The layout at a glance Name: Midwest Lines Layout owner: Rolf Plachter Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 33 x 52 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Rock Island; and Union Pacific Locale: Denver to Milwaukee Era: mid-1960s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 400 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2 […]
Host David Popp brings CTT Editor Hal Miller to the party! Hal has been working feverishly to get a post-World War II Lionel O gauge steam locomotive back on track and orbiting under the Christmas tree. Follow along to see how he brings the sound of a classic whistle mechanism back to life inside the […]
The holiday season is here — and that’s a pretty good reason for Trains.com’s preeminent host David Popp to have a party! As the mini-series plays out this month, join David (along with other special guests) as he reveals some of the modeling/layouts projects and quick-hitting techniques keeping him engaged in the hobby. First up, […]
Plans, methods, tools, and projects to help modelers succeed […]
The layout at a glance Name: Laurium, Mohawk & Brockway Layout owner: Larry Burk Scale: On30 (1:48, 30″ track gauge) Size: 27 x 38 feet Prototype: freelanced Locale: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Era: 1935 Style: shelf Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 4 percent on switchback to lumber branch […]
David Popp’s O scale laser-cut wood turntable kit is now completely assembled! The project build concludes as he shows how to add appropriate earth, grass, and ballast scenery to the pit, before securing small detail parts (e.g., nut-bolt-washer castings). […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Work on our Winston-Salem Southbound HO scale layout is complete. Now it’s time to try running it like the real thing! Once the paperwork is order, David Popp walks first-time operator Jenny Maaske through a typical switching sequence. Along the way, David explains […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page When building your model railroad, you may have times when you need to cut track to fit in a certain space. Model Railroader associate editor Cody Grivno will show you how to easily cut track in this basic training video. […]
My friend Steve Miazga and I have been modeling in N scale for 100 years combined – and what a scary thought that is! We both have medium-sized layouts and run lots of trains, so often we find ourselves in the same quandaries. Lately we’ve been dealing with a problem that has crept up over […]
The layout at a glance Name: Chicago & North Western Memories Layout owner: John Mueller Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 32 x 39 feet Prototype: C&NW Locale: northern Wisconsin Era: 1953 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 230 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L girder, open grid, and […]
The bridge assembly is well underway, so David can now focus on building and installing the wheels that put his O scale laser-cut wood turntable kit into motion. If that’s not enough, he even gets the rails placed on bridge deck and takes a locomotive for a spin! […]
After installing the motor mechanism, David adds an automated polarity control to his O scale laser-cut wood turntable kit. And then, it’s on to separating, sorting, and building the bridge assembly. […]
