Walt Disney said “There is no magic in magic, it’s all in the details.” Model railroading is yet another area where those details help make the magic happen, just ask Ron White. His Kansas City Subdivision layout is loaded with little details. Prior to a recent operating session, I had…
Okay, once in a while you have to blow your own horn instead of those on your model locomotives. I’m not sure if my own horn is a Wabco or a Leslie – or could it be a Nathan? But right now, that doesn’t really matter. I am honored that…
A couple of projects are currently in the works on the Eagle River Division layout. First project involves some track and industry changes at Williamsville; second project involves adding a turning loop at South Park (Staging) Yard. Williamsville Track and Industry Changes At Williamsville, the power plant building was removed.…
My search for a red-painted Missouri-Kansas-Texas diesel locomotive was going nowhere, so I decided to ‘take the bull by the horns’ and create my own. The M-K-T (Katy) owned a number of GP40 locomotives, and a number of them still wore red paint well into the nineteen-seventies. Fortunately, Spring Creek…
According to the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), “Weathering railroad rolling stock is a subtle way of adding a bit of realism to your model trains.” Rarely do we see real freight cars with that “fresh from the factory” look. Most cars show signs of accumulated dust, dirt, rust, oil,…
A group of experienced model railroad operators and fine gentlemen were on board as The Eagle River Division hosted our annual December operating session and Christmas lunch on December 7th. Thanks to all who joined us. Special thanks to BNSFguy617 and to Mr. Ron Williams, both for participating in the…
In 1814 we took a little trip.. No wait – it was May 2019. In the midst of endless thunderstorms and flash flooding, we visited the Illinois Railway Museum, the Railroad Park at Rochelle, Illinois, and a couple of sites in Galesburg, Illinois. For a collection of images we captured…
On every Great Northern Railway brochure and billboard were three words: “See America First.” The slogan was part of a promotional campaign The Great Northern used to promoted Glacier National Park as “America’s Switzerland.” I missed the original campaign (beginning around 1914) by more than a few decades, and Kathy and…
Originally, the Eagle River Division was a two-level layout. Two levels allows for double the operations in the same amount of space – or so it does in theory. In actual practice, I learned that two people cannot occupy the same floor space, with one working the upper level and…
When Polaroid first introduced their Cube Lifestyle Action Video camera, I couldn’t help but notice its suitability and easy adaptability for use on an HO-scale railroad. Its light weight (49 grams), cubical shape, and small dimensions of only 1.4 inches allow it to fit on most any HO-scale flat car. …
