Transport Fever 2 | Product Overview

In this all-new, Trains.com product overview of Transport Fever 2, host Bryson Sleppy walks you through some of the distinctive features of the railroad simulator available on Mac, PC, Xbox One and Series S and X, and PlayStation 4 and 5 platforms. Unlike other railroad sims, TF2 expands the game environment consider additional modes of […]

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N scale turnout roundup

Picture of an N scale turnout in a scenicked area on a layout

Are you building a siding or a yard? Or are you in the process of planning an N scale layout but not sure what turnouts are available? This N scale turnout roundup should help to answer some questions you may have. Turnouts (also referred to as switches) are pieces of track that allow a train […]

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Guide to HO metal wheelsets

Group photo of metal wheelsets from different manufacturers.

For many years, HO scale modelers debated whether to use plastic or metal wheelsets on freight cars. That discussion has quieted down over the past two decades, largely because most new models come with metal wheelsets. However, as evidenced by the number of offerings available today, there’s still a strong demand for aftermarket metal wheelsets. […]

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Behind the Christmas tree train set tradition

sepia picture of kids around a tree playing with toy train set

Christmas tree train set The history of the “putzen” In as early as the 18th century, Protestants immigrating to America were making miniature Nativity scenes in their homes around Christmastime. The Moravians, who at the time settled in the Lehigh Valley (eastern Pennsylvania), are recognized for consistently doing this activity. The term “putzen” is a […]

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Model railroading adhesives and glues

A bottle of Bondene solvent cement

No matter what scale you’re modeling in or what era you prefer, there is no doubt that you’ll encounter the need to use an adhesive sooner than later. Whether it’s laying cork roadbed, building a structure, or applying detail parts, everyone needs a variety of adhesives for a variety of tasks. This list should help […]

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T-TRAK Project Part 2: Building modules

Two men with beards working at make-shift workbench set up on yellow sawhorses using assorted hand tools and clamps to build small brown wood boxes.

Modelers David Popp, Brian Schmidt, and Bryson Sleppy continue their series of projects to build a modular T-Trak N scale layout. T-Trak is a modular N scale railroading system that uses foot-wide boxes that can be plugged together to build tabletop layouts. In this second installment, the team demonstrates how to build RS Laser Kit […]

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Train Sim World 3 | Product Overview

Welcome back to another product overview of the captivating Train Sim World 3 on Trains.com. In this exploration, Host Bryson Sleppy delves into the immersive world of Train Sim World 3, released in 2022 and available on PC, Xbox One and Series S and X, and PlayStation 4 and 5. Players have the unique opportunity […]

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Amtrak Empire Service adventure along the Hudson River

Ride with Trains.com staffer Ben Lake as he enjoys the charm of regional passenger rail services through a scenic journey aboard an Amtrak Empire Service train. Departing from Penn Station in New York City, the train meanders along the Hudson River to Albany, N.Y., offering glimpses of iconic landmarks like the George Washington Bridge. Explore […]

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Guide to N scale couplers

Color photo of freight car truck with a Mange-Matic coupler.

In the 60-plus years that N scale has been around, there has been a great deal of change in couplers. Rapido, an early manufacturer of N scale models (not to be confused with today’s Rapido Trains), let other companies use its coupler design. The wedge-front coupler, which was used on most N scale models (except […]

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Ground foam for model railroad layouts

Red brick industry, boxcar, street with cars, green lawn

What is ground foam for model railroad layouts? When I first came across this phrase, I thought it was foam that was to be used on the ground, that is, for dirt, grass, and weeds. Then I cottoned on – it’s foam that’s been ground up! So, why would people grind up foam? Well, it […]

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Types of model railroad benchwork

One of the first things that you must do when building a model train layout is decide which style of benchwork you will build for the layout. Simple tables A common starter style of model railroad benchwork is just a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood on a tabletop. My first layout was on a […]

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10 vintage toy train items for your holiday layout

green and white switch tower

10 vintage toy train items for your holiday layout The holidays are fast approaching! If you’ll be setting up a display (or a permanent layout), Senior Editor Roger Carp has suggestions for 10 items to add for the most fun! 1. Lionel No. 154 highway signal – for once, its enormous height and out-of-scale proportions […]

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