I understand that experience is a great teacher. With model railroading, however, small mistakes can have a cascading effect that will make operating your railroad a frustrating experience. If you are going to use extruded foam as the base of your layout, be sure to notice the edges of the foam. Undoubtedly, there will be …
Continue reading Two Mistakes to Avoid as You Build Your HO Scale Model Railroad
I understand that experience is a great teacher. With model railroading, however, small mistakes can have a cascading effect that will make operating your railroad a frustrating experience. If you are going to use extruded foam as the base of your layout, be sure to notice the edges of the foam. Undoubtedly, there will be …
As construction of a model railroad progresses, it's easy to forget the former struggles and triumphs. I'm happy I took lots of photos as I was building The Maple Valley Short Line Model Railroad. I'm not finished with the layout. I am not sure a model railroad is ever completed because it's so fun to …
Continue reading Under Construction: The Maple Valley Short Line Model Railroad
It’s significant to me, as a lifelong fan of model railroading, that on the first Christmas morning I remember, there was an American Flyer train set on the living room floor. It was a present for my brother, but that didn’t matter. It was still the neatest thing I had ever seen, and my love …
Continue reading The Undeniable Magic of Christmas Train Sets
It began as many stories do, with nothing. I wasn't planning to write an endless saga with characters no one has ever heard of. It just happened. Sheriff Pete Terkinberry, and all the other good folks from Maple Valley politely introduced themselves and took over. I was helping to clean out a small barn that …
Christmas is such a wonderful time in Maple Valley. All the old recipes no one uses at any other time of the year come out of the recipe tins. Neighbors ask each other for spices they don't have and don't want to buy. Eggnog shows up on the menu at Ya'll Sit Cafe. Shorty Cloverton's …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 33: The Christmas Miracle
The Maple Valley Short Line is a work in progress. As I shared in "Mistakes I Made on my HO Scale Model Railroad," model railroading is a great teaching tool because there is always something to learn. I suspect that any serious model railroader would say the same thing. This is the pencil drawing of …
Continue reading Things I Did Right on my HO Scale Model Railroad
The Maple Valley Short Line is a work in progress. As I shared in "Mistakes I Made on my HO Scale Model Railroad," model railroading is a great teaching tool because there is always something to learn. I suspect that any serious model railroader would say the same thing. This is the pencil drawing of …
Continue reading Building the Maple Valley Railroad: Tips and Insights
One of the great things about HO scale model railroading is that the modeling never ends. I suppose that can be true of any scale, but for me, HO scale is a perfect example of a modelers dream. I started building the Maple Valley Short Line model railroad four years ago. My train room is …
Continue reading HO Scale Model Railroading: Learning Through Mistakes
One of the great things about HO scale model railroading is that the modeling never ends. I suppose that can be true of any scale, but for me, HO scale is a perfect example of a modelers dream. I started building the Maple Valley Short Line model railroad four years ago. My train room is …
Continue reading Mistakes I Made on my HO Scale Model Railroad: The Maple Valley Short Line
A Coffee State of Mind 