Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Model Railroader 2010-04
Articles Listing

Modeling a Weather-beaten Wood Structure

This article shows how to build, paint, and weather an American Model Builders HO-scale depot. It describes appropriate wood stains, how to apply the stain, internal bracing for wood structures, how to distress the exterior, how to use a finishing pad for weathering, how to do roof weathering, and how to simulate broken glass. Also included is a sidebar on how to simulate peeling paint using rubber cement.

How To Weather a Diesel Locomotive

The article describes how to weather the wheels, the truck sideframes, the fuel tank, the pilot, walkways, couplers, fans, radiators, hood, cab sides, ends, and the roof. All mainly done with an airbrush.

Weathering Rolling Stock With Powered Pastels

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

Two Scales Two Continents

This layout is mainly a 16 by 20-foot HO-scale layout featuring both American and European styles. It includes N-scale railroading to provide forced perspective.

Make Templates For Easy Scratchbuilding

The author describes how he uses a computer program to create accurate templates, so that they can later be printed to be placed on the material for making the structure walls. It includes a step-by-step guide on how to create a template for a home.

Build an Easy Container Yard Backdrop

Shows how to photocopy commercial containers and then glue them to foam core to simulate a collection of containers that are essentially flats up against a backdrop.

Where The East Broad Top Meets the Pennsy

This 24' x 26' layout has a double-track Pennsy mainline around the perimeter of the layout and the narrow gauge EBT in the center island. Includes a sidebar on how Don Shook makes debris for the top of his steam engine's tenders.

An HO Track Plan For A Home Office

This 9' x 11' home office layout features two return loops, yet allows for easy access into the room's features and to the computer that is stored under the layout. The track plan includes a some yard and several sidings and spurs.

The Salt Lake Route Part 4

In this installment the author covers how he wired the small layout for DCC, built a pull-out tray for the DCC command station, how he wired the Kato turnouts, and how he connected the wire to the spade lugs. A sidebar about N-scale decoder installation is also included, but doesn't contain much information.

A Manual Signal That Protects a Crossing

This article describes the construction of a hand-operated interlocking device to protect a shortline junction near Caledonia, N.Y. Includes scale drawings and prototype photos.

Wiring Reversing Sections for DCC

This article describes how to wire a reversing loop and a wye when using DCC.