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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...]

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Model Railroading Scenery Tip: Painting Brick on Your Layout

January 14, 2011 By 3 Comments
Brick Wall

This scenery tip came in from Robert Herring. Robert shared a technique he has used for painting brick on his model railroad layout that will give your brick walls an aged appearance. I’ve added this tip to the Scenery Techniques page as well as posting it here: The easiest way to paint brick, even N scale, that I have found is to: Paint the base color of the building. Use flat latex interior paint thinned about 2 to 1 with water and a drop or two of liquid detergent. After the base coat has dried, use a paper towel dipped into the mixture and rub the brick areas. The finish … [Read more...]

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Model Railroad Layout Design – Some Basics

November 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders

By Dave Staples For most model railroad enthusiasts, designing and building a model railroad layout is a wonderful part of the hobby. If you like letting your imagination fly, designing your own model railroad layout can be one of the most fun activities you'll ever do. Some layouts just "wow" you when you see their size and scope, such as multiple tracks and trains, or handmade scenery and environments. You know a lot of love and labor went into it. But a good layout doesn't necessarily have to be complicated, especially if you're just starting out. With a mixture of a little … [Read more...]

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How to Build a Model Railroad of Your Dreams Without Making Too Many Mistakes

September 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Model Train Help

By Robert R Anderson We all make mistakes when creating a model train layout, but the important thing is to learn from them, or avoid making mistakes in the first place. One of the most common mistakes is to choose the wrong scale when getting started in the hobby of model railroading. Talk with others in the hobby - we all have our preferences on scales (otherwise known as biased opinions). You will need to do plenty of research and measure how much space you have available. Many beginner railroaders start collecting one scale of model trains only to find that there are more … [Read more...]

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Paradise Cove Farm Added to The C & G RR Layout

September 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Just another view

Once again, Chuck Shutz has added even more detail to his  HO scale C & G RR model railroad layout. This time Chuck has added the Paradise Cove Farm to a corner of his layout. If you've been following the development of Chuck's small 44″ by 66″ layout, you know there isn't much room left on this layout but Chuck keeps finding ways to add more detail. "Believe it or not, I was able to add this farm/barn to this corner of my layout! Here are a few photos of the Paradise Cove Farm!" -Chuck Shutz Check out this new addition to Chuck's layout: Paradise Cove Farm See more … [Read more...]

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Model Railroading 101

August 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
tcmrmS009

Here are some model railroad basics; things you should know before investing in model railroad trains. If you're planning on building a model railroad layout then this is the essential information you'll need before starting out. Pick a Railroad... Any Railroad Choosing a specific railroad to focus on can make the hobby much more more economical. Your railroad can be modern day like the Union Pacific, BNSF, or Canadian National. Or it can be a "fallen flag", a railroad that's been taken over by a larger company. Many modelers choose the railroad whose trains they watched passing by as a … [Read more...]

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