Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Model Railroader 2006-08
Articles Listing

The Yard is a Railroad Sorting Machine

Two of John Armstrong's model railroad yard designs are shown, while the author discusses the various functions that take place in a yard.

Build an Adjustable Liftout

The author describes how he built his angled liftout to help prevent problems related to alignment due to expansion and contraction.

Layouts Should Be Seen and Heard!

This article covers self-contained sound systems, sound-effect CDs, interactive sound modules, under-layout sound decoders,

Prototype Scenes, Freelanced Layout

This 19' by 34' layout features the fictional merger of 5 eastern railroads set in eastern Pennsylvania in the late 1960s to early 1970s. The father and son team Bill and Steve Brown worked on this layout for over a decade.

Narrow Gauge in a Garage Part 2

This installment covers building benchwork, with specific focus on the tight constraints and sloping floor of a garage. It also covers backdrop construction, and building storage shelves upon which the layout rests.

Quick and Easy Interiors

Using magic markers, styrene, and other assorted materials to quickly give the illusion the interiors of stores and homes are populated.

Layout Plan for a Santa Fe Branch Line

The late author discusses how he developed a track plan for a client, Jared Harper, to model the ATSF Alma District in a 13' by 19' space.

Constant-intensity Headlights for DC

Using a few electronic components, the article describes how to install this into a locomotive.

A Growing Garden Empire

The article features many photos and a garden design plan for this 75' by 80' layout.

Stretch Your Main Line With a Virtual Interlocking

The article describes how the layout owner built a closet to give the illusion of a great distance travelled by the trains. A wall-mounted photo serves as indicator board for timing the duration of the stay in the closet.

Modeling a Changing World

In this 23' by 27' layout, the author has attempted to stay up-to-date with the current times in his layout. Some structures have been modified over the years to reflect what happened to them in the real world over the years.

Tips for Using Wireless Throttles

Dealing with rechargeable batteries, holding on to throttles (various solutions), and picking good receiver locations.

Make Night-time Switching Simple

Glue a wooden skewer to an LED flashlight to light up the area between two cars for easy uncoupling.