Winding its way through rugged mountains, cavernous valleys, thick forests, and miles of untamed wilderness, the Alaska Railroad is truly a one of a kind operation. For railfans though, it’s uniqueness extends well beyond its geography. Establishment of the Alaska Railroad While railroad building was prolific across most of North America during the 1800s, Alaska …
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 …
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 …
Graffiti is an emotive topic. S imply mention the word and you’ll elicit responses that range from “vandalism” to “artistic genius” and several degrees in-between. Regardless, it’s undeniable that graffiti is a noticeable part of modern life, and is particularly prevalent on our railroad system. When Did the Graffiti Movement Begin? While some point to …
One common aspect almost every layout shares is corners. In this article, we’re going to look at how we can utilize these awkward spaces on our railroads to either add to our operations, or increase the realism and dramatic impact of our scenery. The Problem with Corners When planning a layout you’ll likely know the …
One of the first things we model railroaders learn when we go from a train set to a layout is that our work is never done. Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of our hobby is the ability to continually evolve our layouts, from swapping out a handful of accessories to completely taking apart a …
Starting your model railroad is exciting, whether you’re simply putting together your first “train set” or already thinking about a more detailed layout. When you look up pictures of impressive layouts and see the time and work that has obviously gone into them, it can be very intimidating! However, the sense of satisfaction when your …
A big landmark in any model railroader’s “career” is when the basic train set is expanded into a layout. Many modelers start with a simple oval of track as their base, often in the form of a store-bought train set. From here, the possibilities are endless! Your layout won’t come together overnight. You’ll make mistakes, …
Bachmann’s HO Scale Amfleet has been available in various forms for almost as long as Amfleets have been in existence. However just like the prototype, the model has gone through several incarnations over the past 40 years. The highly anticipated 2019 release is now here, and we’re taking a first hand look at these updated …
There are several named trains throughout history which have transcended both the railfan and railroading world, making a lasting impression in popular culture. There’s the Orient Express; made famous by Agatha Christie’s mystery novel of the same name. The 20th Century Limited; remembered as an icon of the art deco era. And there’s the Super …
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