Turnouts are generally reliable right out of the package. But sometimes problems arise that simple fixes can’t solve. Here are 3 advanced tips to try. 1. Fill flangeways In a perfect world, the wheel treads are wide enough, the gauge is correct, and the flangeways are precise enough that a wheel never drops into the […]
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5 tips for weathering garden railroad trains and structures
Weathering is one way to add realism to any garden railroad or garden railway. Weathering helps train models and rolling stock appear as though they have been exposed to elements and harsh conditions — like full-sized railroads. Here are top tips you can use. Paintbrush weathering To create a weathered finish on a passenger car […]
A beginner’s HO scale layout from one sheet of plywood
(From the article “Three track plans for one sheet of plywood” from the August 2008 Model Railroader) HO scale model railroads are often small layouts based on 4 x 8-foot 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 […]
Garden Railways News & Products for January 2021
Large scale locomotives Allchin traction engine. 1.5” scale model. Black; dark green body, red wheels, and black and white lining; and maroon body, red wheels, and black and white lining. Features copper silver solder boiler and twin flue burner. Wheel diameter: 148mm (front) and 228mm (rear). Requires gas propane/butane fuel. $3,300. April 2021. Produced by […]
Member video: Union Pacific tours the S&P lines
Name: Peter Atonna Railroad Name: Seligman and Paulden Lines Location: Arizona Scale: O Theme: Railroad running through Arizona serving its big and little towns Description: Union Pacific officials decided that since the S&P Lines furnish a good amount of traffic to the UP, they would do a tour of the railroad. Join them in the […]
Member video: Union Pacific tours the S&P lines
Name: Peter Atonna Railroad Name: Seligman and Paulden Lines Location: Arizona Scale: O Theme: Railroad running through Arizona serving its big and little towns Description: Union Pacific officials decided that since the S&P Lines furnish a good amount of traffic to the UP, they would do a tour of the railroad. Join them in the […]
Fleet fillers: Lionel Southern Pacific-style caboose, later version
Cabooses are one of our favorite types of Fleet Filler cars. You need one behind almost every freight train, and really, who doesn’t love to see one bringing up the rear? Many of us are familiar with the Lionel’s postwar O-27 cabooses, the most ubiquitous of which was the SP-style model. This item saw lots […]
The M&M UFO Scene from Menards
Price: $99.99 Stock no. 279-6130 Features: Illuminated flying saucer with changing lights; moving hoist with up/down action; M&M, alien, and Jack the German shepherd figures. Website: www.Menards.com/Trains Remember a few years ago when Menards gave us the spaceship with aliens abducting cows for an interplanetary barbecue? Well, what if … and I say if … […]
MTH Premier Line O gauge SD40-2 diesel
Price: $559.95 (no. 20-21314-1; other road names $519.95) Features: O-31 operation, two can-style motors, MTH ProtoSound 3.0 command and sound system, remote couplers, smoke unit, conventional capability, as well as DCS command control and access through the Remote Commander or the MTH app. Low speed (cmd): 2 smph Low speed (conv): 5.5 smph Drawbar pull: […]
‘Mark Twain Zephyr’ restoration continues with focus on observation car
By: Steve Smedley TREGO, Wis. — As winter holds an icy grip on Northwestern Wisconsin, the restoration of the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad’s Mark Twain Zephyr continues. One of nine Zephyrs built by the Budd Co. for the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, the Wisconsin Great Northern acquired the train last year and is restoring […]
Member video: Don’s Magical Kingdom, 2020 edition
Name: Don Wolford Railroad Name: Don’s Magical Kingdom Location: Barrington, IL Scale: O Theme: Amusement/Theme park Description: Our 2020 show, inspired by Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. […]
Member video: Don’s Magical Kingdom, 2020 edition
Name: Don Wolford Railroad Name: Don’s Magical Kingdom Location: Barrington, IL Scale: O Theme: Amusement/Theme park Description: Our 2020 show, inspired by Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. […]