As a member of an N track club, I can say that there are good aspects and bad aspects of the standard and that the negative aspects can definitely be improved upon including the rigidity of the standard and that it almost exclusively is set up as a square or rectangle because of the nature … More N Trak: Pros and Cons

Wether it is getting a locomotive to run smoother, scratch-building an industry, making your own trees, or installing DCC decoders, we all have to do at least some of the modeling on our own. But isn’t that the whole point? What fun is it to have everything come out of a box? On one hand, … More Do-It-Yourself Modeling

For modelers that have a hard time focusing on one layout or project for a long period of time (which is most of us) it is healthy to have multiple focuses in modeling, whether it be a different time period, different railroad (or your own), or a different scale entirely, a side project helps keep the creative … More Spanning Scales and Time

The burning question when starting a layout: sectional or flex track? In N scale there are many brand options available, which gives modelers a number of options for their layouts. But unless you are a beginner building a small layout, you should choose laying track yourself over sectional track with a plastic roadbed. There are … More Sectional Track or Flex Track?

Z Scale has been on the market for a few decades now, and it still has not grown to the size that I think that it is capable of achieving. There are a few things that have been holding the scale back, and you can decide if the things that hold it back always will, … More What Is Holding Z Scale Back?

One of my favorite parts of the hobby is track-planning. I have probably drawn hundreds of different track plans, some ridiculous and a few that I wanted to build right away. Either way, track-planning is a good exercise for your brain and can help your interest in modeling up without taking much time or resources. … More Track-planning is Good For the Brain

As time goes on, many manufacturers are shifting towards making their products DCC only. More and more modelers are buying DCC systems for their layouts and installing decoders, but is it the right path for all modelers, or do the traditional DC modelers have it better? The best thing about DCC is its versatility. Small … More DCC or DC?

The Free-Mo “standard” is used world-wide by modelers looking for an alternative to traditional modular standards but it has spread recently in the US for N scale, especially the midwest and west coast. This is with good reason, as the guidelines for Free-MoN are simple: code 55 track, DCC, single track in the middle of … More Free-MoN: The Future of Modular N Scale?

Those of you who are familiar with the standards of T-Trak know that the idea has its merits. Being able to set up on a table and simply click together modules makes for a quick and easy assembly. But what I do not understand is the size restrictions on these modules and their presentation. In … More T-Trak standards: I Just Don’t Get It

As I was looking for inspiration for my first layout, I stumbled upon appalchianmodeler.com, and I am very glad that I did. I am a huge fan of coal railroading and this website is chock full of pictures, plans, and information pertaining specifically to Appalachian coal railroading. Although it is specific to this type of … More A Source for Inspiration: Appalachianmodeler.com