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While it is perhaps not surprising that rail traffic has seen some significant increase of late, the American rail system has been so dramatically curtailed by progressive closure and abandonment over the past four decades that there is little left of its original infastructure. While yards in...

It would seem that DocWayne and I differ on just what consitutes "hard board" and "masonite", which may be causing confusion among readers. Out my way hardboard was always recognized as a compressed sawdust-like composite board with a paper covering. It was either white or wood-colored...

What most are overlooking is the unspoken question of what is of primary importance to you: are you modeling a city, or a railroad? Layout space for nearly all of us is precious and to model city streets at full scale width as part of a scene that is really no more than a background to your...

I doubt very much that more built-ups are actually the choice of most hobbyists, particularly the more accomplished ones. Rather, their growth in the markeplace stems from at least two obvious factors. Built-ups provide a greater return to the manufacturers than do kits. And built-ups appeal to...

In fact, toptrain, Ideal Model's line of structure kits was very extensive, amounting to more than 30 kits and more than enough to populate a good-sized period layout. Some of these kits surface on eBay from time to time. In the 1940's Ideal issued a design for a rather clever 8'x10' HO layout...

If you really like "oldies", those from the early days of HO between the late 1930's and the early 50's, how about Ideal Models, makers of a broad line of 1/8" scale, cardstock structures, addaptable to either OO or HO use? The one in the image below is their fire station, crafted exactly after...

I'm partial to unusual reefers, myself, like this WWII-vintage Mathieson Dry Ice car. Why is there no listing for reefers in the original selection? CNJ999

One has to be careful about not taking such figures too literally. First off, the CPI, et al, are figured on the cost of "necessities", which doesn't correspond very well to things purchased as "luxuries" (which model trains are considered). Likewise, having grown up in the 40's and 50's, I can...

Most unfortunately, in this day and age, living anywhere down wind of a wide variety of industrial complexes can result in a surprisingly high level of contamination from metallic particles. In spite of "scrubbers" and other devices, smoke/vapors released by their manufacturing processes often...

Just an asside regarding this sort of widely used and often illustrated technique. In about 95% of the examples I've seen, the degree of paling, or whitening, with approach to the layout's horizon has been drastically over done. Often the lower portions of the backdrop appear almost pure white...

Sherwin Williams Ethereal Blue (unfortunately, no longer available under that color name). CNJ999

Do you fully appreciate that these are simply shells and a single frame, lacking all the detail parts, like handrails, horns, lights, etc.? Then, as has already been indicated, rather than finding a motor, gear towers and appropriate trucks, it would be far simpler to purchase an Athearn...

Quite honestly, I'd consider that trackplan a horrible throwback to the days of spaghetti-bowl layouts of the 1950's! There's way too much trackage for the layout's dimensions. The Atlas web-listed trackplans are all more-or-less from a much earlier time in the hobby's history, a period when...

The Polk bothers, owners of Polk's Hobby in NYC, were pioneers in the importation of model trains from both Europe and the Orient. Their Aristo-Craft Distinctive Miniatures were a most interesting product line spanning the 1960's. It had an amazing diversity, with models representing various...

The specific IDing of the period or era a particular piece of rolling stock belongs in has been a problem in the hobby for many years. Most manufacturers refuse to indicate just what interval their cars are appropriate for, fearing that it might limit their sales. There are a great many cars on...

All the ten-wheelers ever offered in HO that closely resemble, or are exact replicas of NYC F-12's, have been done strictly in brass. The NYC F-12e has been produced by: International (1962) Gem Models (1975) Precision Scale (1989) A large run of NYC F-12a engines was also done by Precision...

Providing that you've built some steam locomotive kits previously (Mantua, etc.), then you might not have too much trouble tackling the Bowser. However, these are far from fall-together projects finished in just a couple of evenings. I guess what I'm saying is that they are not good projects for...

Since this thread has been resurrected and its content perhaps being viewed by new comers, let me point out that the loco illustrated here is no Tyco. In fact, it is an early effort by Athearn, circa 1960, that was sold under the name the "Little Monster." Athearn based it on an MR...

As some others have already indicated, if you or your friend are looking to purchase a complete American made, Ready-to-Run, HO train, you are out of luck. These are all manufactured overseas today. Individual pieces of rolling stock, in the form of kits (with some RTR) and still made in America...

I do operate a steam-era layout (circa 1941) and, while it is a free-lance road, I have chosen the motive power in a logical fashion to represent what such a railroad could have rostered in the real world. Admittedly, this has required sometimes modifying of off-the-shelf engines (especially...