The Prototype The Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company was the result of a merger between the original Pullman Car Company (a pioneer in passenger comfort and rail dining) and the Standard Steel Car Company in 1929. This came at a crucial transition period in passenger car development. Until this point, most passenger cars were being constructed …
Modeling Short Line Railroads
Found throughout North America, short line railroads serve as the “last mile” haulers for many freight cars. Often operating on a shoestring budget compared to class one railroads, these operations can be hidden gems of vintage locomotives and old-time railroading practices. In this article, we’re going to look at some of the hallmarks of short …
The History of Norfolk Southern and its Predecessors
The Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) is one of the “big four” class one freight railroads currently headquartered in the United States. While the Union Pacific and BNSF dominate the western half of the country, the Norfolk Southern Railway operates alongside CSX as one of the largest operators based east of the Mississippi. Maintaining 21,500 route …
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Adding a Realistic Pond to Your Layout
Adding water to your layout is one of the best ways to achieve a dynamic, realistic looking scene. Even if you don’t plan to include a river or major water feature in your landscape, whether due to size or the geographical theme of your route, small scenes such as ponds are a great natural element …
DIY Tips for Detailing Your Layout
While many of us find ourselves either in self-quarantine or in “lockdown” due to COVID-19, our layouts are becoming a welcome source of distraction and an escape from feeling cooped up at home. That being said, there’s no denying that it’s more challenging to make significant changes to our railroads during this time. Getting supplies …
The History of the Santa Fe Railway
The Santa Fe Railway – officially known as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway or ATSF – is undoubtably one of the most well recognized railroads in American history. Somewhat surprisingly, the ATSF mainline didn’t actually serve the city of Santa Fe, which was only reachable via a branch line. However thanks to the …
The New Atlas Gunderson “Multi Max” Autorack
The Prototype As mass production of automobiles increased during the 1950s and 60s, specially designed railcars became a crucial component in their construction and delivery. Early auto carriers were built with open sides, and looked similar in appearance to car-carrying road trailers. This presented several problems, the most prominent being exposure to weather, and more …
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A History of Railroad Graffiti (and adding it to your railroad)
The origin of freight car graffiti can be traced directly to the Subway artists of the 1970’s. As the movement grew, taggers would cover both the outside and inside of trains, some going to great lengths to produce undeniable works of art.
5 Easy Steps for Building Trees in Minutes
Unless you’re modeling an arid desert, trees are an essential component of model railroad scenery. More than just another scenic accent, they truly bring scenes to life like no other item. While there are many pre-built trees available, few can match Scenic Express SuperTrees in either realism or value for money. What Are SuperTrees? SuperTrees …
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Incorporating Water in Your Layout
The first day of Spring is here – this means that nature will soon start to come to life from it’s winter slumber. Trees are beginning to bud, flowers are emerging, and lakes and rivers are thawing out. What better time than now to take a look at one of the most challenging and important …