It’s time to hit the streets of Westcott, the developing new town on Gerry Leone’s HO scale model railroad. After adding lights to structure interiors, adjusting city blocks, and then building, painting, and weathering sidewalks, our host shows his technique for paving roads made from medium-grit sandpaper! Want to see more of Gerry’s work in […]
Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 Who is your tribe? NEWS AND PRODUCTS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news ASK MR, pg. 14 Spotting features of EMD vs. GE diesels STEP BY STEP, pg. 20 Quick and easy crossovers DCC CURRENTS, pg. 48 SMAIL, […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader magazine. Neil Maldeis built the small N scale layout here to be able to take it to shows. It is based upon the Whiskey Barrel & Grimy Gotham N scale plan that appeared […]
After looking at the photos, you might be asking, “Hey, where is the paint and lettering?” Well, this isn’t a production model. Instead, Broadway Limited Imports sent us a pre-production sample of its N scale Reading Co. class T-1 4-8-4 steam locomotive. The model, scheduled for release this fall, features a dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder, […]
Admit it: Do you know what railroad signals mean? Do you panic when you shown up for an operating session at a strange layout and see it has working signals? Railroad signal aspects aren’t as simple as traffic lights. In addition to stop, caution, and go, railroad signals can mean stop and then go, keep […]
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 […]
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. […]
Preview Model Railroader May and June content We’re always adding new content to our website! Here are some recent stories you may have missed, and a look at some items coming in June. Model train decor in coffee tables Years ago, when most homes were a lot smaller, the concept of building a compact layout […]
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 […]
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 […]
Airbrushing is a facet of the hobby I really enjoy. I’m sure some of my interest in painting is because my father and grandfather were auto body repairmen. I grew up around paint and paint equipment. One of the many lessons I learned from them was to take care of your tools. That’s true whether […]
Model Railroader Video Vault highlights: Kalmbach has been producing model railroading videos for a long time, longer even than some readers realize. Luckily for us contemporary model railroaders, some of these videos have been digitized, and range from how-to videos to layout visits. These videos contain a wealth of knowledge from model railroading stars of […]
