Model Railroader October 2020

FEATURES

North by North Western
by Cody Grivno, group technical editor
Winding rivers and dense stands of evergreen trees. The rumble of diesel engines and the echo of steam whistles. Fishermen hoping to reel in the big one and tourists looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. These are just some of the sights and sounds on John Mueller's HO scale Chicago & North Western (C&NW) Northern Memories layout. The 32 x 39-foot model railroad is set in the northwoods of Wisconsin in 1953.

Modeling the Civil War in HO scale
by Thom Radice
I was 8 years old when my grandfather told me one of his more captivating stories, of meeting Civil War veterans in his youth. Most striking was his elaboration of their appearance. All five veterans were missing a body part. His story was my first imprint for the American Civil War.

The next was my first trip to Gettysburg, Pa. This experience pulled me to learn about those events. Gettysburg was my second ‘wow’ moment, and the Civil War was securely embedded into my psyche.

In April 1964, Model Railroader published “A Civil War Layout” by Bob Hawley. Reading this article was hugely influential. Bob’s article conveyed possibilities that lit my enthusiasm for building a Civil War-themed model railroad.

Freight cars of the '70s, Part 3
by Eric White
Through the transition era (World War II to the late-1950s), railroads were interested in general-purpose cars. Boxcars were the ultimate general-purpose car, carrying manufactured goods, grain, lumber, food products – plus anything else that could be put in a bag, box, or crate or lashed to a pallet.

But loading and unloading some of these products, grain especially, was labor intensive. Once railroads had sued for the right to set competitive rates for moving grain, it made sense to buy specialized grain hoppers that could be loaded and unloaded quickly.

Rotary switch couplers for RailCrew uncouplers
by Craig Williams
RailCrew uncouplers from Rapido Trains offer a reliable way to switch cars in hard-to-reach areas. Learn how Craig Williams controls 13 uncouplers using a single toggle switch and a rotary selector.