hypertufa or similar cement products? Two reports show four different applications for hypertufa. Ray Turner shows a picture of his helix mountain still unpainted for us to study; the final photo shows a magnificently finished set of bridges spanning the cement-product valley backdropped […]

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Handmade hardscape using hypertufa

train rounding curve on elevated garden railway

In my last column for Garden Railways (Tunneling through tough times), I mentioned learning more about making handmade hardscape using hypertufa “in the next issue.” Little did I know how much would change in the next couple of years—the print GR is no longer produced and Trains.com has been revamped. I’m finally ready to showcase […]

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News & Products for the week of May 1st 2023

News & Products for the week of May 1st 2023: An image of a model locomotive

News & Products for the week of May 1st 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 1st 2023. […]

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An N scale layout in a coffee table

A pencil sketch of an N scale model train layout in a coffee table

Over the years, I remember reading articles in Model Railroader about model train layouts built into furniture, like cabinets, dining tables, and coffee tables. I always thought this was a great idea, allowing modelers to bring their hobby out of the cold, lonely basement and into the welcoming atmosphere of the family room. It was an especially intriguing […]

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Passenger car lighting with a decoder

A closeup of a model train decoder with a button being pressed with a small wooden rod

Passenger car lighting with a decoder: People have been installing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) inside passenger cars for years. It’s nothing new. There are plenty of articles written about it, but I wanted to go further. When operating my trains in the yard, I want the lights in my passenger car to be off, but when […]

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