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I've watched it happen a dozen times. A new modeler walks into our operating sessions with that familiar look of regret, explaining how they just sold off their entire HO collection because it "didn't fit" their apartment. Or worse, they're sitting on three half-finished layouts in storage because t …

I got into model railroading because I thought running miniature trains would be relaxing. Then I discovered operations, and now I spend Friday nights yelling about train orders while my teenagers pretend not to know me. But here's the thing: those first twelve months building a layout? They don't h …

My first layout was a disaster. I know that now. At the time, I thought I was building my dream railroad in my basement. What I actually built was a 12x14-foot monument to every rookie error in the hobby. The track buckled in summer. Half my turnouts sat in unreachable corners. My wiring was so unde …

I got into model railroading thinking it would be relaxing. Then I discovered operations, and now I host timetable-and-train-order sessions in my basement that are probably more stressful than my actual job managing logistics for a trucking company. But here's what that background taught me: a model …

I got into model railroading for relaxation. Three years later, I'm hosting operating sessions that feel more stressful than my actual logistics job. But here's the thing: most of that stress disappeared once I stopped fighting my track geometry.The radius you choose for your N scale curves isn't ju …

I spent three weeks hunting for a Broadway Limited Mikado last spring. By the time I found one, I'd learned more about the HO steam market than I ever wanted to know. The experience reminded me of my day job in trucking logistics: scarcity drives behavior, and the prepared buyer wins. If you're loo …