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Steve Brown, host of It’s My Railroad, launches into an all-new, Trains.com exclusive series! Follow along as he walks through his plans and strategies for building a reduced-scope, N scale version of his favorite HO scale layout, the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway (The Tar Branch), previously featured in Model Railroader magazine and MRVideoPlus.com. […]
Trains.com exclusive video series host Steve Brown gets to work on the trackwork of his down-sized (N scale) depiction of the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway. True to form, Steve follows his “Regular Guy” routine, and finds that some unexpected complications are cause for contemplation…and deviation from the original Model Railroader magazine HO scale track plan! […]
The evolution of miniature locomotives has been long and steady for more than a century. The beginning, of course, involved using electricity to enable them to move without being touched. Next came the introduction of functioning lights to models of steam and electric engines as well as to trolley and motorized units. Everything that had […]
Sketching with Steve How you arrange the turnouts in your yards may be dictated by the prototype yard you might be modeling and at least in part by the shape of the benchwork at that location. But if you’re designing a yard that isn’t constrained by those factors – say, a staging yard on a […]
One of the issues that comes up in almost every 3D print is the finished product. Like most plastic models, there can be plastic strings, places that did not get enough material, holes, sharp edges, and the like. I am constantly reading about different techniques of finishing 3D parts. Some of them work quite well, […]
Diaphragms are bellows-like connections that enclose the space between cars for safe passage through the train. Passenger cars look naked without them, but they can be a pain in the neck if they don’t let cars negotiate all kinds of trackwork, or if they keep cars from coupling and uncoupling. I took my cue from […]
Common name: Air plant Latin name: Tillandsia sp. Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11 Cultural needs: No soil; indirect light indoors or shade outdoors; regular watering; air! Plant size: 2-6″ Obviously they need air but these little air plants also require regular watering and specific amounts of light. In their native South American rain […]
Good rolling stock plays a major role in the operating quality of any layout. On most model railroads, the car fleet represents more potential problems than any other single element, so here’s how I check every car before it goes on my Ohio Southern Railroad, using just a few handy tools, 1. Trucks and wheels […]
Professor Roger Carp discusses the origin and evolution of the vintage Lionel Trains motor-driven coal conveyor accessory. CTT Editor Hal Miller also chimes in with operating insights and helpful tips. Learn even more about this unsung classic in the May 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine. […]
Some of today’s short-wheelbase locomotives have issues with the prototypical switches and narrow-angle crossings that make an O gauge railroad look realistic. Here’s a quick fix that will allow any locomotive - even this economical Bethlehem Steel saddle tanker from Lionel – to perform reliably over the troublesome trackwork. THIS IS A PHOTO FEATURE. CLICK […]
The layout at a glance Name: Eagle River Lines Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 17 x 17 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: Detroit area Era: 1950s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 55 feet Minimum radius: 36” (main), 24” (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (spurs and branch) Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: sectional Height: 42”-46” Roadbed: […]
The layout at a glance Name: Canadian National Ashcroft Subdivision Scale: N (1:160) Size: 7 x 10 feet Prototype: Canadian National Locale: British Columbia Era: modern Style: around the walls Mainline run: 28 feet Minimum radius: 15” See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]
