Trains.com staffers Bryson Sleppy and Rene Schweitzer review LEGO trackwork basics, and the history of LEGO trains and trackwork. Looking for more information on LEGO trains? Watch Bryson and Rene unbox a LEGO City trainset! […]
Train Topic: Beginners
Install a Blunami Decoder in a LEGO locomotive
Model Railroader‘s Bryson Sleppy loves LEGO! And of course, he loves “digital” interests in model railroading too! So why not put the two together? That’s exactly what he’s done by adding a SoundTraxx Blunami decoder to control his LEGO 10219 Maersk Train Set locomotive fitted with a battery-powered, motorized truck part. Follow along, and you’ll […]
Do-it-yourself intermodal containers
The photo above shows a pair of HO scale 48-foot intermodal containers that I made using paper, cardstock, and cardboard. If you don’t want white containers, copy or print the drawings found in the link to the pdf below full-size on color paper. I find red or blue paper yields the best looking containers. I […]
2023 National Garden Railway Convention is in Santa Clara
The Bay Area Garden Railway Society (BAGRS) is hosting the 2023 National Garden Railway Convention this year. The event runs from July 1-8 at the Hyatt Santa Clara, Calif. and features a variety of events for all ages. The show features an exhibit and vendor hall (The Santa Clara Convention Center, adjacent to the hotel) […]
Five finds at model railroad swap meets
Five finds at model railroad swap meets. I always look forward to the fall and winter months. No, not because I enjoy raking leaves and shoveling snow. In this part of the country, October through March is peak model railroad swap meet season. These events are held at venues large and small, including county fairground […]
Class I railroads 101
Class I railroads Class I railroads: If you’re in your car watching a long 100-car freight train roll over a grade crossing, chances are good that the train belongs to one of the Class I systems. The Class Is operate 70% of the total track miles in the U.S., employ 73% of the labor force, […]
Earthwork on the project railroad
Earthwork on the project railroad: We are ready to begin grading the line. The first thing we had to do was to transfer our design to the ground. This would give us a feeling for how the railroad would actually sit in its site and it would also delineate where the earthwork had to be […]
An overview of garden railroading
An overview of garden railroading: Garden railroading is the art of combining a model railroad and a beautiful garden to create a railway-like atmosphere. The difference between a traditional indoor layout and a garden railway is the difference between realism and reality. Indoors, the goal is to create the illusion of reality through the use […]
Rail yard basics
Rail yard basics What are rail yard basics? Think of a yard as a giant sorting machine. It’s a place where freight trains are put together and taken apart. In the railroad industry, freight pays the bills. The faster cars are sorted and back on the road the sooner the cargo is delivered and an […]
Garden Variety Railroad Show | Snow Week Special
One of the most appealing aspects of garden railroading is the fact it can be enjoyed year-round in the great outdoors! And with the proper equipment at hand, large scale trains can even run in a moderate accumulation of fresh, crystalize precipitation. In this video, you’ll see the efforts a few resilient railway owners made […]
Model railroad snow plow rolling stock
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 […]
Norfolk Southern Corporation profile
A Norfolk Southern train storms eastward through Otis, Indiana. Trains staff Read more Norfolk Southern articles on Trains‘ website. Norfolk Southern summary Norfolk Southern Corporation is a railroad holding company incorporated in Virginia. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Norfolk, Virginia. Operations headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS), a large […]