Venita Lake explains how operations were developed for the El Dorado & El Reno Railroad, the waybills, track warrants and switchlists used, and the evolving role of their dispatcher's desk....

Jacob Libhart found this model railroad diorama (in very poor condition) in an antique store in Cuba, Missouri. The layout had no engines, cars or paperwork and was not running. This 12 year old modeler completely refurbished the diorama, adding motive power, cars, new track - and rew...

Thoughts on model railroad operations from the perspective of learning from others....

Techniques for modeling concrete, brick and asphalt streets, and concrete grade crossings, on your model railroad layout with the Walthers Cornerstone street system....

The World’s Greatest Hobby program, sponsored by the Model Railroad Industry Association, had the right idea when they selected St. Louis as the location for its second WGH on Tour event. America’s Center in downtown St. Louis was packed on January 8-9, 2005, and the Gateway Division,...

The World’s Greatest Hobby (WGH) program, sponsored by the Model Railroad Industry Association (MRIA), has selected St. Louis as the location for its second WGH on Tour event, and the Gateway Division, will be there to promote the hobby and membership in the NMRA....

As a result of request through the Gateway Division website, Rick and Venita Lake visited the Center for Creative Learning in the Rockwoods School District in September to talk with a second grade class about their train collection. This was part of a special unit on collections, what...

Some years ago I wrote a brief piece for The RPO relating information I had picked up at a national convention. It focused on making sure that details on the layout fit the time frame modeled, and gave approximate times that hay stacks went from stack or square bales to rolled, or whe...

This model railroad layout is based on the Saint Louis Central 2001 Model Railroader project designed and built by St. Louis area members of the National Model Railroad Association during the July 2001 National Train Show in downtown St. Louis. We’ll call this one "Version 2.002" beca...

We’re going to be a part of the History Museum! At the May Division meeting, members approved a budget of $2,000 to build a 4’x8’ layout for a forthcoming exhibit at the History Museum in Forest Park. The exhibit, entitled “Our World in Miniature: Trains, Dollhouses and Other Miniatur...

The Gateway 2001 national convention and train show was the culmination of five years of planning and preparation involving not only our local members, but volunteers across the country and abroad. The event was a great success....

Developing a comprehensive inventory of a model railroad's inventory - cars, engines, structures, details, books, and tools - serves a number of purposes, for the present, for protection, and for your estate....