Track
You spent all that time adding detailed structures and beautiful scenery to your layout, so why not build a track to match? We’ll help you do that with these step-by-step lessons on designing, constructing and maintaining realistic model railroad tracks.
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6:22Ballasting Track with HO Scale Ballast
Josh Clark is at his father-son Norfolk Southern HO scale layout to demonstrate a quick and easy method of ballasting track. Even though Josh will be working with HO scale ballast in this video, the same techniques can be used for other scales. For this project, Josh uses a paint brush to spread the ballast,…
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4:41How to Ballast Fast and Easy with Martin Tarnrot
In this free video lesson, modeler Martin Tarnrot shows you how to lay model railroad ballast fast and easy. He learned this method from a friend after he expressed how difficult and time consuming he found the process. The base material he will use is styrofoam and the track bed is Woodland Scenics ballast in…
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8:35How to Lay HO Scale Track
In this video modeler Josh Clark will demonstrate how to install model railroad trackwork. As discussed in another of Josh’s Model Railroad Academy videos, sturdy benchwork will be a good foundation for the track and roadbed. To install the roadbed Josh uses cork. For the HO scale track he will use code 83 and code…
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14:52How to Wire a Model Railroad Turnout
National Model Railroad Association Master Model Railroader Gerry Leone shows how he wires a model railroad turnout in this video. Turnouts can be a frustration on a model railroad layout. Cars can derail from mechanical problems and engines can stall from electrical problems. In this video, Leone shows how to help solve these stalling issues.…
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10:47Installing Micro-Slide Switches with Tony Koester
Tony Koester talks micro-slide switches in this video. Tony uses a single pull double throw slide switch for his railroads. The microswitch has three pulls or wires; the center pull where the power is going out, and the outer two pulls where the power is coming in. On a turnout on a layout, the frogger…
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4:32Extending Track Across a Swinging Door
In this video, National Model Railroad Association’s Master Model Railroader Gerry Leone shows how he extends his track across a swinging door to accommodate a layout that crosses doorways. When building a model railroad layout, a modeler must consider the doorways in the space. Some modelers can design the track around doorways to not block…
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2:54Considerations for Layout Plans: Designing Curved Track Sections
Layout Designer Doug Gurin provides some considerations when planning a layout in this video, specifically designing curves. It is important to consider curve radii when setting up a model railroad layout. Prototype railroads use much broader curves than model railroads, but model railroad equipment is able to negotiate sharper curves. When selecting an appropriate curve…
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10:01Ensuring Reliable Track Work and Preventing Derailments
Douglas Hodgdon from Model Railroad Academy and Track Talk Live is alongside Michael Swiridow, the curator of the Pine County History Museum Model Railroad Club in this video to talk reliable track work and preventing derailments. When Hodgdon lays track, he uses ribbon rail track gauges. The track gauges are laid across rail joints to…
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6:54How to Clean Model Railroad Track: Cleaning Tips and Techniques
Douglas Hodgdon of Model Railroad Academy and Track Talk Live and Michael Swiridow the Curator of Pine County History Museum Model Railroad Club discuss how to clean model railroad track in this video. First Hodgdon shows the different track cleaners that are available. He first demonstrates with a Bright Boy. This is an abrasive block…
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