Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Magazine Authors
Magazine Articles By Jeff Wilson

10 Tips for Painting with Acrylics

The author captured a number of useful tips-and-tricks he has learned about using acrylic paints

16 Cool Tools

Description of 16 tools needed to do scratchbuilding.

1996 NMRA Prize Parade

Photos of all the winners of the 1996 NMRA show.

Alco Switcher Spotting Features

How one can spot the difference between an Alco S1, S2, S3, and S4.

Better Benchwork for Small Layouts

Building a cookie-cutter style 4 x 8 layout.

Boxcar Questions

When were running boards banned? Did boxcars haul grain?

Car Weighting

A basics article on using a scale, weights, and double-side tape to properly weigh cars to their NMRA specs. Shows types of weights available.

Cleaning Track

Tools and methods.

Coffee with Jeff Wilson

The author shares his model railroading roots and history, and is now retired from his retail store, Hoquad Hobbies.

Decaling

The basics on applying decals.

Despruing Nippers

PBL product review.

Doodlebugs

EMD's GP9

Prototype photos, scale drawings.

Figure Painting

This article describes how to paint unpainted Preiser figures. Paint and colors are discussed, as well as how to paint facial details.

Grade Crossings

Modeling modern rubber and older wood crossings. Complete installation photos.

Ground Foam: Realistic Scenery Made Easy

Ground foam rubber was introduced in the 1975 by Woodland Scenics.

It's In the Details

Basic information about how to further detail a diesel locomotive. Describes what level of detailing can be done and shows specific examples for HO-scale Kato GP35 and Athearn F-unit.

Laying Roadbed

Using cork to layout roadbed.

Modeler's Guide To Freight Car Trucks

This article covers the history of freight car trucks, as well as naming the various parts that make up a truck. Prototype photos and texts are provided for Archbar, Andrews, Bettendorf, AAR, roller bearing, and several specific trucks. The last part of the article is an overview of N- and HO-scale trucks and wheels.

Modelers' Guide to EMD's F7

Prototype photos, drawings

Pipeline On Rails

The article describes the railroads' role in the oil industry during the 1940s. Includes prototype photo of the Mid-Continental Petroleum Co. refinery in Tulsa, OK, a refinery in Louisiana during WWII, and fencing around refineries. Sidebars on tank car classification, typical daily refinery output, refining in 1940, and storage tank sizes and capabilities are also included. There is also a 3-D graphic of a potential model.

Prototype Info

TTX's new twin-28 articulated spine cars. NYC and PRR reporting marks can still be seen on some equipment that is still in the process of being divided up. What are cab signals?

Prototype Info

What do diesel names and classifications, such as SD60 and U30B, mean? For what were doghouses on top of tenders used? (contains photo of PRR 2-10-0)

Questions and Answers for Beginners

This article poses and answers a lot of the questions beginners have about model railroading.

Resin Vehicle Kits

S scale 10,000-gallon Tank Car

The author reviews the Des Plaines Hobbies/S Scale America tank car that was found in the 1930s and 1940s.

S scale Alco PA-1 and PB-1 Passenger Diesels

Jeff reviews the American Models PA models.

Two New Couplers in 'S'

Both Kadee, with their #802 S scale coupler, and American models, with their brown Delrin S scale coupler, have made new couplers available for S-scale modelers.

Weathering Rolling Stock With Powered Pastels

Shows how to apply chalks to weather freight cars and locomotives.