Harry Potter is one of the world’s most loved and recognizable franchises. Whether you loved the books as a child, discovered the books via the movies, or have only recently found your love for everything wizardry and witchcraft through your children, Harry Potter is everywhere. Unsurprisingly, given the significance of the Hogwarts Express to the …
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Lionel Trains was the first – and still one of the most iconic – big brand in model railroading in the United States and worldwide. In today’s blog post, we’re going to take a look at the history of Lionel Trains, what the brand is best known for, and have a look at some of …
If you’re a model railroader that updates your layout with the seasons, you might have already started to model your summer scene. Updating your layout to a summer scene can be an enjoyable but time-consuming task. Maybe you update the look of your buildings. Perhaps you repaint parts of your landscape as it evolves from …
A legacy of a love for model trains is often born out of connections with the real thing; especially when a family member has worked with them.
Found across the country from small towns to major cities, yards are the beating heart of the railroad. A typical freight yard will often lie at a strategic point in a railroad’s system, usually where multiple routes come together. Here the railroad can switch cars between trains, store equipment while not being used, and service …
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One of the great things about model railroading is the ever-increasing durability of available products. Most new or recent locomotives, rolling stock, and track, will likely yield many years of enjoyable use, with minimal maintenance required. However, to ensure a long lifespan for your collection, some basic TLC will always be needed. By keeping on …
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Era Overview Following the explosive growth of railroad technology and routes during the Pioneer Era, the Golden Era (1910 – 1940) was arguably the finest era of classic railroading. Trains had solidly established themselves as America’s primary transportation method, and it was during this time that the United States would hit it’s peak of 254,000 …
A few months ago we outlined the basic hallmarks of the 5 key eras of railroading history. In this new series, we’ll be taking a closer look into 4 of these eras, examining what types of rolling stock, locomotives, industries, and scenery items would best fit these periods on your model railroad. For our first …
Freight trains are by far the most common type of train that you’ll come across in North America. We have one of the most vast and efficient networks in the world, and freight railroading literally drives our economy in many ways. But what makes a realistic modern freight train, and what types of cars should …
In this post, we’re going to look at the four main scales used by indoor model railroaders and consider which might be best for your needs.