hildren frolic in a pond, staying out of the way of a resident steering his kayak through the waters. Nearby, a train led by the Flyer no. 350 Royal Blue 4-6-2 Pacific Bill played with as a boy weaves its way over the ballasted track. Bill Novak Bill Novak shares a dozen tips for improving […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Featured in Great Model Railroads 2020, David Powell’s HO scale Denver & Rio Grande Western layout models the majestic Rocky Mountains in only 13 x 18 feet. Watch trains run along the main line in this short video tour. […]
Many of us have hobbies within this hobby. Some like history, some collect freight cars or locomotives. Me? I read old issues of Model Railroader. In the past 15 years I’ve gone through my entire 50-year collection four times. Because my tastes and interests evolve over time, I inevitably find something new with each re-reading. […]
Soldering track feeders isn’t that difficult. Learn this easy method for making reliable wiring connection that are also easy to conceal on a model train layout. Soldering feeders to the rails is a wiring method modelers have used since the hobby began. By soldering feeders directly to the rails instead of using other types of […]
E-7 AA engines #66 and #80 leave the station on the way to Chicago circa 1940s. Video submitted by Edward Lorence. […]
With a mini-camera positioned inside a modified F40PH cabin, Carlo Spada navigates around his HO scale layout. The sounds are taken from Train Simulator 2018. […]
Name: Cajon Pass Layout owner: Pat Smith Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 33′-2″ x 40′-7″ Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Union Pacific; and Southern Pacific Locale: Southern California Era: Early 1950s to early 1960s strong>Style: walkaround Mainline run: 475 feet Minimum Radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: […]
Name: New York, New Haven & Hartford RR Layout owner: Richard Abramson Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-6″ x 19′-6″ Prototype: New Haven electrified zone Locale: southwestern Connecticut Era: 1950s to 1960s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 65 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 49″ Roadbed: Homasote […]
Name: The Placerville Branch Layout owner: Tom Ebert Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 11 x 27 feet Prototype: Southern Pacific Locale: Northern California foothills Era: 1930s Style: double-deck continuous-climb walkaround Mainline run: 110 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: L-girder and open-grid Height: 34″ (lower staging) to 62″ Roadbed: cork […]
Present and former members of the Model Railroader staff designed these four model railroads. Each can fit a 150-square-foot space. That space could be a 10 x 15-foot spare room, an 8-foot-wide stall in an 18-foot-long garage, a 5-foot-wide space along a 30-foot basement wall, or anything in between. What resulted was a variety of […]
Name: Georgia Northeastern RR Layout owner: Thomas Klimoski Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9′-2″ x 10′-6″ Prototype: Georgia Northeastern RR Locale: Georgia Era: present-day Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 36 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: open grid Height: 54″ Roadbed: cork Track: Micro Engineering code 70 Scenery: extruded-foam insulation […]
Name: Hudson, Delaware & Lehigh Layout owner: Gary Schaff Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13′-6″ x 35′-0″ Prototype: Central RR of New Jersey and Pennsylvania RR Locale: Jersey City, N.J., to Mauch Chunk, Pa. Era: early 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: CNJ, 170 feet; PRR, 108 feet Minimum radius: 27″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: […]
