Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Magazine Authors
Magazine Articles By Trevor Marshall

"S" is for Scarecrow

Using an S-scale figure, the author makes a scarecrow for his O-scale field. After surgery, the figure receives wig hair to simulate straw.

A Flatcar Full of Tractors

The author describes how he installed six Farmall tractors on a Life-Like Proto 2000 53-foot flatcar.

Bending the Iron

To simulate the action of throwing a turnout, the author uses keys and switch locks to throw his layout's turnouts. Some modification of the switch lock is required and fully described.

Boxed Benchwork

Building a light-weight plywood shadow-box style modular layout for easy transportation.

Dots and Dashes

Building an actual telegraph for a model railroad to enhance operations of the layout.

Enhancing Maine Two-foot Trucks in On2/On30

How to add brake beams to the trucks to make them prototypically accurate.

From Bathurst to Bayview

Three friends build this large layout in an office space to represent the Bayview Junction near Lake Ontario, Canada, including its wye. The article describes how they built it and includes many close-up and several overhead photos.

Mike Culham's Great Central Railway

This is an L-shaped 32-foot long layout that measures only 30 inches wide. It offers lots of switching.

Modeling a Water Crane

A simple project of a watering crane used on the two-foot gauge Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes in Kingsfield, Maine. Period prototype photos are included, as well as scale drawings, and completed model photos.

Modeling Green Mountain Rwy. Caboose No. 50

Reworking a brass caboose.

Modeling the Monson

Prototype description of the 2-foot Maine gauge line. Includes diagram for possible track design. Sidebar on the slate industry on the Monson.

Modesto & Empire Traction Pt. 1

This article covers the history of this railroad which can be found in Modesto, California (85 miles east of San Francisco). Many prototype photos accompany the text which also covers the GE 70-ton engines used by the railroad. The M&ET's route map is included as well as diagrams for a potential scale model of this railroad.

Port Rowan in 1:64

The author describes the history of Port Rowan, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and proceeds to describe his layout, which is a small S-scale switching layout, built to Proto:64 standards. Included are lots of layout photos, a track plan, and a description of the operational scheme.

Salt Weathering a Tin Roof

The author shows how he was able to simulate a tin roof on a boxcar. The trick is to use sea salt for the effect.

Scale Throwbars

The author shares his use of custom parts to make a turnout's throwbar look more realistic.

Scratchbuilding a Quarry Turntable

The author's friend, Chris Abbott (the article includes a sidebar by Chris about the mechanism) designed and built the turntable mechanism, while the author built the two-foot gauge turntable based on the Bridgton & Saco River Railroad, found in Bridgton, Maine. Includes prototype and completed-model photos, as well as construction photos.

The Advantages of Glass

The article describes how to use microscope glass to model real glass in structures and equipment.

The Belknap Monument

This model was inspired by the discovery of a cannon beside the Boston & Maine Hillsboro branch.

The Cheltenham Granary

The author describes how he modeled a granary that used stone walls for the lower half and exposed cribbed wood walls for the upper half. Includes a sidebar on crib joints are made. Includes many construction photos.

The Markham Railroad Modellers Club

A large club layout built in 1,500 square foot of space overlooking Toronto's CNR.

The Quarry Powerhouse: A Model with Sound & Lights

The author scratchbuilt the structure and installed DCC-controlled sound and lighting. The construction of the building isn't the main focus of the article, but the electronics installation is. All items are neatly laid out and attached to the roof of the structure, including the speakers.

What's the Rush?

The article covers ideas the author has implemented on his layout to make operating sessions last longer and be more fun, even though the layout may be small. He discusses two-person crews, having operators create their switch lists, developing traffic and schedules, implementing switch locks, manual uncoupling, slowing down the fast clock, enforcing top speeds via DCC decoders, and adding sound.