A Good Quality Locomotive Will Make All The Difference

It can be very frustrating having a locomotive that you need to push to get going, or it suddenly speeds up and falls off the tracks. A locomotive runs by picking up the electricity from the track through its wheels.

How Model Train Locomotives Work

A locomotive runs by picking up an electrical current from the metal rails through metal wheels that ride on the rails. The electricity is transferred from the wheels to the motor, which causes the motor to run.

How Model Train Track Works And What Can Go Wrong

Model train track consists of two metal rails separated by plastic tie sections. Each rail carries one side of the electrical circuit. To work properly, the two rails should not contact each other and no metal object should contact both rails together.

How To Avoid Model Railroad Derailments

Are you frustrated because your model trains derail from time to time? This was a major frustration for me. I would fix one section of the track and the next day the train would derail on another section.

Mailbox Color for Your Era

You’re about to add scenic detail to your layout. Perhaps a few lamp posts, fire hydrants and a mailbox on the street corner. But what color should that mailbox be?

Uncouple Tip

One of the things I’ve learned while volunteering at the Twin City Model Railroad Museum (TCMRM) is how quickly and easily uncouple cars without lifting them off the track with your hand.
A simple plastic stir stick, available at most fast food restaurants that serve coffee, can be used as shown in the pictures at right to uncouple two [...]

How To Apply Ballast

Many people ask me how to apply ballast even if they have done it before. They must not be satisfied how theirs turned out so the very best way will be presented here. I use several techniques and each one has an advantage over the other as the desired effects or the situations vary. A neat looking roadbed is a major accomplishment and very satisfying to look at when finished.

The Art of Applying Decals

The art of applying thin film wet decals to models is one that only gets better with practice. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Patience and persistency will allow you to produce models that look as good, if not better than the models in all your favorite magazines. I am sure many people have many different methods of applying decals successfully. The methods I use were mostly developed by trial and error and lots of query at every hobby shop I’ve gone to.

Using RTV Molds For Creating Scratch-Built Models

RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanized) Rubber molds are simple to make and can allow you to cast several identical detail castings for your scratchbuilt models. RTV Rubber is a two-part mixture made by Dow-Corning. It comes in various styles. I find 3110 the easiest to use because it does not require an expensive vacuum pump to decompress air bubbles.

Tree Construction Technique

Use anything that looks like a miniature tree of the scale, height, and species you want to model. I prefer sage brush twigs for larger deciduous trees like mature oaks and cottonwoods. For birches and smaller deciduous trees, I use pieces from a decorative broom I bought at a Ben Franklin craft store. You can, of course, use anything that looks like a tree, from yarrow and goldenrod weeds; to herb and tree roots; to manufactured cast metal and plastic armatures.

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