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I'll never forget the first time I saw an N scale layout crammed into a space smaller than my kitchen table. A friend had built a twice-around mainline with a passing siding, a small yard, and enough industries to keep him busy for hours. All of it fit on a 2x3 foot board propped up in his apartment …

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 bought my first N scale locomotive in 1989, and I chose poorly. The thing stuttered at slow speeds, stalled on every turnout, and eventually developed that dreaded "clicking" noise that signals a cracked gear. Three months of frustration later, it sat in a box while I questioned whether this hobby …

I'll be honest with you: when I made the jump into model railroading, I spent way too much time reading forum arguments about whether N scale or HO scale was "better." Six years and one completed layout later, I can tell you that question misses the point entirely. The real question is what you want …

I spent 35 years working the real iron for Burlington Northern Santa Fe before hanging up my lantern in 2019. My basement workshop in Duluth is dedicated to HO scale recreations of Great Northern and Northern Pacific operations from the transition era. But here's the thing: if I were starting fresh …