the MRH Forum

Categories
- All CategoriesCategories
  - General discussion
  - Getting started
  - Dream and design
  - Benchwork and roadbed
  - Track and electrical/DCC
  - Scenery and structures
  - Locos and rolling stock
  - Operation and maintenance
  - Modular and TOMA modeling
  - Prototype railroading
  - Journals/Blogs
  - In Memoriam
  - MRH
  - MRH magazine help
  - MRH product support
  - MRH forum help
  - TMTV
  - TMTV general discussion
  - TMTV support
  - TMTV video segments
  - Special
  - Magazine feedback
  - Advertiser promotion
  - Hobby event notices
  - Members only
  - Moderators Only
  - MRH Staging
Topics

*** WELCOME TO THE MRH FORUM!*** View as categories instead
CURRENT MRH magazine: MRH May 2026 NEW
CURRENT RUNNING EXTRA: RE May 2026 NEW

Forum posting guidelines: MRH Forum Policies
Forum tips and tricks: MRH Forum tips and tricks

Looking for something? Try a search ...

If you're having a problem: mrhmag.com/contact_us (select: Make a request /get help)
MRH home: https://mrhmag.com … MRH Back issues: https://mrhmag.com/magazine/back-issues

New Topic

All Tags

Trains vs Ships to deliver Oil to China

Started by railandsail in General discussion: I was unaware of the construction of these considerable FREIGHT railroad infrastructures between China and neighboring countries. And more recently the transport of crude oil to China. 🎬...
General discussion 5 1 72 1779561269
Union Pacific attempting to buy Norfolk Southern

Started by Wendell1976 in General discussion: I hope this WILL NOT happen! Report: UP/NS Merger Afoot? - Railway Age https://share.google/bvizKyv6M2aqav3QI ...
General discussion 256 7 5,920 1779561183
What's on your workbench? May 2026

Started by Eric Hansmann in General discussion Workbench: Onward into another month and more of your workbench and layout projects! The projects shared last month looked great! Thank you for sharing! I’m sure we will kick off May in fine form. I am...
General discussion Workbench 132 4 5,179 1779560993
Making Rapido SW9s work with SoundTraxx decoders and their MoPower keep-alive

Started by Jwmutter in Locos and rolling stock: Has anyone been able to get the new Rapido SW9s equipped with their “MoPower” keep-alive to work, using the keep-alive, with SoundTraxx decoders? I installed a Tsu-21PNEM8 decoder and...
Locos and rolling stock 31 1 389 1779560163
What's New Demo

Started by Laurie in General discussion: 🎬 Laurie Australia
General discussion 7 7 247 1779560097
Tour of the Pennsylvania Dutch County

Started by Mitchell Schuessler in Journals/Blogs modular Pennsylvania 1970s layout design: Since I've wrapped up planning for these lines, I wanted to take a poll from the forum on which routes they would want to see in my layout plan. All these routes have been hand drawn, and a best...
Journals/Blogs modular Pennsylvania 1970s layout design 44 3 961 1779558173
Limited Modeler: Building the Ballville power plant

Started by MRH in Magazine feedback: 📷 Buy this issue! Share this: 📷 📷 📷 📷 Please post any comments or questions you have below. ◄ Back to issue home page 📷 Want more articles like this one?...
Magazine feedback 7 15 256 1779557747
3D Printed Gears, UnHappy Results to Report

Started by railandsail in Locos and rolling stock: I am particular fond of the DL-109 engines produced by Proto 1000. I have a number of their Santa Fe versions, and I even went to the effort of kit-bash a B-unit (DL-110) to run with one of my...
Locos and rolling stock 32 1 648 1779557722
Bend Millwork Company

Started by SDL39FAN in Prototype railroading: I am interested in the Bend Millwork Company Evans 53 ft double plug door RBL's. I have found a few pictures and wondering if there are two different paint schemes or if some of the cars are faded so...
Prototype railroading 3 0 33 1779557611
What can go wrong with the current push to 10 and 15k long trains

Started by Backshophoss101 in Prototype railroading: Most of us have noticed the class 1 RR's running trains in the 10 k to 15 k range of lenght.CPKC at present having fits with UP over train lenght, UP 10 k(10'000 ft) don't fit in 8 k passing siding...
Prototype railroading 22 0 267 1779557141
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 4,170 28 85,883 1779555981
Modern Logging

Started by JohnB in Locos and rolling stock: I've slowly been addding a modern logging operation to my layout, based more or less on the Camas Prairie and the Oregon California & Eastern. Here's a Camas Prairie type BN log car, using an Athearn...
Locos and rolling stock 29 2 7,588 1779555687
Where water meets the fascia

Started by Rick Beatty in Scenery and structures: When using a resin type product for rivers or other bodies of water that come to the fascia do you try to make the top of the water even with the top of the fascia? Doing that would make the...
Scenery and structures 18 4 389 1779555627
Coloring rocks

Started by dsw6440 in Scenery and structures: I have seen many pictures in the model press of rock outcroppings. The rock colors tend to be a tan/brown/beige sort of color. When I read articles on coloring rocks they usually mention using Raw...
Scenery and structures 13 1 161 1779555626
Your first models

Started by Rick Beatty in Getting started: The thread about the Revell factory struck a memory. When I was very young I spent two weeks of every summer at my grandparents house. My time was spent reading comic books, going to movies,...
Getting started 48 4 578 1779554907
Paint mixing/shaking

Started by NJWG in General discussion: What do you use for mixing or shaking paint .
General discussion 15 0 251 1779551886
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 230 5 7,695 1779550665
Dutch Country Conrail

Started by Mitchell Schuessler in Journals/Blogs Reading Railroad Operations Pennsylvania Design drawing & 1 more: I figured this would be a good place for a supplemental blog to my article “Dutch Country Conrail” in the April 2025 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. I have a few threads floating...
Journals/Blogs Reading Railroad Operations Pennsylvania Design drawing & 1 more 181 14 6,936 1779548924
Using Spackle to cover foam board scenery.....

Started by Sumner in Scenery and structures: Spackle Last Layout Section -- Pt. 1 . The last few days I've been applying Spackle to the extruded foam scenery in the last remaining section and thought I'd share how I do it. . 📷 . ....
Scenery and structures 5 7 478 1779548858
Union Pacific's N Scale Canyon Division...

Started by Sumner in Journals/Blogs: Scenery to Track Elevator – Part 1 ...... . Finally after months of CAD, 3D printing and Electronics projects I’m back actually doing something constructive on the layout. Before laying more...
Journals/Blogs 160 8 5,421 1779545875
Chicago Switching Layout

Started by Windswept Rails in Dream and design Switching Layout chicago street running industrial: Hi everyone, this is my first post (and a long one sorry!), but I have seen posts on here as a non-member and it's been invaluable for my research. I'm based in Scotland, so I can only use...
Dream and design Switching Layout chicago street running industrial 277 9 9,703 1779544654
P2K SD45 bilateral behavior

Started by George Hofmann in Locos and rolling stock: I have a loco that runs quite smoothly foward but has very noticeable jerkiness in reverse. It has not been run in but is peobably elderly. What would be the most likely cause for the...
Locos and rolling stock 12 2 200 1779544306
AI assisted local image searching

Started by David Emery in General discussion AI: @CandOfan sent me a pointer to software that uses AI to catalog and locally search images stored on my laptop. I ran it on my collection of "Interesting choo choo pictures," stuff...
General discussion AI 0 2 24 1779542107
Red Caboose GP-9

Started by dperry in Locos and rolling stock O scale: I recently acquired a Red Caboose GP-9 (O scale) locomotive kit. I don't know when it was manufactured but it has a Pittman 12 VDC motor, model 8414F723, with a date stamp of 11-6-91....
Locos and rolling stock O scale 24 6 777 1779523109
SP Burbank Branch in N scale

Started by Denny99 in Journals/Blogs: In November 2024, I started building a small switching shelf layout based on the Southern Pacific Burbank Branch in San Fernando Valley, California, set in the 1970s. The layout is focused on...
Journals/Blogs 50 13 2,587 1779520192
T-D Feeds Mill Construction Build Log

Started by Craig Townsend in Scenery and structures Prototype Redmond WA 1:29 scale ( 2 ga ): Seeing some interest in my teaser photo in the December workbench projects thread , I figured I should share some other information about the project. The main industry on my layout is focused...
Scenery and structures Prototype Redmond WA 1:29 scale ( 2 ga ) 166 10 6,364 1779516734
BN 8th Sub (Issaquah Branch) 1/29 Scale (Outdoors)

Started by Craig Townsend in Journals/Blogs: I've never taken the time to draw up a track plan for the layout, but I finally sat down and drew up a track plan of the layout I'm building. Details to follow in next post to keep the lead post...
Journals/Blogs 168 6 10,698 1779516553
Anybody heard from Andre (laming) ?

Started by Rick A. in Magazine feedback: He mentioned in his blog that he was going in for heart surgery and would be away for awhile. I have a box of truck frames for him, wondering how he's doing. Rick
Magazine feedback 6 5 431 1779514885
"Miniature Brakeman" Operations Aid

Started by William Burg in Operation and maintenance Operation: I'm experimenting with an idea I had a few months ago and prepared for but just started using: a miniature brakeman to follow along with my train during operations. The model is just a Woodland...
Operation and maintenance Operation 4 10 273 1779509439
Is Operation Fun possible on an Interurban Layout?

Started by LensCapOn in Operation and maintenance: I became interested in Interurbans and fell into a deep well of history on them. When they came out in the 1890's they were transformational for local transit greatly expanding how far people without...
Operation and maintenance 17 2 379 1779509020
ET&WNC Stoney Creek branch in On30

Started by p51 in Journals/Blogs: I'm modeling the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina in On30 (yes, using Bachmann locomotives). Knowing I'd never be able to do true justice to the real railroad, I 'protolanced' a fictional...
Journals/Blogs 821 12 97,351 1779506698
Barchester, Pennsylvania

Started by Robert (Robin) Mountenay in Journals/Blogs: I haven’t been a regular poster here, though I have shared pictures of several of the layouts I’ve built, including my latest, Barchester. This layout depicted a central Pennsylvania...
Journals/Blogs 777 47 37,900 1779505980
ChatGPT and the J&M

Started by John Buckley in General discussion: I asked ChatGPT to design a logo and a slogan for the Johnston and Maryville. This is what he/she came up with. I love it! 📷
General discussion 23 11 452 1779499743
Make the layout room inviting

Started by MRH in Magazine feedback: 📷 Read this issue! Share this: 📷 📷 📷 📷 Please post any comments or questions you have below. ◄ Back to issue home page 📷 Want more articles like this one?...
Magazine feedback 20 16 845 1779497659
Weekly Photo Fun - May 17-23, 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 19 1 764 1779495057
HO Southern RR

Started by Lirrlirr in Journals/Blogs: I have a blog in the railwire, never started one here. I switched from N to HO about 5 years ago…… I model a fictional portion of Southern in the southern WV / western VA panhandle / northeast TN...
Journals/Blogs 269 69 18,938 1779494873
Getting Real: Lessons from running trains in Seattle

Started by MRH in Magazine feedback: 📷 Buy this issue! Share this: 📷 📷 📷 📷 Please post any comments or questions you have below. ◄ Back to issue home page 📷 Want more articles like this one?...
Magazine feedback 3 1 179 1779494276
Pennsylvania railroad landmarks

Started by John P in Prototype railroading: I spent last week in Pennsylvania, visiting my brother and some friends. Along the way, I managed to see some railroad landmarks, which I shall now relate: My first visit wasn't a railroad...
Prototype railroading 52 18 1,157 1779483694
Rick's Diner - May, 2026 Edition

Started by Kevin Parson in General discussion: 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷 📷
General discussion 213 2 3,510 1779482376
Marshfield. A developing story

Started by Railman284 in Scenery and structures early rail: Before we visit Marshfield let us visit Miller's Slough with a view of the Mill from the slough; 📷 and the community that developed around it. 📷 Following the tracks...
Scenery and structures early rail 56 26 2,414 1779482351
Ontario South Central RY - Separated

Started by Brad Ketchen in Journals/Blogs: Hello all, The 7th move of my original 6 feet of the layout and subsequent add-ons at different locations, the most being the addition of the industry 'Northern Silicates' in an L-shaped...
Journals/Blogs 1 6 107 1779479103
Laying cork roadbed under turnout?

Started by kamrail in Benchwork and roadbed: i'd like to know how to lay cork roadbed under my swiches 📷 i'll be working on the railroad tomorrow (my n scale railroad) thanks aaron
Benchwork and roadbed 16 0 4,688 1779476833
Siskiyou Line 2: The railroad that grows - part 2

Started by MRH in Magazine feedback: 📷 Buy this issue! Share this: 📷 📷 📷 📷 Please post any comments or questions you have below. ◄ Back to issue home page 📷 Want more articles like this one?...
Magazine feedback 6 9 215 1779466386
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 37 12 1,480 1779464671
Publisher’s Musings: Why layout projects sit unfinished

Started by MRH in Magazine feedback: 📷 Read this issue! Share this: 📷 📷 📷 📷 Please post any comments or questions you have below. ◄ Back to issue home page 📷 Want more articles like this one?...
Magazine feedback 38 19 881 1779464360
BC&SJ scenery - WIP

Started by bear creek in Scenery and structures: WIP shots of the scenery progress on the BC&SJ. Charlie
Scenery and structures 239 11 11,347 1779461393
ATMEL or QSI decoder?

Started by railandsail in Track and electrical/DCC: I have several decoder boards i have found in my BLI RSD 15 locomotives. On the top sides they gives some ATMEL identification, while on the bottom side they say QSI. What is it?...are they? 📷
Track and electrical/DCC 27 1 394 1779453939
Whatever Happened to the HO scale, Code 100, #10 Turnouts?

Started by Ken Meade in Track and electrical/DCC: Not to long ago they were a common turnout in model train stores and on ebay. Now, they're rare as hens teeth.
Track and electrical/DCC 20 2 659 1779448592
Advice on purchasing old Athearn Gunderson container cars

Started by Murball in Locos and rolling stock: Hello all, I'm looking for advice on purchasing an old blue box Athearn 5 car set. Photos below. I'm assuming it's all plastic body, although there seems to be a weight added above each truck. My...
Locos and rolling stock 29 3 766 1779444475
Let's see a model of... May, 2026 Edition

Started by Kevin Parson in General discussion: 📷
General discussion 91 2 2,896 1779436898

>> Refresh page

Note: Your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Many features may not work properly without it. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.