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Model roads look best when they are built to the proper size. By planning for the streets and roads at the same time you design your layout, you can be sure you have enough room for them. Rest assured that if you plan ahead and follow the prototype, your streets will realistically enhance your layout. […]
There are standards for many of aspects of life, and these are generally good things—they help to make more different things work together easier. For example, when you plug something into the USB port on your computer, standards that govern that interface ensure that what you plug in will work with your computer. One would […]
Trains Magazine columnist Fred W. Frailey takes a look inside BNSF Railway’s busy Willow Springs intermodal yard, near Chicago. In this free download, you’ll get a peek behind the security fence to experience the rush to move priority UPS traffic into and out of the Windy City. […]
In this special supplement to Model Railroader, you’ll get expert advice on and photos of lineside details for: Roadway, ballast, rails and ties Terrain and features alongside your track Signals, signs, and grade crossings Trackside communication, safety, and maintenance equipment Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter and get your free download! […]
Large layouts are cool, no doubt, but we thought that something smaller that combined postwar trains with modern materials also sounded like fun. We told Classic Toy Trains Editor Carl Swanson what we were thinking, and he challenged us to actually follow through. Uh-oh. This special 13-page magazine supplement contains step-by-step instructions for creating a 4 […]
Long before the advent of diesels and lightweight equipment, streamliners shaped “high-speed rail” in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In this free, 35-page download, we revisit the classic streamliner era. This series includes: The Great Chicago-Twin Cities Speed War: How intense competition between Burlington Route, Milwaukee Road, and Chicago & North Western drastically reduced daytime […]
You can pack a lot of model railroading fun into a small space, and in this booklet we’ll show you five ways to do it. The HO and N scale plans featured here have all appeared in Model Railroader magazine. Each one has a unique theme, and all contain a key element of modern model railroad design […]
Inside this exclusive 30-page supplement from Classic Toy Trains you will find tips and instructions on everything you need to know about building scenery. Build a hidden corner Add a gorge to your layout Construct customized elevated bridges Build a mountain and tunnel Use ceiling tile for scenery Enter your email address below to download […]
“I once found a 60-year-old train in the loft of a farmer’s barn, where it had spent more cold northern winters and hot summers than anyone could remember. A family of mice had even made a nest in the box and left behind over a pound of petrified ‘evidence.’ “I thought the engine was […]
What would it have been like to spend one day at a perfect train-watching spot in the 1950s and 1960s? This 30-page download takes you back in time, with contributors sharing their experiences from memorable trips across the United States. This free guide provides plenty of pictures, too, with classic railroad photos from a bygone […]
This special series offers an overview of intercity and passenger railroading in North America. Our free, 30-page PDF download includes the following features: Beech Grove to the Rescue An inside look at Amtrak’s rolling stock repair facility, where an injection of stimulus funding has been used to repair passenger cars and sidelined P40 locomotives. Taking […]
Locomotives are the power behind the rail industry, and capturing the perfect photo of a locomotive is no small feat. That’s why Trains magazine is offering this 40-page special download all about locomotives. This free PDF includes an in-depth guide to rail-fanning in Los Angeles, where there’s no shortage of activity from the likes of Union Pacific, […]
