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How many modelers here feel that a frequent "hand from the sky" should be part of normal operations of a model railroad

Started by Andy Reichert in General discussion Scenery Operations: For my own curiosity, I've decided to offer this poll to see the relative interest of "Hands Free" operating versus "Hand from the Sky" operating and running trains.
General discussion Scenery Operations 60 3 1,253 1776362689
April magazines delayed ... no foolin'

Started by joef in General discussion: Healthwise, this has been a rough spring for me. Not life threatening, but still quite debilitating. First was a delayed reaction back injury from a car accident a year ago. I'm definitely on the...
General discussion 33 23 978 1776362549
Dcc concepts accessory decoder availability?

Started by flopper in Track and electrical/DCC: Will they ever get the accessory ads decoder back in stock
Track and electrical/DCC 10 0 278 1776362023
3d printed servo mount

Started by tommypelley in Journals/Blogs: for those who may be looking I have designed a servo mount for turnout control. im using a 9g servo, levered micro switch with 11mm hole spacing, and .9mm wire to throw the turnout. its listed on...
Journals/Blogs 14 0 5,214 1776361733
Lime - Hopper with Trough Hatch?

Started by Joe Baker in Locos and rolling stock: Is lime (calcium carbonate) for paper mills (dry, not the slurry) ever shipped in gravity feed hoppers with trough hatches on top, or is it always circular hatches on top?
Locos and rolling stock 25 0 1,688 1776361574
Industries in Augusta, Maine

Started by Ben in Prototype railroading: In Augusta there is (or was) a propane dealer that had a spur off the old MEC Lower Road (422 Riverside Dr, Augusta, ME 04330). Per railroad.net, they did receive tank cars of propane at one time....
Prototype railroading 73 1 1,385 1776361162
Rick's Diner... April, 2026 Edition

Started by Kevin Parson in General discussion: 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷
General discussion 94 7 1,843 1776361047
Using AI to make custom photo quality backdrop scenes

Started by Tim VanMersbergen in Dream and design: I have always appreciated photo backdrop scenes but as a modeler of 1969, it’s very difficult to find or take and edit the pictures I really need. I’ve found usable scenes but they are...
Dream and design 60 31 2,952 1776361043
Excel Railcar -- a 36"x90" Carshop Switching Layout

Started by CN/IC Isaac in Journals/Blogs: Having now torn down the old Heyworth Spur, moved and settled into the new house (see my last thread here:...
Journals/Blogs 21 11 798 1776360908
The Ruphe & Tumbelle Railway Company, What's New

Started by On30guy in Journals/Blogs: Hello all. 📷 I've been posting here for a few years now and have decided that instead of starting separate little blogs for every little idea I have I should consolidate things a...
Journals/Blogs 4,302 24 417,042 1776359682
novel layout features or operation

Started by greg ciurpita in Dream and design: i'm often dissappointed by magazine layout tours that are often cookbook descibing layout statistics: size, mainline length, min curve, frog #s, ... besides showing the layout. I liked...
Dream and design 6 0 144 1776359048
Timonium Train Show This Weekend

Started by Ken Meade in Hobby event notices: The Great Scale Model Train Show will be at Timonium this weekend, 11 and 12 April. My club, the PWMRC will be in the south hall this time with about 50 modules or so with the blue skirting. We...
Hobby event notices 8 2 263 1776357683
Prototype Photographs 2026

Started by Nick Santo in Prototype railroading Photos: Hello! I enjoyed all your photographs from 2025 and before! Thank You for posting them!!! Please feel free to add photos when you have them! I’m sure I’ll have more to add this...
Prototype railroading Photos 140 5 4,800 1776357624
Question about Woodland Scenics Just Plug Nano lights

Started by DSteckler in Track and electrical/DCC: I would like to connect 2 or 3 Nano lights to one plug that goes into a light port on the light hub. Can this be done? If so, how do I connect the additional lights to light 1's...
Track and electrical/DCC 24 1 298 1776356240
I might have missed the mark with my YouTube channel...

Started by Kevin Parson in General discussion: Everyone here should be aware that I tend to lean towards the whimsical and fantasy with my model railroading. I am making no attempt to model a prototype or a specific place. I have a specific date...
General discussion 54 5 1,271 1776354041
CP Rail's Newport & Lyndonville Subdivision

Started by CP Rail Vermont in Journals/Blogs HO scale Weathering Scenery: About a year ago I started a Facebook Group dedicated to construction of my layout and sharing photos as I went, but unfortunately I haven't been posting much on the MRH forum. I'd like to...
Journals/Blogs HO scale Weathering Scenery 1,900 32 136,792 1776353012
Roco ICE-TD Wheel Issues

Started by james8110 in Locos and rolling stock HO: Howdy everyone! I recently purchased a used ICE-TD (Roco pn 63030) and while it looks great, the wheel flanges are hitting the spike heads on even code 100 track. All four units in the...
Locos and rolling stock HO 9 2 296 1776352305
Japanese model trains

Started by ABMinOR in Locos and rolling stock: Greetings, My wife and I just returned from a trip to Japan (our first) and I thought I'd start a thread to discuss Japanese railway modeling. No, I'm not planning to abandon my North...
Locos and rolling stock 34 8 684 1776351797
More Paint Stripping - Athearn Blue Box

Started by kenheywood in Locos and rolling stock: I notice a lot of comments on stripping paint and reference to Super Clean. Before I got started on my Rapido RS11, I thought I'd try my hand on an old Athearn Blue Box F7. A soak overnight managed...
Locos and rolling stock 0 2 36 1776348523
Joe’s track cleaning analysis

Started by jimcubie1 in Benchwork and roadbed: Several years ago Joe did a scientific analysis of what causes dirty track cleaning and rated various cleaners. Thanks to Joe for doing this. I have searched the database for “track cleaning” and...
Benchwork and roadbed 8 1 298 1776348231
Gogebic Iron Range

Started by gogebic in Journals/Blogs: This blog will cover my layout based on the Gogebic Iron Range of Northern WI and the UP of MI. The area modeled is between Montreal, WI on the west and Ramsay, MI on the east, a distance of about 20...
Journals/Blogs 351 13 99,650 1776348025
Problem with Athearn "losing" pre-orders?

Started by wjstix in General discussion: In January 2024 I put in a pre-order/downpayment with Factory Direct Hobbies for an Athearn HO SD-39, which IIRC was scheduled to come out later that year or early 2025. I was surprised when I went...
General discussion 9 1 372 1776346232
Piko track and switches

Started by railandsail in Track and electrical/DCC: Are there any members on this forum that utilize Piko track products? HO scale. At a train show this past weekend i picked up some very nice single slip turnouts made by Piko. I liked them for...
Track and electrical/DCC 15 0 409 1776345256
Let's See A Model Of... April, 2026 Edition

Started by Kevin Parson in General discussion: 📷
General discussion 54 4 1,748 1776344790
Power pickup performance vs. number of wheels

Started by J. M. Loll in Locos and rolling stock: If you have two locomotives of the same weight, and all things being equal except one engine has 8 wheels and the other has 4, which of the two engines would have better power pickup? Assume the...
Locos and rolling stock 7 0 221 1776344466
BIG BOY,....or big mistake ?

Started by railandsail in Prototype railroading: Did super power steam make it easy for diesels to sweep the field? Which railroads got it right?,...which got it wrong? Bigger isn't always better. Diesels get it wrong too. ...a...
Prototype railroading 68 2 997 1776340977
special run to NYC foPortal bridge

Started by peter-f in Prototype railroading: 📷 special run to NYC for new Portal bridge
Prototype railroading 3 5 178 1776334951
Upgrading MDC /Roundhouse Ore Cars

Started by sanchomurphy in Locos and rolling stock: Does anybody have good articles or ideas on how to upgrade an MDC/Roundhouse ore car, especially from a detail and proportion standpoint? (The Walthers MN type is on the right, while the MDC is on...
Locos and rolling stock 14 0 451 1776308035
Weekly Photo Fun - Apr 12-18, 2026

Started by JC Shall in General discussion Photos: It's another week . . . post 'em if you got 'em. There were a few late-comers in last week's post . Check them out, then come back here afterward.
General discussion Photos 17 1 909 1776307056
Curves too sharp?

Started by ednadolski in Dream and design: Perhaps the longer rolling stock is looking a little too 'scrunched' on a 25" radius curve...? 🎬
Dream and design 23 4 1,610 1776303019
Electrical Impulses: Track feeders that disappear

Started by MRH in Magazine feedback: 📷 Read this issue! Share this: 📷 📷 📷 📷 ARTICLE SHOPPING LIST Tix low-temp solder, 3" x 20 pcs, $25, Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/49ek2Rs Chipquik...
Magazine feedback 54 21 1,530 1776302991
What determines a HO scale locomotive's minimum turn radius?

Started by High-nose lover in Locos and rolling stock: Contrary to what my username suggests, I am also fond of GEVO locomotives. However, I have very little room to accommodate even HO 22" radius curves. I have heard that some six axle locomotives...
Locos and rolling stock 33 3 892 1776302534
OpenSCAD Tidbits: Diagonal Framing Members

Started by Glenn Butcher in Dream and design: This was surprisingly hard. I'm making a CAD model of the baggage car we're restoring. Started as a specific task, how to stack the center floor against the fish rack floors in each end...
Dream and design 0 0 25 1776300533
Digitrax PS2012E Power Supply Adjustments

Started by Ken Meade in Track and electrical/DCC: I just bought a new Digitrax PS2012E power supply for my empire. My other PS2012E was powering three boosters but the instructions say it should only be used for two. Upon installing the new power...
Track and electrical/DCC 13 1 264 1776298471
Rivarossi Wheels

Started by Al Carter in Locos and rolling stock: I finally found an E8-B dummy unit, Rivarossi... with, of course, "pizza cutter" wheels. Running on code 83 rail, I need to replace the wheels, or entire trucks. I'm not a machinist, nor...
Locos and rolling stock 19 2 390 1776296526
Using Super Glue Remover on Kato Passenger Cars

Started by arvanlaar in Locos and rolling stock: Hey All, I have a friend who has an N scale Kato Via rail passenger car set. Someone used what looks like super glue to adhere a gem on the rear of one (why they did that, I have no idea...
Locos and rolling stock 7 2 241 1776295620
What's on your workbench? April 2026

Started by Eric Hansmann in General discussion Workbench: Last month many of you brought your workbench and layout projects to the table with 200+ posts on the thread. Thank you for sharing! We begin anew for April and I am looking forward to seeing more of...
General discussion Workbench 83 4 3,011 1776294636
Re-entry and question

Started by Rick Nicholson in General discussion: So after an eleven year hiatus from the hobby due to a move, cancer and a new grandson, I'm back. I had built a double decked N scale layout in a study (not completed) and had to tear it out...
General discussion 3 5 221 1776293255
Amtrak trains flagging a crossing

Started by p51 in Prototype railroading: At Chehalis, WA earlier today, the crossing arm for the eastbound Main street grade crossing got broken off, so every train had to flag that crossing. I managed to catch the evening southbound...
Prototype railroading 5 5 218 1776292983
Pathway to expansion in model railroad business

Started by Anton Dyak in General discussion: I am currently struggling to startup a business of producing model railroad wheelsets, some reasons are beyond my control, some - results of past mistakes taking time to correct and accumulate next...
General discussion 27 2 1,077 1776292222
Wire Strippers for dccoder wires

Started by JerryRGS in Track and electrical/DCC decoders Wiring: What is the best wire strippers for stripping decoder wires? 28AWG to 32AWG
Track and electrical/DCC decoders Wiring 19 2 641 1776291511
Meet The KC&G: Mainline To The Gulf

Started by laming in Journals/Blogs: Hi All: This will be a thread dedicated to the dreams n' schemes concerning my HO scale Kansas City & Gulf proto/free lance theme, which will (eventually) include two separate layouts. One...
Journals/Blogs 4,113 28 84,447 1776290401
'The Langley Switcher' - A small, HO scale switching layout

Started by ArborRails in Journals/Blogs Switching Layout: Hey everyone, I've decided to start a journal/blog about my layout build. Previously, I wired up and ran a couple small freelanced layouts but never really got anything established beyond...
Journals/Blogs Switching Layout 26 23 1,830 1776289373
Train Ride over 8 1/2 HO scale Miles of Modular layout

Started by Ken Meade in Modular and TOMA modeling: My club participated in a Scout show in Woodbridge, VA this past weekend. We combined four clubs to build this 130 module layout with Digitrax control. Enjoy the ride. Train Ride
Modular and TOMA modeling 13 13 504 1776288472
Modeling pulpwood cars

Started by Danno164 in Locos and rolling stock: Does Athearn still put out their 40ft pulpwood cars, cant find any, anywhere...?
Locos and rolling stock 44 0 2,215 1776287624
What's New to You, April 2026

Started by IronBeltKen in General discussion: Bought or built anything new to your layout or roster this month? If you did, let's see some photos!
General discussion 2 0 87 1776286843
Digitrax Zephyr for first control system?

Started by Joe Garfield in Getting started: Would anyone have reservations about using Digitrax Zephyr as a first train controller? I know NCE has a lot of praise but I hate the screen and generally don't like TV remotes. The Zephyr is $200,...
Getting started 87 3 5,287 1776285442
Cincinnati West-B&O/PC 1975

Started by RSeiler in Journals/Blogs: Welcome to the Cincinnati West thread! Thanks for stopping by. The photos are hosted here on MRH, so this thread will remain intact as long as MRH exists. Click on 'Read More' for an index with...
Journals/Blogs 4,560 28 526,102 1776283957
Baled sheet pulp movements

Started by MPI in General discussion: I'm trying to find out, if the shipping of Baled Sheet Pulp in open hoppers was common practice. A Hammermill/International Paper mill in Oswego NY was receiving Baled Sheet Pulp in 60' woodchip...
General discussion 9 1 414 1776283941
Thomas the Tank Engine. Repowering.

Started by JerryRGS in Locos and rolling stock: Has anyone repowered HO Thomas the Tank Engine? What did you use? Updated for HO Thomas the Tank Engine
Locos and rolling stock 5 0 173 1776282920

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