Thin Branch Series: Backdrops part 4 – Clouds

Jay Smith painting a bird.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In our final backdrop painting installment, artist Jay Smith shows you how to add clouds to the sky of your model railroad. To complete the scene, he also provides tips for painting simple birds. Look for Jay’s other backdrop-painting videos on MR Video […]

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Thin Branch Series: Foam scenery part 1 – build a tunnel

David Popp building a tunnel liner.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page For our Thin Branch project railroad, David used foam insulation board as a base for much of the scenery. In this video installment, he shows how he used the foam to build a simple tunnel liner. […]

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Thin Branch Series: Foam scenery part 2 – making hills

David carving foam scenery.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In our second foam scenery installment, David shows how he built a variety of hills by stacking strips of foam insulation board. He also covers some basic shaping and finishing techniques in this video. […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures, Episode 9 – Tower A2 in Chicago

A Metra passenger train speeds north with downtown Chicago in the background.

In part 2 of Drew’s trip to Chicago, he visits two towers along Metra’s former Milwaukee Road lines – A5 and A2. In this video, Drew gives you a close-up look inside the towers, and you get to meet the people who run these busy railroad junction points. […]

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History According to Hediger: Modeling the Auto-Train in HO scale

Diesel locomotives with auto carriers

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In the 1970s, then editor Linn Westcott asked young associate editor Jim Hediger to build an HO model of the Auto-Train for the cover of the December 1974 issue of MR – all 38 cars of it! Jim shares the models he built […]

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MR Product Review: Broadway Limited HO scale Norfolk Western Y6b steam locomotive

Broadway Limited HO scale Norfolk Western Y6b locomotive

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Broadway Limited’s new HO scale Y6b steam locomotive includes a lot of great features, including smoke, sound, Digital Command Control, and amazing pulling power. Watch it run on our HO scale layout in this video. […]

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Cody’s Workshop: Episode 9 – Stripping paint

black-and-white photo of Cody Grivno wearing a white jacket and safety goggles on head

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Just in time for Halloween, Cody shows you two ways to strip paint from models in his latest visit to the “MR Laboratory.” He also shares some scary tips for preparing resin models, cutting coupler trip pins, and painting locomotive numberboards. And watchout […]

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