Western Pacific Mushroom
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Price: Forever Free STANDARD Edition The hobby’s leading internet mediaZine January 2011 Steve Cavanaugh’s ... follow us on: Western Pacific mushroom NMRA X2011 West Layout Fun with Talus Improving Bottle Brush trees Make your own laser leveler PlugIn Signal Bases Passenger Car Modeling, pt 3 And much more inside! Page 1 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Front cover Tell a friend ... Contents Index Click to learn more Click to learn more about this sponsor NEW SPONSOR! NEW SPONSOR! NEW SPONSOR! NEW SPONSOR! about this sponsor Click to learn more Click to learn more Click to learn more Click to learn more Click to learn more Click to learn more about this sponsor about this sponsor about this sponsor about this sponsor about this sponsor about this sponsor Front Cover: Steve Cavanaugh’s Western Click to learn more Click to learn more NEW SPONSOR! Click to learn more Click to learn more Pacific layout, built using a double-decked about this sponsor about this sponsor NEW SPONSOR! about this sponsor about this sponsor mushroom configuration, will be one of the layouts on display this coming sum- mer at the NMRA National Convention in Sacramento, CA. We’re pleased to give Click to learn more Click to learn more NEW SPONSOR! Click to learn more NEW SPONSOR! you a sneak peak of Steve’s unique layout about this sponsor about this sponsor NEW SPONSOR! about this sponsor in this issue of MRH! ISSN 2152-7423 Editorial Staff Click to learn more Click to learn more Click to learn more NEW SPONSOR! Click to learn more NEW SPONSOR! Joe D. Fugate, Publisher about this sponsor about this sponsor about this sponsor about this sponsor Charlie Comstock, Layouts and media editor Columnists Richard Bale, News and events John Drye, N scale Lew Matt, Narrow gauge and shortlines Click to learn more NEW SPONSOR! NEW SPONSOR! about this sponsor NEW SPONSOR! Marty McGuirk, Prototype modeling Les Halmos, Modular railroading Special Correspondents Sponsoring Advertisers - Visit them and say: “Thanks for bringing me MRH completely free.” Jim Duncan, Layouts and operations Byron Henderson, Layouts and track planning Production Patty Fugate, pasteup and layout Your logo could be on this page, putting your web site just Joe Brugger, copy editing Mike Dodd, copy editing one click away from tens of thousands of readers! Technical Assistant Jeff Shultz Our click tracking indicates sponsoring advertisers get up todouble the clicks ... Advertising Account Manager Click here to learn how to become a sponsoring advertiser. Les Halmos Our back issues continue to get hundreds of new downloads per month. Sponsoring advertisers keep getting clicks from their older ads, from their logo on our web site, as well from as our current issue. A sponsoring ad with MRH is an investment in growing your business. Page 2 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Masthead and Sponsors Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 3 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit the BLMA web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 4 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit Dallas Model Works web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 5 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit Fast Tracks web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 6 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit Walthers web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 7 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit NCE web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index Table of Main Features contents Columns 48 Improving Bottle-Brush 69 Fun with Talus 24 January Model Trees Using plaster pieces to model small Railroading News collections of rock fall MRH News and Events All scales Scenery Scene: one evening project! All scales by Charlie Comstock by Rob Spangler by Richard Bale Steve Cavanaugh’s Western Lessons in passenger car 50 73 100 Modeling a Creek, p4 Pacific Railroad modeling, part 3 Up the Creek HO An HO scale mushroom design HO Modeling tips for passenger cars by Jack Burgess by Matt Snell by Charlie Comstock Make your own laser leveler First Look: SD40-2W and 64 93 105 Weathering the Tool Shed: one evening project! Procor Hopper Roundhouse All scales by Charlie Comstock N and HO New products from InterMountain My Modular Adventure by Joe Fugate and Josh Baakko by Les Halmos 66 PlugIn Signals 97 First Look: Scaffolding and Make signal installs plug-and-play easy Painting Steam Loco video 115 Portable Display All scales by Paul Mack HO and All RS LaserKits and Jeff Johnston Layouts by Joe Fugate and Charlie Comstock Lite and Narrow Other Features by Lew Matt 120 The newest Local Hobby- 12 42,675 and counting ... 39 MRH Q - A - T shop – the Internet Publisher’s Editorial by Joe Fugate Questions, Answers and Tips Reverse Running by Joe Fugate 16 MRH Staff Notes 122 Derailments Building issues on a monthly schedule, and Humor (perhaps) 17 Bonus downloads this more ... issue! Page 8 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Table of contents - Features Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 9 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit Rapido web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index Page 10 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit Digitrax web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index January 29 & 30, 2011 RAILWAY ST SO ER C H IE M T A Y Eastern States Exposition 1305 Memorial Avenue West Springfield, MA 01089 Better Living Center Young Building 4 BIG Stroh Building Buildings Mallary Complex Our Railroad Hobby Show Features: • more than 35 operating layouts. • G, O, S, HO, N & Z Scale. • manufacturers, displays, model dealers, booksellers, railroadiana, clinics, live steam. • historical societies and railroad industry representatives. Saturday 9 am - 5 pm • Sunday 10 am - 5 pm Daily Admission $10.00 Children 15 and under FREE when accompanied by an adult. Tickets on Sale 1 hour before show opens Visit us at: www.AmherstRail.org Page 11 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Advertisement Visit Amherst Show web site Tell a friend ... Contents Index PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL: 42,675 and counting ... Musings from the MRH founder That’s why our goal from day 1 has popups. No, we’re taking a much been – and remains – to be delivering classier, more helpful advertising About the Reader superb service to our readers and our approach. Feedback advertisers through job 1: publishing Publisher (click here) excellent content. Many of our readers have told us they like the ads in the magazine, because Our digital technology and free cover they’re relevant to the hobby, and While Model Railroad price is but a means to an end. The they put you just one-click away from Hobbyist reached an all- goal we aim for is excellent content the advertiser in case you are shop- that provides powerful inspiration and ping for hobby product. time new high last issue solid answers to your model railroad- — that achievement is ing needs. Bookmarking sponsors worthless if our content And we work to deliver that content in Here’s a slick trick you can use when isn’t serving our readers a way that’s entertaining and (we hope) bookmarking a sponsoring advertiser and our advertisers … portrays our contagious passion for the in an way that’s super simple and will hobby. make sure MRH always gets the credit We can have the most impressive when you visit the sponsor’s web site. s we pass the two year digital publishing technology on the Joe Fugate is the featured mark, we’re reflecting on Instead of bookmarking or making a expert in many Model-Trains- planet, but if our content fails to mea- favorite in the usual way by select- how far we’ve come and sure up, we have failed our readers Video.com videos, and where we expect to go next in year ing bookmark or favorite from the and our advertisers. menu when you’re on the sponsors he’s also the founder and 3A and beyond. publisher of Model Railroad web site, instead go to the sponsor What’s ahead in 2011? logo page on our web site. Then drag Hobbyist Magazine. Job 1: Content Excellence and drop the sponsor logo onto your We believe one of the best ways to favorite bookmark folder on your We’re excited that we set an all-time teach people about the hobby is video. To learn more about Joe, browser’s nav bar (see the video on click here. high in web site traffic and circulation Expect us to be doing lots more with demo on the next page). last issue and for that we want to say video media this year. thanks. We could not have done it This trick works in all major brows- without you – our readers. We’re also rolling out a new-and- ers and it means MRH will always get improved web site this month. Not the credit for your visit. The browsers While it’s easy to focus on our ”cool” only does the improved site have I’ve tested include: Internet Explorer, digital publishing technology, at the end many new subscriber features, but it Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome. now also includes banner ads. of the day “cool technology” doesn’t This trick also works for bookmark- really matter if our content isn’t good. Don’t worry, we’re not into creat- ing anything of interest. Dragging and In fact, our content needs to be more ing an “advertising junkyard” site dropping onto your favorite bookmarks than good – it needs to be excellent. with dancing people and in-your-face folder is very simple and intuitive. If Page 12 • Issue 11 • January 2011 • Publisher’s Editorial, page 1 Tell a friend ... Contents Index Video playback problems? Click here ..