My first model railroad operating session: One morning each month I join the Old Codgers, a group of mostly retired model railroaders, for breakfast followed by an operating session at one of the group’s home layouts. I hosted the Codgers on my N scale layout for the first time this past August, having given myself a year […]
Facts & features Name: Virginia & Western RR, Tidewater DistrictScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 1′-3″ x 17′-0″Theme: Waterfront industrial districtLocale: Mid-Atlantic tidewaterEra: 1948-54Style: ShelfMainline run: NoneMinimum radius: Cosmetic curvesMinimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: NoneBenchwork: Plywood on shelf bracketsHeight: 44″Roadbed: CorkTrack: Handlaid code 70Scenery: tabletopBackdrop: Painted 1⁄4″ plywoodControl: Digitrax DCC Download a PDF of this track plan! Buy […]
Facts & features Name: The Seaboard Central Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 11′-9″ x 22′-9″ Prototype: Proto-freelanced Era: Spring 2015 Locale: Griffin, Ga. Style: Walk-in Mainline run: 68 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: No. 6 Maximum grade: None Benchwork: Open grid, sectional Height: 40″ Roadbed: Cork, trackbed Track: Micro Engineering code 83 flextrack Scenery: Foam […]
N scale layout design tips and considerations: Sometime back I wrote about how prototype railroad equipment has gotten larger over the years, making it more difficult to build a visually and operationally satisfying layout using trainset curves (93⁄4″ radius in N scale). An obvious solution – if you have the room – is to use […]
Q: I was recently given some older HO scale hopper cars that apparently had snap-on trucks. What method do you recommend to fill in the hole so I can replace snap-on trucks with the screw-on type? I gather I would use 2-56 screws? – Artie Krass A: What you use to fill in those holes […]
When N scale modeling doesn’t work out: I hate it when I’m working on some part of my N scale layout, and the further in I get, the more I want out. It can be most anything: a scenery feature, a turnout, weathering a car, whatever. The project just isn’t working, and the realization that […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated magazines. The Olympia project was an On30 layout built by the MR Video Plus team for a series of videos that can be found on Trains.com Video. A “what if” […]
Character, not caricature, in N scale: A few years ago I rode the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR. It was, in a few words, spectacular, beautiful, gorgeous, awesome, and any other superlative you can think of. The steam locomotives and most of the equipment are the real thing and served the line when it […]
The case for body-mounted couplers: For 40 or so years N scalers have been debating – sometimes rather fiercely – the merits of body-mounted couplers versus the truck-mounted type that come on most rolling stock. My position is simple. I think that for 90 percent of N scalers, converting to body-mounts wouldn’t be worth the […]
Adding scenery to your layout can take it from a basic track setup to a realistic and immersive world. It’s an exciting and creative part of model railroading that allows you to design and construct a unique landscape for your trains to travel through. However, it can be overwhelming to know where to start which […]
Common name: Dahlberg daisy, golden fleece Latin name: Thymophylla tenuiloba var. tenuiloba, syn. Dyssodia tenuiloba Plant type: Annual USDA Hardiness Zones: n/a Plant size: 6-12″ high and wide Cultural needs: Sunny, well drained, neutral or slightly acidic poor soil Delicate little annuals with lacy foliage and small yellow daisies soften the toughest rocks. Dahlberg daisy […]
One of the hottest topics of the moment is the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI.) If you’ve been paying attention to this conversation, you likely know that Artificial Intelligence programs have made enormous strides forward in just the past few years. These advances have caused disruption and innovation in equal measure in many fields. These […]
