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Wildwood (St. Louis) Hobby Manufacturer 3D Prints Detail Parts

Wildwood (St. Louis) Hobby Manufacturer 3D Prints Detail Parts

Jack and Ellen Bray started JEB Mfg., LLC about 4 years ago to create "what is not being made that people want" and "things that are not made anymore" using 3D printing. He started with one 3D printer and added another with a smaller nozzle for detail parts. The models are made in O, ...
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Diorama: The First Time

Gateway Division “Start With a Boxcar” Kitbash Contest Results

This year’s contest featured a very simple set of rules. The first rule required the entrant to start with a box car. Entries were divided into models and dioramas. The seven entries provided a nice variety of what can be accomplished with a box car....
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1955 Wabash Piggy-Back Flat

Modeling A 1955 Wabash Piggy-Back Flat

A photo in the Wabash Railroad Historical Society calendar inspired construction of a 1955-era piggy-back flat and trailer....
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Building a Chlorine Car

Building a Chlorine Car

I am a sucker for “interesting” motive power and rolling stock. Here's how I scratchbuilt an HO scale model of a chlorine railroad car....
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Three Southeastern Box Cars

Three Southeastern Box Cars

I recently finished three Southeastern-prototype box cars for railroads represented by the ACL & SAL Historical Society—the Georgia Railroad, the Atlanta and West Point Railroad, and the Western Railway of Alabama. These railroads were occasionally referred to as “the Georgia Roads” a...
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Building a Mobile Substation for the Day Lines

Building a Mobile Substation for the Day Lines

A mobile substation car provides power to the overhead traction wire in order to keep trains running while line crews conducted repairs to a substation or other power source. Since I model the East St. Louis & Suburban Railway System in HO scale, such a car provides a unique piece of ...
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New York Central 1950s-Era Freight Cars in HO Scale

During the transition era, the New York Central operated the second-largest U.S. railroad freight car fleet. A well-balanced freight car fleet on any model railroad should therefore include a selection of New York Central Cars. This article presents appropriate freight car models in H...
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FRA Outlaws Molded-On Handgrabs

FRA Outlaws Molded-On Handgrabs

The Federal Railroad Administration today outlawed molded-on plastic handgrabs on all freight and passenger cars on model railroads, citing safety concerns....
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Gluing Up Flat Sided Resin Kit Pieces

For gluing up flat sided resin kit side pieces use styrene cement and attach a 90 degree angle piece to one of the resin sides. The styrene glue will hold the angle top the resin side then line up the other side and do the same thing. The styrene glue will hold the pieces together so ...
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Tricks for Tracks – Painting Wheels

An easy way to paint wheels is to use the Floquil markers. Hold the wheel and twist the marker around the wheel. Hold the marker at a slight angle to avoid painting the axle points....
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50s Era Boxcar Grain Loads

50s Era Boxcar Grain Loads

Boxcars once carried most freight. Here is a simple one-evening project using a block of wood, cardstock, and sawdust to model one of the most common loads of the steam and transition eras...
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Civil War Era Carter Brothers Flat Car.

Freight Car Scratchbuilding for Achievement Program (AP) Awards

text and photo by Dave Roeder, MMR The NMRA achievement program has a requirement that the applicant build a total of eight pieces of rolling stock. Four of these must be scratch built according to the regulations as written. The other four must be super detailed (also according to th...
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