Model Railroading Blog and News

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....

One of the underused resources in the operator's bag of tricks is the use of staging. With this tool, a modeler can simulate bridge traffic, run throughs, junctions, and interchanges. Each of these can add interest and operational possibilities. Successfully done, hidden staging can g...

Timetable and Train Order Operation Basics, a primer from the Gateway Division NMRA....

Modelers enjoy visiting and running on model railroads that are realistic in appearance and operated in a realistic manner. This only happens when the model echoes the mission of a real railroad — cars move to transport freight and passengers....

I. Ties A. Glue down ties B. Stain ties C. Sand ties D. Restain ties E. Cut slot for points through bar II. Rail A. File a notch in the stock rails for the points B. File point rails C. File frog point rails D. Cut guard rails III. Laying rail A. Spike straight stock rail 1. Spike eve...

Pacing devices, like junctions, seem to be used and thought of more in the planning stages of railroads. They allow operators more prototypical time to complete switching chores as well as provide for longer runs for mainline engineers....

The Domino Sugar Plant is one of the largest in the world. Both the refinery and Domino Sugar are downstream from New Orleans. These make perfect backgrounds of the scene "across the river" if the back edge of your benchwork represents a riverfront or dock....

I was reading some interesting letters that discussed the impact of real problems on a layout owner’s operations. The general thread of the discussion focused on how the prototype railroad would respond to a similar event. What havoc would this unleash on the scheduled trains, the con...

Operations can be somewhat intimidating. No matter how much you know about trying to emulate prototype practice on a layout, it will still make you nervous the first time you operate on a layout that is not yours. But this experience can be both fun and educational. Recently I went to...