January 2012

January 2012
Volume 80, Number 8

Special features
40 Perspective: PGE\BC Rail centennial by Robert D. Turner
One of North America’s most spectacular rail routes turns 100.

42 50 Years of excellence: Dick Elwell’s Hoosac Valley by Tom Bartley, with photos by Phil Monat
Set in rolling foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, this beautiful basement-size HO scale layout includes plenty of steam and diesel action amidst New England’s fall colors.

51 LED layout lighting by George Gibson
LED strip lighting provides modelers with a variety of options when it comes to illuminating a layout.

Modeling
52 RMC/Dremel Kitbashing Award: Kitbashing a Pittsburgh Railways interurban car by Bob Dietrich
New wooden sides with arched windows change the appearance of an old HO scale La Belle Sacramento Northern kit into a Pittsburgh Railways car.

55 The Cheltenham granary by Trevor Marshall
This interesting model features a stone foundation supporting a wooden structure with cribbed or finger joint construction.

61 Modeling less-common tank cars by Tony Thompson
While not built in large numbers, these tank cars – an acid car and a general chemical car – are still great modeling subjects.

67 A thumbnail switcher by Tom Knapp
This tiny Nn3 center-cab switcher measures just 1.3 inches long and includes a DCC decoder.

73 Scratchbuilder’s Corner: Details, again by Bob Walker
No matter what the scale, small details can have a large effect on a layout’s appearance.

80 The Scenery Clinic: Pt. XIX: Winter ground cover with a dusting of snow by Paul Scoles with Walt Appel
Careful blending of scenery material can yield the look of early winter.

77 Detailing a model for an operating layout by Scott Lupia
When the author tackled this HO scale SP SD45, he set out to make a model that was both detailed and durable.

Prototype
73 CNS&M flagstop shelter by William C. Schaumburg
This simple wooden shelter provided patrons with protection from the elements as they waited for the interurban.