This section provides tech files, tips, tricks, and general information about model railroading gathered by the members of EMRRC, the Elkhart Model Railroad Club. (click on the link or picture to link to an article)
Clinic at the Club; Arduino Servos
Clinic at the Club; LEDs & Resistors
Clinic at the Club; Basic 3D Printing
Clinic at the Club; Crafting Custom Switches
Clinic at the Club; British Locomotives
Clinic at the Club; Yards and Yard Limits in Model Railroading
Clinic at the Club; Make Budget Cars into Great Operating Cars
Clinic at the Club; Operations with Ron Breniser
Clinic at the Club; Making Great Trees with Steve Storey
Clinic; Scenery with Paul Ewing
Clinic; Tuning Rolling Stock to Run at EMRRC
Clinic; N-Scale Operation Part 2 with Chuck Hart
Clinic; N-Scale Operation Part 1 with Chuck Hart
Clinic: 3D Printing Part 1 with Ben Brubaker
Clinic; Detailing Freight Cars with Gary Pressnell
Clinic; Grafitti with Ken Prager
Clinic; Background Painting with Jay Freet.
Clinic; Cheap Flat Car Loads With Ben Brubaker
Clinic; Military Flat Car Loads with Randy Robbins
Clinic: Track Ballasting with Steve Storey
Clinic: Building a Portable Programming Station with Matt Glassman
Using graphite for contact enhancement on track
Ben Brubaker's Blog on "Concrete Sewer Pipe Load in a Weekend".
A great little article on a gondola load that's quick and easy.
A complete guide to acrylic paint substitutes for Floquil Paints by Model Railroad Hobbyist
Take a simple kit that you can find cheaply, and make it into a worthy addition to a fleet of detailed models. You may have to join this group on groups.io to download the file.
Modeling Sodium Chlorate Cars in HO. You may have to join this group on groups.io to download the file.
Getting The Architectural Details Right.
Using Archer, MicroMark, and Harvested Rivets For Patterns and Models
Model Rivets For Modeling and Pattern Making including Harvested Rivets
- Jay Freet shows how to paint backgrounds and clouds.
- Everything you want to know about Truss Rod end freight cars
- Integrating flex track directly into bridge decking avoiding the inevitable joint between the two types of tracks as well as not having to hide feeder wires inside and underneath a bridge.
- Member David Menges has become our club's resident circus train expert. He produced several Facebook postings on putting together a large circus train based on the Great Circus Train. CLICK HERE or on the circus wagon picture for a PDF of that series
- Belgian Block Streets in N-Scale by Lance Mindheim
- Models Roads by Lance Mindheim
- Making Conifer Trees with Furnace Filter Material
Making miniature deciduous trees with Super Trees from MRH
- Google built a tiny Street View car to map out one of the world's largest model cities, and the results are incredible
- Powdered Ballast Glue Process from Lance Mindheim
- A detailed guide into building a durable and reliable static grass applicator.
- "What's Neat in Model Railroading". Tips from Model Railroad Hobbyist.
- A $5 Sand Blaster http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-500-Sandblaster/
- A nice group of photos showing weathered rolling stock by artist & corrosionist mellowmike Weathered rolling stock.
- Here's a tip from member Paul Ewing, if you're tired of trying to find coupler springs that have flown across the room.
- Long time member Stan Shatto shows you how to save money and build storage tanks and water towers out of PVC.Long time member Stan Shatto shows you how to save money and build storage tanks and water towers out of PVC.
- This is not our tip but it's a good one. Tom Bacarella, Janek Bringle, and Chris Palomarez of Athearn Trains demonstrate how to remove numbers, heralds, and lettering from boxcars and engines. Thanks to Rod1208 on the Southern Pacific Modeler's Forum for this technique with the paper towels & MicroSol. Ryan M-Mart pioneered this technique long ago with Micro-Sol, but without the towels which make a huge difference! Here you go give it a try.