Introducing the all-new Trains.com Forum! Become a part of our Community! >>VISIT NOW
Intermodal container cars are a staple of modern railroads. Anyone who models the current era on their garden railroad will want a number of these, both on the rails and waiting for shipment. While several commercial models are available, I found a less expensive way to make them. Standardized shipping containers are essentially rectangular boxes, […]
![Applying Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement with pipette.]](https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MRR_Scenic_Cement_with_pipette_04.jpg)
On Model Railroader’s Beer Line project layout, which was set in 1947 Milwaukee, I ballasted the track on the entire layout using a favorite technique. I used a 50:50 blend of Highball Products Light Gray and Dark Gray limestone ballast, which looks similar to ballast used by the Milwaukee Road [Highball Products ballast is no […]
The height of freight cars can vary tremendously, but passenger car heights were very consistent in late steam/early diesel times. Most heavyweight cars, including the Pullman Co.’s standardized sleepers, measured 14 feet from the rails to the top of the roof. It’s important to me to know that Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe heavyweights were […]
Many model railroaders base their first layouts on 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, for obvious reasons. A flat tabletop is a lot easier to build than L-girder benchwork, and almost any home has room for a 4 x 8 table at one side of a bedroom or den. Great things have been done on […]
A water level is a low-tech but precise way of measuring relative elevation in your yard. By using a water level, you can either find out how much elevation there is from one point to another or, if you are trying to make your railway level, it will tell you when you are there if […]
Here are a few tips and tricks when working with MTH RealTrax: The two ground rails are not tied together. This is true for other track systems using non-metallic ties, including those from Atlas O and GarGraves. If you add a switch, you need to add a lockon and make sure it’s on the […]
Several years ago, I purchased some undecorated Athearn HO scale 50-foot Railbox boxcar kits at a local hobby shop. Wanting to add some variety to my rolling stock fleet, I decided to model the cars in Railbox colors but with Burlington Northern reporting marks, 1. Easy enough, right? Well, not so fast. As most veteran […]
I enjoy scratchbuilding structures from styrene because it’s easy to cut, it takes glue well, and it’s readily available, 1. Though cutting wall sections is easy, making door and window openings can be tedious. However, with the Nibbler cutting tool, you can cut openings quickly and accurately. The Nibbler is a hand-operated punch-and-die tool that […]
Microscale Kristal Klear is a versatile adhesive. One of its uses is to secure clear parts to models. But in a few simple steps, the adhesive can also be used for window glazing, 1. Kristal Klear works best on smaller window panes. Start by dipping a Microbrush into the Kristal Klear. Then, working from the […]
I’ve seen many well-weathered models, but too often the effect is ruined by shiny black couplers with bright metal centering springs. But in three easy steps, you can weather your couplers to look more prototypical, 1. On my Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern GP40, I wanted the couplers to look older, so I sprayed them with […]
I have a crossing where trains automatically stop and thought it would be nice to add a diesel fueling facility there, but I have a very limited space. First, I attached a walkway and tank/equipment pad using tile scraps to the main station pad with Plumbers Goop, and brass strips to keep everything in alignment. […]
Structures are the easiest way to bring a scene to life. As with anything on the railroad, scale is the primary concern. You’ll want to find structures that match the scale of your trains. That’s not always as easy as just looking on the box. Even in commercial kits where a scale is designated, architectural […]
