Special features

40 Perspective: Learning from old photos and the Internet by Al Askerberg
An old photo led to some research on the internet that yielded information on a long-closed industrial plant that once shipped by rail.

42 Thirty years on Tehachapi by Paul Voss
For three decades, San Diego’s La Mesa Model Railroad Club has been modeling a California landmark – the Southern Pacific’s famous Tehachapi Loop, located between Bakersfield and Mojave – with spectacular results. Join us for a look at this incredible model railroad.

65 Scanning for the future by James Ankrom
RMC staffers learned how 3-D scanning can be used to measure railroad equipment.

76 2012 National Narrow Gauge Convention preview by Paul Scoles
Join us for a look at some of the layouts that will be open for viewing during the 2012 National Narrow Gauge Convention in Bellevue, Washington, this September.

Modeling

50 RMC/Dremel Kitbashing Award: Kitbashing a Rock Island hybrid in N scale by Alvin Ho
In 1957 the Rock Island sent five of its Alco RS-2’s to EMD for repowering. The resulting locomotives were a scratchbuilder’s delight, combing the undercarriage, cab and short hood of the RS-2 with an EMD prime mover and the long hood of an EMD Geep to house it.

53 3-D printing a model by Réne Gourley
Three dimensional printing offers modelers another tool for building models for which there are no kits.

58 Scratchbuilder’s Corner: Some thoughts on scratchbuilding by Bob Walker
For the author, the joy of scratchbuilding models is the essence of what the hobby is all about.

60 The Scenery Clinic: Pt. XXI: Final details by Paul Scoles with Walt Appel
This installment finishes out series and focuses on the little details that go a long way in making a modeled scene appear believeable.

68 Modeling Atlantic Coast Line K-9, K-10 and K-17 gondolas by John Golden
The Accurail 41-foot AAR steel gondola kit is a great starting point for modeling these cars in HO scale.

 

Safety Valve - Letters from our readers

Dispatchers Report - Product and industry news

Railbooks - Book news and reviews

Craftsman Timetable - Scheduled events and notices

Test Track - Product reviews

Collector Consist/Keith Wills

Editors Notebook - Commentary by William C. Schaumburg

 

An engineering wonder when it was built, Tehachapi Loop on the Southern Pacific’s route between Bakersfield and Mojave, California, now has an equally iconic counterpart on the La Mesa Model Railroad Club’s HO scale layout at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. Like the prototype, its construction faced many challenges. Also like the prototype, it takes plenty of power to move the trains on the grades. Photo by William Schaumburg.

 

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