You can build a great HO gauge model railroad in four by eight feet of space. Use these five easy steps and you're on your way. Start with a reasonable track plan. Purchase HO gauge track and accessories. Choose the best table-top materials. Assemble your track. Wire your layout and run your trains! Start With …
Maple Valley is a dream. We who live here go about our daily business without ceremony or fanfare. The sun comes up and goes down. Sometimes clouds roll and rain falls, but sunshine always returns, except when it doesn't. Despite the quaintness of Maple Valley defined by the expectations of outsiders. we are just like …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – 45: Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend
The first step in creating your dream HO scale model railroad is building strong benchwork. Solid wall brackets are the key to strength and safety for a shelf-style train layout. The Benefits of a Shelf-Style Train Layout You have easy access to the layout. Front legs are not required. Storage space is created under the …
Continue reading Easy Wall Brackets for Strong Shelf-Style Benchwork
Are you dreaming of building an amazing HO scale model railroad? If so, I can help you get started on a great shelf-style layout to make your dream a reality. In this post, you will learn important steps for building a strong foundation for your layout. There are several styles of benchwork used in model …
No one expected this, not the farmers, the gossips, the know-it-alls, the young, the old, the grandmas or grandpas, the introverts, the extroverts, the fearful or bold, the meek or brash, the spouses or spinsters, the Almanac or the weatherman. The Maple Valley Christmas blizzard swept in like a phantom monster and buried the entire …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 43: A Christmas Blizzard Miracle
Stress lives in Maple Valley, and the onset of the holidays kicks it into high gear. What would Thanksgiving be without worrying whether the turkey is big enough? Or if there's enough stuffing? Or potatoes? Or antacid? As if worrying about food isn't enough, there is always the possibility of uncomfortable situations. Every Maple Valley …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 41: Dear Doctor
From the time I was old enough to recognize the people around me, there was one person who was my favorite. He held a place of love and admiration throughout my life that made every opportunity for me to be near him a delight. He was my Uncle Dick Lambert. In this photo I was …
Continue reading To Honor the Memory of My Uncle Dick Lambert
"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard, but coming from you I'm not surprised!" Sheriff Pete hollered into the phone as he slammed it down. Meanwhile, the mysterious calls from someone identifying herself as Sylvia Meisner suddenly stopped after Pete held the special meeting at the Ya'll Sit a few months ago. No …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 39: O’Dillmotteville
I have to admit, I have been working on my Maple Valley Short Line Model Railroad control panel for more than two years. I can run the layout just fine using Atlas Selectors to control power to the blocks, but I really want a panel with a layout diagram to make operations easier. Plus, I …
Continue reading I Use DPDT Switches for AC and DC Power on my Model Railroad Control Panel
Creating beautiful scenes on an HO scale model railroad is a learning process. No one is perfect from the start. Everyone can learn to do things in a better, more convincing and efficient way. YouTube videos and Facebook groups offer an incredible opportunity to look at the work of fellow model railroaders and see the …
A Coffee State of Mind 