Spaces to Places III | Making a highway, part 4

Work on the highway underpass settings concludes. Watch as host Gerry Leone shares techniques for blending his realistic photo backdrop into the scenery. Starting from the back and working to the front, Gerry builds out the countryside setting with a variety of ground cover, strategically placed trees, and signature roadside details that turn this model […]

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Model train packaging: So it arrives in one piece

Two blue boxes, one with a clear window and the other with a locomotive blueprint on it, on white table

On October 10, 2022, at approximately 12:36 p.m. local time, a pallet carrying 846 LNER Dynamometer Cars fell off of a delivery truck at Rapido’s UK headquarters. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, as you’ll find out), none of the models were destroyed. In a time where more and more of what we purchase arrives in a cardboard […]

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The Gulf & Pacific Railroad layout in HO scale

Facts & features Name: Gulf & Pacific RR Scale: HO (1:87) and HOn3 (HO scale, 3-foot narrow gauge) Size: 20 x 24 feet Prototypes: Freelanced Locale: Generic Era: Early 1960s Style: Shelf Mainline run: 180 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (main), 24″ (branch and spurs) Minimum turnout: No. 6 (main), No. 4 (branch and spurs) Maximum […]

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News & Products from the 2023 Railroad Hobby Show

An image of a model caboose

News & Products from the 2023 Railroad Hobby Show With the 2023 Railroad Hobby Show wrapping up, we thought it would be a perfect week to showcase the multiple new products released throughout the show. Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more […]

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Keeping your layout clean and operational

A black rectangular abrasive block and a dark red block near HO scale track

As modelers we take pride in our work, especially our layouts, whether they be a shelf layout, or a sprawling rail empire. One thing that we may not spend enough time doing, however, is taking care of said layout, especially cleaning it. We may run a track cleaning car around the mainline a few times […]

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10 (or 11) ways to blow up a decoder

A locomotive shell with multiple colors of wires coming from a decoder

How do you blow up a decoder? Fail to isolate the motor, creating a dead short. Various older locomotives used the chassis as part of the power pathway to one of the motor brushes, making the chassis is electrically live. This can be easily fixed with insulating tape placed under the motor and plastic or […]

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News & Products for the week of January 30th 2023

An image of a model caboose

News & Products for the week of January 30th 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 30th 2023.   […]

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Meet Gerry Leone

Meet Gerry Leone: man’s face peeking from behind model structure

Meet Gerry Leone How did you get started in the hobby? Although my dad had a Lionel layout in our basement, I was not involved with it. I just played with the loop around the Christmas tree. At one point, he traded his Lionel stuff for a Tyco HO starter set and bought an older […]

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How to add DCC sound to a compact HO switcher

ThinkaBachmannHOscaleGeneralElectric44tonswitcheristoosmallforDCCsound

How to add DCC sound to a compact HO switcher: When Bachmann introduced an HO scale General Electric 44-ton switcher, I knew it would make a great addition to my Boston & Maine roster. The model includes a Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder, and I bought a version in the B&M livery. Out of the […]

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News & Products for the week of January 23rd 2023

An image of a model locomotive

News & Products for the week of January 23rd 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 23rd 2023.   […]

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Model railroad snow plow rolling stock

Photo of HO scale snow plow painted Oxide Red and yellow on white background

In model railroad snow plow rolling stock round-up, we thought it would be fun to take a look at models of snow fighting equipment available in N, HO, and O scales. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Rather, it’s a look at some of the ready-to-run models and a few kits that […]

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