Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Here in Wisconsin we’re still under safer-at-home orders, so this episode of Cody’s Office comes to you from Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno’s basement. In addition to new model railroad products in N, HO, and O scales, Cody answers a question about standard […]
This time, David advances the aging effects of his gons by working up (or upside down) from the wheels. Don’t miss his handy tips for painting wheelsets, weathering trucks, and applying decals! […]
More work on On30 gondola trucks and wheelsets… at least until David gets tripped up by a new coupler installation that doesn’t quite measure up to the NMRA standards. Follow along, as he works out this and other issues in the fine details of his freight car project. […]
David has a guest? A virtual guest, that is. But he’s certainly no stranger to MRVP! By way of virtual meeting software, Off The Rails host Gerry Leone checks out the Underground action, lets us know about his new layout progress, and even offers up a great tip. […]
The turntable build gets temporarily tabled, but David still has plenty of projects to keep him busy in the basement. Today’s effort involves roughing up a set of On30 gons to make the sides of the car look worn and ragged from heavy use. Even David is amazed how realistic the results of his technique […]
Another laser-cut wood struture is on the horizon for David’s On30 logging-themed layout. After he preps the parts for construction, David then returns to making a good-lookin’ gon appear even worse for wear on the inside! […]
Ready for another Underground update? David Popp hunkers down to take on the challenge of building a fueling stage for his On30 Olympia Logging Co. layout. After a quick overview of his modeling project and the laser-cut wood kit components, you’ll see how David tests and preps parts with stain. […]
Charles Angelo Irace GarGraves Phantom Line flexible track is manufactured with the middle rail chemically treated to a deep black color. The wood ties are also more realistic than the stamped-metal ones found on traditional track, but I like to paint the GarGraves ties to better resemble the creosote-treated ones found on real railroads. In […]
In popularity, the postwar Lionel gang car is exceeded by only the trolley car in terms of Auto-Pilot fun on the tinplate rails. Lionel’s release of the 1950s favorite lives up to its reputation. Both the gang car and trolley operate on the same concept. The car runs in one direction until it hits an […]
MTH brings us a B-class switcher. As Al Staufer noted in his book Pennsy Power, few electrified railways could dedicate electric locomotives simply to the task of switching cars. But the Pennsylvania Railroad, with its vast network of yards and terminals under wire, could. In 1926, the Pennsy’s Altoona, Pa., shops began producing these little […]
Cab units are a staple of O gauge model railroading. They are crowd pleasers and are updated every few years with new features or improvements. A corollary of that statement is the increased expectations on the part of hobbyists. The greater the level of detail you see, the more you expect. The better the low-end […]
It’s been written about a lot before, but here are some more ballasting tips for tubular track. It can make your right-of-way look more realistic, but the bottom line is have fun and don’t stress about it. Don’t overdo It is pretty common to completely fill in the area between two tracks with a bed […]
