In recent months, I have dug deep into the archives to find the shortest Amtrak trains of each decade. Since most of us modelers have limited layout space, if we still want to model prototypical passenger consists, these short trains are a perfect fit. Join me on a tour of Amtrak eras, this time exploring […]
Santa Fe F7 No. 311 prepares to depart Track 5 at Los Angeles Union Station with the first San Diegan of the day, while the Rock Island/Southern Pacific Golden State, just in from Chicago, stands on Track 4. William D. Middleton photo […]
Q: I’ve tried many methods to uncouple my rolling stock automatically rather than use a manual tool. Permanent magnets were far from satisfactory even when I devised a way to raise them at the appropriate time to a position closer to the couplers. I’ve modified an HOn3 electromagnet to fit between the rails, and this […]
The Lionel turbine locomotive has gone down in history as one of the model maker’s iconic products. From its success, reputation as a great runner, and longevity, you’d think the locomotive it’s based on was one of the greatest of all time. It wasn’t. The Pennsylvania RR S2 Lionel’s 6-8-6 is based on the Class […]
In the course of building the HO scale Freemont Mills model railroad, Steve Otte shares his technique for adding a realistic representation of abandoned tracks. After gathering the essential materials – stained wooded ties, masking tape, and a spacing jig – Steve demonstrates the complete process, including how to add subtle scenery effects that help […]
In the course of building the HO scale Freemont Mills model railroad, Steve Otte shares his technique for adding a realistic representation of abandoned tracks. After gathering the essential materials – stained wooded ties, masking tape, and a spacing jig – Steve demonstrates the complete process, including how to add subtle scenery effects that help […]
Madison Hardware’s gold Lionel EP-5 shells are a story akin to getting lemons and making lemonade. The store sold unusual Lionel trains from all periods of production. Lou Shur and Carl Shaw, the brothers who ran the legendary retail outlet in New York City until it closed in 1989, seemed to have endless supplies of […]
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 products. The Olympia series started on MR Video Plus as an On30 logging railroad video series. Jean Levasseur converted the layout to HO scale and made some modifications to the […]
The Train Masters of Babylon sounds exotic, but the reality is it’s just a great O gauge club layout in New York. Highly detailed and encompassing more than 2,400 square feet, this 41 x 60 display showcases the railroads of the region. Read more in the July-August 2023 issue. […]
Adding diesel sound to American Flyer trains is easier than ever thanks to ready-made electronics. If you can accomplish basic wiring tasks, you can install the needed components. I run a mix of postwar American Flyer and Flyer produced by Lionel. That means with newer stuff I’m quite used to the sounds of modern electronics […]
My railroad is located in the last 12 feet at the end of my backyard and occupies an area about 12’ x 43’, with no hope for expansion. Although I’m generally happy with the 120’ of track in a folded dog bone configuration, I’m always looking for ways to add more track without making it […]
[…]
