283-car Union Pacific Coal Train at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum

Yellow Union Pacific-style model locomotives lead a coal train on a Western US-themed layout.

Watch a 283-car Union Pacific coal train climb the 2.5 percent grade to the Quartz Mountain summit. Powered by 11 locomotives — two on the head end, with five more sets distributed through the train. The train is three scale miles long (200 actual feet) and weighs 30,000 prototype tons. Engineers Luke Brendsel and Scott Warren […]

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How-to Library: Designing a layout, Part 4 Sharing the project with others

David Popp and Tony Koester take a closer look at the collection of historic photos and maps.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Host David Popp invites MR Contributing Editor Tony Koester to take a closer look at the collection of historic photos and maps. The two consider how to select and shape these references into Layout Design Elements (LDEs), which can be used to form […]

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How-to Library: Designing a layout, Part 4 Sharing the project with others

David Popp and Tony Koester take a closer look at the collection of historic photos and maps.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Host David Popp invites MR Contributing Editor Tony Koester to take a closer look at the collection of historic photos and maps. The two consider how to select and shape these references into Layout Design Elements (LDEs), which can be used to form […]

Read More…

How-to Library: Designing a layout, Part 4 Sharing the project with others

David Popp and Tony Koester take a closer look at the collection of historic photos and maps.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Host David Popp invites MR Contributing Editor Tony Koester to take a closer look at the collection of historic photos and maps. The two consider how to select and shape these references into Layout Design Elements (LDEs), which can be used to form […]

Read More…

How-to Library: Designing a layout, Part 5 The Doodle Phase

David turns maps into a railroad sketch.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page David begins the process of transforming maps and other references into a preliminary model railroad sketch. While a pencil sketch isn’t intended to be final track plan, David shows how it can be used to reveal critical design and/or construction issues at an […]

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How-to Library: Designing a layout, Part 5 The Doodle Phase

David turns maps into a railroad sketch.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page David begins the process of transforming maps and other references into a preliminary model railroad sketch. While a pencil sketch isn’t intended to be final track plan, David shows how it can be used to reveal critical design and/or construction issues at an […]

Read More…

How-to Library: Designing a layout, Part 5 The Doodle Phase

David turns maps into a railroad sketch.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page David begins the process of transforming maps and other references into a preliminary model railroad sketch. While a pencil sketch isn’t intended to be final track plan, David shows how it can be used to reveal critical design and/or construction issues at an […]

Read More…