Is OO gauge the same as HO?
Is OO gauge the same as HO? Yes and no. How is that possible? Here’s how and why they can be the same and different.
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What does silicone mean when wiring trains?
Hobby shops sell silicone wiring with high strand counts for wiring train layouts. But what is silicone wiring? What does it mean? And what is special about it and do you need it?
What nickel silver track is
If you are into model trains, you’ve probably seen the words nickel silver on the packaging for track, or you’ve seen track advertised as being made of nickel silver. But what is nickel silver, and is it a good thing or a bad thing?
No Ox ID for model railroading
In 1965, Linn Westcott, the longtime editor of Model Railroader magazine, wrote an article about how he never cleaned the track on his layout. His secret was a product called No Ox ID A Special. Let’s talk about No Ox ID for model railroading.
Dept 56 Village Express Electric train set
The Dept 56 Village Express electric train set was a train set made by Bachmann for Department 56. It was available from 1998 to 2006.
A train is a natural fit for Dept 56, which is meant to evoke a romanticized past. Today’s megastores have displaced those downtown shops that Dept 56 represent, and the automobile has displaced the passenger train has a favored means of travel. A passenger train and a few recognizable cars are a good way to firmly set the time period for your Dept 56 village.
How big is an N scale train?
N scale is the second most popular scale for model railroading, because it’s small enough that you can fit a big layout in a reasonable space without it taking over your basement, or build a small layout in a very small space, as small as a coffee table. But how big is N scale? How big is an N scale train?
What is basswood?
Basswood is a popular hobby wood, but what else is basswood used for? Where does it grow? And where do you buy it?
If, like me, you’ve been buying basswood at hobby shops for years but have never seen a basswood tree, there’s a reason for it. The tree that basswood comes from goes by many other names, including Tilia, Linden, and Lime.
Picking a setting for your model railroad
I struggled for a couple of years trying to decide on a time and place for my train layout. I was afraid of locking myself into a specific time period. What if I chose the 1950s, then decided I wanted to run trains that were older than that? Fortunately, the answer came kind of out of thin air, once I thought about it some more.
Testors Dullcote alternative
Testors Dullcote is a very useful clearcoat for a variety of hobbies, including building plastic models and model railroading. However, Dullcote is in short supply in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. So here’s my favorite Testors Dullcote alternative. It’s reasonably cost effective and DIY.
You can make a Testors Dullcote alternative from Pledge Floor Gloss and Tamiya Flat Base. Best of all, you can mix it to exactly the sheen you want.
Q scale model railroading
Eventually, whenever the discussion of proper O scale railroading comes up, someone mentions Q scale. What was Q scale model railroading, and why didn’t it catch on?
Q scale was the North American equivalent of European O scale, which sized models at 1:45 scale, or 17/64 of an inch to the foot.