Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Bob’s Train Box 79

Atlas St. Patrick's Day boxcar.

Bob’s Train Box Episode 79 Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Bob’s Train Box Episode 79! Bob Keller and CTT editor Hal Miller check out the latest O gauge holiday boxcar from Atlas O. They also look at buildings from Menards including the Halls of Handsome Barbershop, Cripple Creek Tractor Repair, and Sacred Heart Hospital. The […]

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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Bob’s Train Box 79

Atlas St. Patrick's Day boxcar.

Bob’s Train Box Episode 79 Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Bob’s Train Box Episode 79! Bob Keller and CTT editor Hal Miller check out the latest O gauge holiday boxcar from Atlas O. They also look at buildings from Menards including the Halls of Handsome Barbershop, Cripple Creek Tractor Repair, and Sacred Heart Hospital. The […]

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East Broad Top’s Mount Union Yard

East Broad Top Railroad

Railfans mill around the East Broad Top’s dual-gauge yard at Mount Union, Pa., as Mikado No. 14 waits with their excursion train in the 1950s. The “Timber Transfer” overhead crane was used to lift standard-gauge cars so their trucks could be changed for passage over the EBT. Charles Small photo […]

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Putting the layout to the test | Back on Track, Episode 16

Following his recent grand tour, Gerry puts his HO scale Bona Vista under greater scrutiny. In this episode, our host closely examines how his construction efforts align with his established Givens and Druthers. After failing to pass every part of his self-graded test, Gerry invites fellow layout builders David Popp and Seth Puffer to check […]

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Lionel’s no. 397 coal loader

Man at a desk with toy train accessory

Lionel’s no. 397 coal loader In 1948, Lionel introduced a new coal loader that needed just one track and a dump car to run. Senior Editor Roger Carp explains the history of this coal loader, what was included in the box with your purchase, and how it changed over the years. He explains what makes […]

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Menards O gauge Valley Motors car dealership building

Menards O gauge car dealership structure

Menards has released a new O gauge auto dealership building called Valley Motors. It features lighting, die-cast vehicles, figures, and lots of detail. It would be at home on a layout set in the 1940s to today. The structure harkens back to an era where American cars and trucks were heavy – probably made of […]

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Trailing spikemoss

Trailing spikemoss with miniature scooter

  Common name: Trailing spikemoss, golden clubmoss 

Latin name: Selaginella kraussiana ‘Aurea’ Plant type: Groundcover 

Plant size: Moist, acidic soil; part or full shade USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Cultural needs: Mounding as high as 6″, spreading to 24″ Spikemoss, with its seaweed-like jointed stems, has an other-world appearance, as do the liverworts, when you get […]

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Back on Track: Fixing an upper deck design flaw, Episode 14

What’s our Back on Track series host Gerry Leone up to these days? More work on the upper deck of his new HO scale Bona Vista layout, of course! Following the previous episode, Gerry finalized more of the track plan, added plywood subroadbed to the upper level, and even laid some track into place. But […]

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Back on Track: Fixing an upper deck design flaw, Episode 14

What’s our Back on Track series host Gerry Leone up to these days? More work on the upper deck of his new HO scale Bona Vista layout, of course! Following the previous episode, Gerry finalized more of the track plan, added plywood subroadbed to the upper level, and even laid some track into place. But […]

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New HO layout at Milwaukee museum available to the public

Kids visiting layout at Discovery World.

HO layout at Milwaukee Museum: Discovery World CEO Bryan Wunar speaks to Trains.com staff about Discovery World’s new HO scale model train layout. Discovery World in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is known for their emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and exhibits. Regarding this exhibit, Wunar says, “Trains and railways embody technological advancements from around […]

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Wisdom of Paul Dolkos

Tug boat and rail barge with text headline: the Wisdom of Paul Dolkos and the Model Railroader blue and white logo.

Enter your e-mail address below and receive a 10-page special featuring Paul Dolkos’ detailed layout of Baltimore harbor railroad operations. Though small, this layout condenses a lifetime of model railroad building and operations that Paul Dolkos has accumulated. The feature articles are “On the Waterfront” parts I and II printed in the December 2015 and […]

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