Model Railroading Blog

Jan 7, Model Railroad Stories

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:50:24 GMT

We all have model railroad stories we could tell - some funny, some not-so-funny, but maybe educational. If you have a story to tell about your model railroad experience, let us know about it here.

Dec 5, Technique for Painting Locomotives and/or Rolling Stock, from John Staehle

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:55:42 GMT

Try this technique for painting locomotives or rolling stock: 1. First, using a green scouring pad, lightly scratch the surface of the model you wish to paint, this roughs up the surface without damaging details. (I use this for all my models.) 2. Using an airbrush acrylic paint mix that is thinned with Blue tint windshield wiper fluid will assure a fine looking finish. Mix to about 60% thinner/40% acrylic paint. 3. Airbrush the model with thin layers of paint at about 25psi and let each layer dry. The alcohol in the wiper fluid will cause the paint to dry almost as fast as you apply it. This is what you want to have happen. Eliminating streaking and runny paint will have the desired results with practice. 4. The final step for setting and hardening of the paint can be done with a hand held hairdryer set on LOW heat. Gently go back and forth over the entire model with the hairdryer as this acts like a the poor man's paint drying booth. 5. A note about acrylic craft paints: Although some readers might want to use pre-mixed hobby paints, the paints I am referring to are found in the craft section of many hobby related stores. With color charts to refer to, one can replicate RR colors as well as military colors as in my case. Acrylic craft paints were first used in ceramics and wood projects and I found them to work on all styrene plastics as well. I would suggest that one purchase several colors and try them as I described. Thinned with water, black makes a great base for weathering. They all mix with various other acrylic based products to make really great scenery as well. Have fun! John

Dec 1, A new beginning

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:26:43 GMT

A new start with photos to share within the new hobby barn. The great thing about starting over is that one can rebuild with what you have as I am in stages

Nov 17, I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself!

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:28:18 GMT

Michael Buzzeo wrote in this comment: "This is the most user-friendly, informative site on model railroading I have ever seen. It offers clear, concise and to-the-point instructions of the hobby. Once you stop here, there will be no reason to go anywhere else!!!"
[Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate it!-GJW] See more comments here!

Nov 17, Looking for a job?

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:11:49 GMT

Our company provides awards for a Locomotive Manufacturer. We need a person that we can send HO scale locomotives to and have the railings and small parts put on and ship back to us. We don't make a lot - maybe 40 to 50 per year. We usually do in lots of 2 to 5 at a time. The person that currently does these for us is "retiring" and he tells us it takes about an hour. He mounts the train to a plaque, drills it and glues railings or little parts. They are mostly put together. We are located in Erie PA. If you are interested or know of someone interested, send an email to me, (Rob Hess) at rhess@paragonprintsystems.com

Nov 17, New Tips

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:32:13 GMT

I discovered a few helpful tips, I would like to pass on. So, here we go! If you are tired of using the various colors of masking tape for drapes/curtains, you might like to try the white self-adhesive wallboard tape. It has threads that run N,S,E, and W. It does adhere well to the plastic parts and I think it does look very realistic. The next tip deals with making scale hay for hay bales. Do try the home coffee grinder to grind up the pieces of hay from the animal/pet supply house. Just cut your scale hay bales from wood, paint them yellow, and glue the ground up pieces of hay to the bale. And the last tip deals with the purchase and/or ordering on line the battery operated LED lights that the stores are now selling for the holidays. For example, the Home Depot is selling some sets under the Martha Stewart Living Line of products. These sets have 36 mini lights on a 9 foot ultra slim wire. Operates on three AA batteries and has three settings-steady-flashing-phasing(on for six hours-off for 18 hours). The price is around $8.00 and comes in two colors-white&red. -Submitted by Arnold Davis

Oct 2, Small N Scale Train Layout

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:08:27 GMT

Step-by-step creation of a small N Scale model train layout - A great way to get started, or if you just want to take a break from the big layout.

Sep 22, Track Cleaning with a Pencil!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:51:42 GMT

Hi All, I read an article about track cleaning on the internet the other day, not sure where abouts. The article stated that using Graphite (Pencil) rubbed on the rails will promote better electrical pickup. I rubbed a Pencil all over my railroad (N Scale). My trains run 100% better!!! It really works. I can now run my trains so slowly that a train takes 45 - 50 minutes, to go from my lower staging yard on the lower deck to my Staging loops on the 4th upper deck, with no jerky running it's just smooth running all the way. I model the Rio Grande so my grades are close to 2.5% over most of the railroad so electrical contact is a must. Currently I'm using DC but hope to convert to DCC, the same should apply to DCC Layouts as well. Cheers, Rio Grande Steve

Sep 17, Modular Benchwork

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:22:31 GMT

In regards to benchwork, I have built my layout in modular sections 2 x 8, 3 x 8, 3 x 6 and 3 x 6 feet. construction is 1/2 inch plywood screwed and glued to 1" X 3". I used steel studs to form 45 degree wall mounted brackets that I bolted to the walls every 4 feet. I set my modules on top of the brackets and bolted them together to form a U layout. I do not bolt the modules to the steel stud brackets. By doing this the modules can expand and contract as it needs too, just like a laminate floor. This avoids the buckling of the layout due to temperature and humidity changes. By building my layout in modules I can turn the module on its' side, clamp it to two saw-horses and do the wiring from a comfortable standing position. -Gordon Wahay

Sep 17, Reversing Track Tutorial from Azatrax

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:16:11 GMT

Great to see your wonderful website continue to expand. We appreciate the links you have to our site for train detectors and crossing signals. We've recently added a tutorial on reversing tracks to our site, and have systems for sale to automate reversing tracks on DC as well as DCC and AC layouts. -John Parsons

Sep 17, Making Hay Bales, Ballast, Coal and Ground Cover

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:12:20 GMT

I think I have found two new uses for the blender and/or home coffee grinder. I have obtained have loose hay from our Farm Supply House and placed a small quantity at a time in the grinder for HO and G scale hay bales.Then, its a matter of cutting the square pieces of scale lumber, painting each piece yellow, and gluing the hay. Now, for the second use. Grinding some aquarium gravel for ballast, coal, and ground cover. I purchased some yesterday for $1.00 a pound. Yes, the gravel does come in many colors. -Arnold Davis

Sep 4, Railroad Industry News

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:54:17 GMT

A newly relaunched site that will provide you with current prototypical railroad information. It may be helpful in designing and planning your own model railroad.

Jul 28, Horace and William Creek Railroad

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:55:43 GMT

Photos from Dave Coble's Horace and William Creek Railroad.

Jul 27, Trees Made with Juniper Snips and Balsa Trunks

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 02:19:18 GMT

I use balsa wood carved to the shape of a conifer trunk, then score the trunk liberally with my razor saw to simulate bark. After this step I will then

Jun 18, Garden Trains

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 16:18:16 GMT

Garden trains are a great way to involve your family in model railroading.

Jun 4, OO Scale

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:47:29 GMT

What is OO Scale? 1:74 scale (OO) is popular in Britain and is used less so in North America. There are a distinct and growing group of followers, however, many of whom belong to the British Railway Modellers of North America (BRMNA). Most British manufacturers make locomotives and rolling stock that will run on HO track (16.5mm gauge, 1:87 scale), although a few stick to the 18.83mm gauge, which is correct for true OO or 1:74 scale and which won't run on HO track without modification. You can choose which you would like to use, but equipment choices in North America might be more limited if you choose the 18.83mm gauge. There are several distributors in North America that sell OO scale and of course many more in England. You might want to consider using OO if you would like to run trains that are a little larger than HO, but not as big as S scale, or if you like to model trains running through the pleasant scenery of the English countryside. You can get much more information about this scale and the model railroaders who use it by following the link to the BRMNA. To see more about how OO scale compares with others, see the following updated post about model train scales...

Jun 2, Create A Website: Getting Started

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:01:15 GMT

If you would like to know more about how to create a website like the one you're looking at now, this page will help you get started.

Jun 2, My model Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:46:48 GMT

I am proud of the fact that the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is not only a means of transport but also a way of life of the

Jun 1, A "Hybrid" Structure

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:05:37 GMT

I was in the process of looking for interesting rail yard buildings to add to the collection, and at the same time I have been practicing my skills with

Jun 1, Model Train Layout and Your Children

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:21:39 GMT

Engaging your children in building a model train layout can teach them some basic skills, enhance their imaginations and creativity, and bring your family together.

May 21, Send in Your Photos!

Sat, 21 May 2011 01:31:14 GMT

We need more model train pics and layout photos to display on our Gallery pages! If you have a great scene on your layout, we would love to see it. Take a picture and send it in as an attachment to photos@building-your-model-railroad.com. Don't forget to include your name and general location. Also write a few words to tell us about the photo(s) if you would like to have that included. This is a great way to show other modelers what you've been up to. It's also very inspirational for modelers to see what others are doing.

May 20, Copper Trees

Fri, 20 May 2011 01:08:01 GMT

I like to get various electrical wires, strip them down to the copper and twist them into shapes - the thicker gauges forming the trunk and finer and finer

May 15, Laser Cutting Service

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:28:35 GMT

Many model railroaders like to design their own buildings on computer and then use a laser cutting service to create the parts according to their specifications. Here's how it works.

Mar 22, Trolley Layout

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:07:47 GMT

Building a trolley layout is another facet of this wonderful hobby that can provide loads of enjoyment for the young and old alike. Here's how to get started.

Mar 18, Model Railroad Links

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:47:30 GMT

Use this page to add one or more of your own model railroad links to this site.

Mar 12, Basic Electronics

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 23:14:08 GMT

A brief tutorial on basic electronics that every model railroader should know.

Jan 23, Kids and Model Trains

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:07:15 GMT

Comment from Russ: I'm getting concerned about what's looking to me to be declining numbers of kids getting into this great hobby. Too many of 'em are all wrapped up in phones, tv, video games, etc. and don't know how to build something! Some of my favorite memories as a kid are when my Dad and I built my first model train layout. We even built hills and tunnels the old fashioned way, with screen, flour & water paste, and newspaper! I sure wish I could do more to encourage more kids and their parents to try it out. I don't have a layout right now, but am trying to work out where to put a garden train in my yard. Someday. Thanks for listening. Russ' website: http://www.modeltrainguidereview.com

Jan 16, Newsletter! Next Issue on February 1

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 02:41:45 GMT

Due to popular demand, we're starting up the newsletter again! Lots of new tips and tricks to improve your model railroading experience. Don't miss it! Sign up by clicking on the link below...

Jan 8, Ground Cover 1: Ground Goop

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:50:52 GMT

Ground Cover 1: Using a layer of "ground goop" on the surface of the model railroad scenery base is a great way to add texture and color before adding the turf, etc. Here's how to make it.

Jan 1, Retaining Walls for Your Train Layout

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:19:21 GMT

How to make retaining walls for your model railroad layout

Dec 31, Rural Church Diorama

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 01:21:01 GMT

After planning the scene, I gathered all my materials, which I had purchased (HO scale church,tombstones,scenery materials, adhesives, etc.) at hobby shops,

Dec 17, Model Train Benchwork for the BR&S

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 01:09:19 GMT

My model railroad benchwork history and construction shows one example of how it can be done and what to keep in mind while you're building it.

Dec 16, Model Railroad Backdrop for the BR&S

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:49:35 GMT

The model railroad backdrop for the BR&S is fairly simple using extruded foam sheeting.

Dec 12, Northlandz

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:51:46 GMT

Northlandz is the epitome of model railroading on a grand scale. Words like awesome and amazing don't really do it justice. Neither do the pictures. It's like the Grand Canyon. You have to see it.

Dec 7, NYC Garden Railroad

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:27:10 GMT

The garden railroad on display for the 2010 Holiday Season at the NYC Botanical Garden is timeless and inspirational to say the least. Check out the photos on this page.

Dec 7, Winter Diorama - Step by Step

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:06:11 GMT

Learn how to create a winter diorama -step by step. Follow along as I demonstrate how I did one.

Nov 26, The Chesapeake Bay and Western Railroad

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:13:45 GMT

The Chesapeake Bay and Western Model Railroad is one of the largest HO scale train layouts in Virginia. Its colorful history and a gallery of photos are shown here.

Nov 9, Spanish Moss Trees

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:58:04 GMT

I like to use Spanish moss of many colors to make my trees. You can use it right out of the bag by pulling the moss apart and cutting it to size so that

Nov 2, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:12:38 GMT

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was one of the strongest and most colorful railroads in American history.

Oct 30, Make a Winter Scene!

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 01:44:52 GMT

This is the time of year when many of us start thinking about snow. The first snow of the season is usually the most beautiful and awe-inspiring. You might even get the urge to model a winter scene for your layout. There are some model railroaders who like to show all four seasons on their layouts, starting with spring on one end and ending with winter on the other. Another idea is to use late fall for the lower elevations and winter for the mountainous scenes. If a winter scene would not be appropriate for your particular layout, that's okay. You still may want to have fun creating a small diorama of a winter scene with or without Christmas decorations to display in your living room around the Holidays! Imagine a real Burl Ives type of scene in 3D with operating lights, etc. Before you get started, you may want to get some tips on how to do a great snow scene from the following page on this site...

Oct 2, Pennsylvania Railroad

Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:28:59 GMT

The Pennsylvania Railroad was one of the greatest railroads in history and continues to be an inspiration for model railroaders everywhere.

Sep 15, Norfolk and Western Railroad

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:32:53 GMT

The Norfolk and Western Railroad spanned over almost 150 years and incorporated over 200 mergers during its time. The modeling potential is virtually unlimited.

Sep 12, Railroad History

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:44:34 GMT

Railroad history is an important part of model railroading that helps inspire us to do what we do. It also provides a reference for us whether we freelance or model the prototype.

Sep 12, The Virginian Railway

Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:51:03 GMT

The Virginian Railway is an historically interesting railroad that has been an inspiration to many model railroaders over the years.

Sep 9, Seaboard Railroad Station

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:59:40 GMT

This restored railroad station in Suffolk is now a museum containing a large 2-room model railroad accurately depicting the area and the time when the station was at its peak.

Aug 29, Layout Wiring Management

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:03:14 GMT

How do you manage all that layout wiring for your model railroad? Here's how I did it for the Blue Ridge and Southern.

Aug 5, old rail road magazines for sale

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:12:34 GMT

hi, I have a lot of very, very old rail road magazines and railroad related items for sale. See the following link to CraigsList for more info and contact

Jul 31, Grades and Clearances

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:01:19 GMT

Planning for proper grades and clearances prior to laying track is critical to avoiding disappointment later.

Jul 4, Model Train Builder

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:35:24 GMT

You may wish to check out a new website complementing this one about building model railroad layouts. It contains additional information, including mathematics and geometrics about track planning, turnouts, grades and elevation, benchwork and more...

May 10, Turnout Control

Mon, 10 May 2010 00:38:18 GMT

Automatic turnout control using Reed switches is an interesting and fun way to control turnouts and prevent derailments.