Tips for keeping your model railroad layout clean: A clean layout is fun to run, fun to work on, and fun to look at. Unfortunately, the three D’s – dust, dirt and debris – are in season all year long and can make keeping a layout clean a constant, time-consuming job. Here are a few […]
Jim Hediger, a member of the Model Railroader staff for 43 years, passed away on February 9, 2024. His family generously donated his slide collection to Kalmbach Media. While going through the images, I found several slides featuring Jim’s HO scale Detroit Western RR. The layout was the successor to the 5 x 9-foot NJ&E […]
News & Products for the week of March 18th 2024 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 18th […]
Rapido Trains has announced a tour across the continental United States. The tour, which began on March 17th at the California Southern Model Railroad Club in Los Angeles, will make stops at model railroad clubs, rail museums, and hobby shops from California to Michigan en route to Rapido Trains headquarters in Toronto. Per a statement […]
Backdrops are an important part of any model railroad. Whether you use drywall, tempered hardboard, or some other material, backdrops help operators and visitors focus on the layout and not other distractions in the room. If you’re looking for something beyond basic sky blue, and painting isn’t your game, then this backdrop round-up is for […]
The Aurora Miniatures HO National Steel Car gondola is the latest North American freight car in the manufacturer’s product lineup. The newly tooled car, available for the first time as a mass-produced model, was designed using a variety of prototype resources. The prototype The sample we received is decorated as GNTX 295512, part of TTX’s […]
Seemingly bringing an end to a saga of uncertainty, Model Train Stuff is set to reopen under the Factory Direct Hobbies family. In a statement released by Factory Direct Hobbies President Joe Grubba, it was announced that M.B. Klein and Model Train Stuff will live on as a part of the Arden, North Carolina-based company. […]
Rails of Sheffield has announced that it has bought the Hattons brand, allowing the famed company’s legacy to live on for years to come. Per a statement released by Rails of Sheffield: “We are pleased to annnounce that we have now brought ‘Hattons Model Railways’ into the Rails family! It was a shock to the […]
News & Products for the week of March 11th 2024 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 11th […]
The following project is an update of Gary D. Patterson’s “Simplified CTC signals” in the July 1988 issue of MR. Bringing the project up to date was a large endeavour. The block control project now incorporates “all” solid-state components controlled by an Arduino microcontroller. I refer to this updated article as “CTC Signals 2.0.” The […]
A General Electric AC4400CW diesel locomotive has joined the Athearn Genesis lineup. And no, this isn’t just an upgraded version of the “blue box” kit from the 1990s. The newly tooled six-axle road locomotive is offered with railroad-specific details, a full cab interior, and light-emitting-diode lighting, among other features. The prototype The sample we received […]
In this episode, David turns to a new construction technique as he forms the body of a wagon using resin impregnated paper. In his initial attempt with this material, David finds that it cuts, shapes, and assembles in manner similar to styrene. Follow along as he walks through the working limits and shares his valuable […]
