planning

An Overview of Glues for Model Railroading

March 24, 2017 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

I’m going to diverge a bit from my ongoing series of blogs to talk about something that’s vital to the pursuit of our hobby. Glue! We all seem to find our own favorites, and using a glue that doesn’t work for a particular application can be really aggravating. My previous blog about the 1/64 scale…

Basic Detailing for Model Railroads: A Day in the Southern Pacific

March 7, 2017 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

What about basic detailing? We’ve come a good distance in our blog series, so I think that we’re ready for the really rewarding part! If you’ve read my series (find the links to at the end of this blog), you should get my thought process for building a layout that you’ll enjoy for many years.…

Creative Ideas for Model Railroad Structures

January 20, 2017 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

Photo by Doug Hodgdon Model railroad structures are important in many ways, and by “structures” I’m including bridges and other man-made, primarily fixed elements that we include in our layouts. Structures can be assembled from combinations of wood, stone, concrete, or steel. They can be loading docks, a wooden pony truss bridge, a stone retaining…

Ideas for Adding Personality to Model Railroad Layouts

December 16, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

I’m digressing a bit for this installment. I’ve had many great experiences designing and building model railroads for over fifty years now and met rail modelers from many avocations. For me the most inspiring part of that experience has to be the emotional connection that develops while working and sharing creative ideas with fellow modelers.…

Helpful Tips for Model Railroad Wiring

November 9, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

Wiring for a model railroad layout can be easy or complicated. I like to manage my wiring so that later on, I’ll be able to trace each wire back to its source. Years ago, I developed my own personal wiring color codes along with standardized schematics for repetitious situations that I keep in a notebook…

Tips on Trackwork

October 12, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

How about trackwork? The trains we love can’t do much without track. In the next installment of our series, I’ll present some track and track laying options to think about when planning your model railroad layout. Here’s a fun fact to get us started: The famous “Big 10” curve west of Denver on what used…

Ideas for Unique Layout Concepts

September 13, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

In this installment, I’d like to suggest various types of railroad layouts (in no particular order) from which you can derive inspiration for your concept: Club layout: I’ve visited some really great clubs – they generally can allow HUGE spaces beyond the range of the typical model railroader. Think long trains, wide curves, and plenty…

Assigning a Theme for Your Model Railroad Layout

August 9, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

The next installment in our ongoing series on planning and building a model railroad layout is all about layout themes. In case you missed our previous installment on track configurations, make sure to go back and check out that post for handy diagrams of common configurations. In this post, we’ll talk about establishing a theme…

Choosing Model Railroad Track Configurations

July 26, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

There are many factors to consider before we start building a model railroad layout. I know of many model railroaders who have started building without much of a plan and spent much effort and money on their layout, only to realize partway through that they just weren’t happy with their endeavors – and a lot…

So You Want to Build a Model Railroad Layout?

July 12, 2016 By Doug Hodgdon & filed under Model Railroad Academy Blog.

I think model railroading is a fantastic hobby for many reasons, not the least of which is it gives an individual the opportunity to learn about many different things. You can start with design, geometry, and carpentry and move up to civil engineering, city planning, artistry, and the study of human nature. And that’s all…