As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. But if you, like me, have both cats and model trains, it’s usually your layout that suffers the brunt of your cat’s curiosity. Model train layouts have all kinds of enticing chewable trees, invitingly textured landscaping, and of course, fun moving cat toys (a.k.a. locomotives). So what […]
In some of my early “Sketching with Steve” articles – in particular, “What is a station?” and “Big industries for small spaces” – I admit to having an ulterior motive. I was building toward something. Specifically, I had been thinking for a while about building an L shaped N scale shelf layout in my basement office. […]
This 1950s overview of the West Side Lumber Co. car shops in Tuolumne, Calif., shows the dual-gauge track with the mill switcher — a former narrow-gauge Heisler that was converted to standard gauge. Glenn W. Beier photo […]
How to add DCC sound to a compact HO switcher: When Bachmann introduced an HO scale General Electric 44-ton switcher, I knew it would make a great addition to my Boston & Maine roster. The model includes a Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder, and I bought a version in the B&M livery. Out of the […]
Track buses for Digital Command Control: Layouts wired for direct-current block control have several isolated track sections called blocks. Each block has an electrical switch that controls which DC throttle powers that track section. In theory, a Digital Command Control (DCC) layout could be wired as one large block with two wires feeding the power […]
As soon as my railway was operational I began to teach myself how to build scale structures, including how to build a small cottage. While searching the internet, I came across images of English/French tudor cottages. I like the high-pitched roofs and the exposed half-timbers of this style, and I settled for one that had […]
Enjoy a selection of photos of garden railroading in the winter. If you run your railway in the snow and have photos or video, let us know at editor@gardenrailways.com. You could be featured in a future article! Richard Ormond Chester Valley Garden Railroad Richard Ormond owns the Chester Valley Garden Railroad in Malvern, Pa. He […]
In this video, Eric White continues sharing his insights on the most useful tools and materials. Even better, he demonstrates techniques you can use to make your resin modeling more precise! Be sure to follow the exclusive In The Workshop series for tips, tricks, and clever insights, as demonstrated by various members of Trains.com staff […]
In this video, Eric White continues sharing his insights on the most useful tools and materials. Even better, he demonstrates techniques you can use to make your resin modeling more precise! Be sure to follow the exclusive In The Workshop series for tips, tricks, and clever insights, as demonstrated by various members of Trains.com staff […]
In model railroad snow plow rolling stock round-up, we thought it would be fun to take a look at models of snow fighting equipment available in N, HO, and O scales. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Rather, it’s a look at some of the ready-to-run models and a few kits that […]
In this video, we revisit Dave Tori’s fantastic S gauge layout. It’s entertaining and calls to mind the American Flyer store displays of the past with lots of colorful trains, plenty of action, and many operating accessories. You can see it in the March-April 2023 issue of Classic Toy Trains. […]
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