Back for more on the East Troy! This episode drills into the details that help bring a layout to life. Watch as the Trains.com crew populates the roads with weathered vehicles and hand-painted signs. They also enhance the depot using prototype-inspired heralds and a unique historical marker crafted from railroad track. Finally, you’ll see how […]
News & Products for the week of January 26th 2026 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 26th 2026. […]
An interior view at Tower 19 near Dallas (Texas) Union Terminal shows the track diagram (“model board”) of the territory controlled by the tower and some of the levers that controlled the switches and signals. This is an electro-pneumatic interlocking, in which switches are operated by compressed air. Historic American Engineering Record photo […]
News & Products for the week of January 20th 2026 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 20th, 2026. […]
Welcome back to the East Troy Industrial Park—this episode focuses on station scenery and track maintenance. Watch as we repair an overlooked gap in the rails using a custom-filed piece of track and soldering techniques. Then, follow the construction of a museum depot platform using stained strip wood and styrene. Finally, see how we prep […]
Gerry Leone is back at Smithtown on his HO scale Bona Vista layout for Part Two of his river expansion project! Watch as he converts two single-track plate girder bridges—including a forgotten scratchbuilt gem from his Master Model Railroader certification efforts—into one massive double-track span. You’ll learn clever tricks for dissolving clogged glue, scoring styrene […]
This is a typical standpipe (also called water crane, water column, or water plug) used to fill steam locomotive tenders with water, which is supplied by pipe from a tank. A single tank might supply several standpipes. When not in use, they were swung away from the track. The bucket-like object between the end of […]
News & Products for the week of January 12th 2026 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 12th, 2026. […]
In this Sidetrack Series departure from the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad, you’ll learn how to scratchbuild custom brass platforms for industrial glass plant stacks. Model Railroader magazine Editor Eric White demonstrates how to construct a simple, cost-effective assembly jig using pine and masking tape to ensure perfectly aligned soldered joints. […]
News & Products for the week of January 5th 2026 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 5th, 2026. […]
Host Gerry Leone returns to the upper deck of his HO scale Bona Vista layout to tackle a “flat” problem. Watch as Gerry expands a tiny drainage creek into a wider, deeper river to add much-needed vertical relief. You’ll see him cut through sub-roadbed, repurpose deck girder bridges from a previous layout, and secure a new river […]
On the fourth day around Christmas, David Popp shares professional tips for building a vehicle maintenance facility. He moves beyond basic instructions to demonstrate plastic part preparation, from using flush-cutting pliers to sanding away stubborn ejector pin marks. Learn how to ensure rock-solid wall alignment using a framing square and solvent-based adhesives—while protecting yourself with […]
