Model Railroader January 2021

Modeling forbidden spaces
by Dave Abeles
Dave Abeles shares some of the "forbidden spaces" on his layout, and how to model and photograph them. Building a layout gives you access to places you may not be able to visit in real life.

 
Add real rocks to your scenery
by Lou Sassi
Model Railroader contributing editor Lou Sassi shares his techniques for adding real rocks to your layout's scenery. Nothing looks more like the real thing than the real thing, when it comes to rocks!

track, ballast, and soil
Using grout to model soil
by Lance Mindheim
Lance Mindheim shows you how to use tile grout to create earth textures on your model railroad. This material is inexpensive and readily available in a broad range of earth tones.

Two Tortoise motor switches
The care and feeding of Tortoises
by Gerry Albers
Some installation and repair tips can keep these switch motors thriving under your layout.

 
Into canyon country
by Bob McLaughlin
How the Florida Scale Rails club extended its HO scale Denver & Rio Grande layout.

 
Creating better layout photos
by Brooks Stover
Frequent contributor Brooks Stover offers suggestions for improving your photographs of your model railroad.

 
Installing fiber optic lighting
by Paul Jack McCarty
This wiring-free solution allows you to add illuminated scenes to your layout without any soldering.