You are here: Home / Archives for General

Dance Hall Added to The C & G RR Layout

November 12, 2011 By 4 Comments
Paradise Cove Dance Hall

Chuck Shutz has added a dance hall with an outdoor eating area to his layout. Now his layout has a busy nightlife, complete with a band and lively dancers on the dance floor. This HO scale layout by Chuck Shutz of West Palm Beach, Florida, is a very small and simple oval layout with intense and intricate scenery. The layout is only 44″ by 66″, but it has as much detail as some larger layouts. Chuck’s small layout models a riverside resort set in the 1950′s complete with a picnic area, a playground with kids frolicking, a foot bridge, a backyard BBQ, and kids fishing from a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, General Tagged With: , , ,

Which Railroad Do You Model on Your Layout?

July 29, 2011 By 3 Comments
Burlington Northern 766 EMD F9

It might be interesting to hear from some of your subscribers what railroads they favor for their layouts. This question was posted in response to the article about choosing a railroad to model. What a great question, I thought. It got me to thinking; why don’t I ask you which railroad you model on your layout. I’ll start this off by talking about two railroads I would like to model: Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. I don’t mean the single combined Burlington Northern and Sante Fe Railroad as it is today, but the separate railroads as they were in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, General Tagged With: , ,

New Facebook Page for Model Train Tips

May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Facebook

If you’re on Facebook, check out the new Page for Model Train Tips and be sure to “Like” it to see updates in your newsfeed. I’ve been thinking about switching over from a Group to a Page on Facebook for several months but wasn’t that motivated to make the change. Facebook is making changes to Groups, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, I figured it was time to pull the trigger on making the switch. While there is the possibility of more interaction between members of a Group, a Page gives me more flexibility for posting updates. With a Facebook Page you won’t … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, General Tagged With: , ,

Popular Model Train Tips Articles from the Past 30 Days

April 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Model Train Tips

I thought this might be a good time to highlight some of the most popular articles from the past 30 days. I’m not referring to articles published in the last 30 days, although some are, but rather articles that have been viewed the most over the past 30 days. The HO Scale Model Train - Benchwork and Track Planning Tips For Great Layouts This article by Mike Foster emphasizes the importance of proper planning of both the bench work and the track layout. Well designed bench work becomes the foundation of your new layout. Mountains and Ground in Your Model Train Scenery This … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: ,

Model Train Tips Reader Feedback

March 14, 2011 By 1 Comment
Comment

Here is some more of the reader feedback I promised. Alex K. details how far he’s come as well as his frustrations: I'm a beginner.  My father had some HO trains from the 60's.  I inherited them and got them running.  I've since bought new equipment and set up a 4x8 layout and converted to DCC.  Yeah, it was all kind of expensive, but I'm fairly happy with what I've achieved so far. My biggest frustrations stem from the lack of standardization. I appreciate that most DCC decoders work on a set standard and will work with all DCC equipment, but I'm often stymied when it comes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , ,

Blueline HO NYC S1b Niagara 4-8-4 Locomotive For Sale

March 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
HO Niagara 4-8-4 Locomotive

Model Train Tips contributor Chuck Shutz has an HO NYC S1b Niagara 4-8-4 locomotive for sale. He bought it online, set it on his awesome layout and found it was too large for his layout's radius. Now he’s offering this locomotive from Blueline for sale here for only $175, which I understand is a huge discount from the retail price. This brand new locomotive has DC sound and is DCC ready. If you are interested in purchasing this locomotive from Chuck or have questions, please use the contact form below and I will forward your message to Chuck. Once he has your contact information, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, General Tagged With:

Model Railroad Theme; Does Your Layout Have One?

February 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Minneapolis

By Johan Bentley Model Railroad Theme A model railroad theme ties the trains, buildings and scenery together, telling the story of the train display and explaining its premise. A theme can range from historical to winter holiday, with everything else in between. A theme is truly a matter of individual preference and can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be, depending on how many resources you may have available to develop it. Establishing a theme is critical prior to constructing a model railroad display, as all trains and accessories depend on it. Whatever model … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Model Railroading Beginners; Mistakes You Need To Avoid

February 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
ABC's of Model Railroading (Model Railroading for Beginners)

By Dan B Morgan Model railroading for beginners is all about getting the basics right. Start off with the wrong scale or the wrong information and your model railway could turn into a frustrating and costly hobby. When the experts talk about model railroading for beginners, they often use technical language that can confuse the beginner. If you are the confused beginner don't hesitate to stop the expert and ask them to explain what they just said in simple beginner terms. We often get carried away and don't realize that we have started to talk in technical terms which are very … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , ,

Model Train Tips Reader Feedback

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Comment

Last week’s tip from Robert Herring about painting brick on your layout was one of the most popular articles at Model Train Tips in the past month. Robert’s description of how he paints brick on his layout prompted Joao to ask for more information in the Comments area at the end of that article. Robert responded with additional clarification in a follow up comment. The popularity and comment exchange reminded me that some of the best content here at Model Train Tips is reader feedback shared here. In September 2010 I had posted two articles containing reader feedback from new … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

HO Scale Model Train Layouts – Why You Should Consider HO Scale

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
ho-loco-70x70

By Dan B Morgan HO scale model train layouts are incredibly popular. However in the United Kingdom they are referred to OO scale. They are not exactly the same but very close. The popularity has come about because you don't need a lot of space to enjoy a well detailed model railroad. Model Railways in HO scale are 1:87, which means they are 1/87 the size of a real train. This is a great size to be able to handle, but not too small that you struggle to see all the detail. HO model railways can be easily created on a 4 foot x 8 foot table or as large as you want to go. Adding some … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts