Building Better Model Railroads Volume Two

In this presentation, we feature models of more freight cars from the 1940s to the 1960s era. Many of these cars remained in use even into 1970. Most of the techniques and ideas used to build these older cars can work well on more modern rolling stock too. In this volume, we will see ways to use low-cost materials to build classic Gondolas, a variety of early-style covered Hoppers, and some great-looking freight carloads.

For building construction, we have used a pair of affordable kits that we build into one larger and very convincing Grocery store that works into a smaller town setting from the 1940s to the 1970s era.

This model is fully lighted inside and out with long life, small warm-white LEDs that were semiconductor-based items only considered theoretically possible in this 1956 time frame. To aid in building this store we use animated diagrams and the DVD has a printable documents folder with many diagrams and useful items you can print out to make these models.

Another fine model of a Walnut processing plant could just as easily serve Almond, Pecan, or various grain milling duties in the back area of a small city where the branch line track runs. Facilities like these from earlier days are still in use today. Full plans are furnished that can be printed with dimensions and a duplicate set for printing out with no dimensions that can be bonded onto the materials for building.

Building the freight cars from older inexpensive BlueBox and Model Die Casting kits in this video with guidelines on how to build very rewarding models. The theme here is to adapt some less expensive materials into your plans and expand your tool and technique resources in the process. The techniques are generally useful in building or altering models in any era. Whether you are still building models for a future layout or trying to design a layout with models already built, this might help your ideas to move ahead…..