USB Powered Vacuum For Model Trains
On one of my late night shopping trips on AliExpress (or it might have been eBay, I do these shopping “trips” way too much!) I picked up an $8.00 USB powered vacuum. I thought it might be a useful little gadget when building my small scenes and layouts. I’ve had it in its box for […]
Build A Diorama In Z Scale | Step By Step
Here’s a great project for getting away from the TV for a few nights, build a Z scale model train diorama! All the techniques and materials used here will of course work for any diorama. At the center of this build is our use of OrthoTape plaster cloth. This is a great alternative to some […]
Proxxon Thermocut Hot Wire Cutter Unboxing And Setup
I recently went shopping for new utility knife to cut foam with and ended up with a Proxxon Hot Wire Cutter… and the utility knife too! I was watching a video here on YouTube on a channel called Black Magic Craft (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Rlv-ug-mtnXuMwlpcqFgg) where the owner, Jeremy, writes “I build terrain and models for Tabletop RPG’s […]
Stripping And Repainting | Rokuhan Shorty Locomotive
I had a little free time last weekend and a couple of Z scale Rokuhan Shorty locomotive shells kicking around, what else was I going to do but try my hand at stripping and repainting them? This is both a sad (well, not too sad really) and happy tale about my first attempt at this […]
Using A Purple Coin Cell Holder For A Model Train LED
In our last video project we used several of the purple, LilyPad style 3V battery holders with a built in on/off switch. I like these so much for small projects I thought I’d make a video talking about them a bit more. These really are idea for spots when you don’t want to get involved […]
Rokuhan Shorty Christmas | Z Scale Model Train Christmas Layout
This is one of those projects I’ve wanted to build for a while now. A tiny little battery powered layout
Bad Bayou Halloween 2019 Video
Happy Halloween 2019 everyone! Just a short follow-up piece on the Bad Bayou shadowbox (or is it a diorama?) we’ve featured over the past 2 years here on Raildig. No real changes to the piece this year but I have shot a short video with the LG G6 and a motorized dolly. I’m probably one […]
Smartphone Video In Model Railroading
As a rule, I tend not to write articles on topics I’m unfamiliar with but today I’m breaking this trend as I talk about getting our model train work captured on video and shared online. Not only am I unfamiliar with video work, but smartphones too. So this is sort of a double “I’m not […]
Using Solder Paste
I’ve been using more loose, small LEDs lately in various projects recently and soldering them can be a bit of a trick. While it is possible to use regular solder from a spool, I thought I’d give solder paste a try. Solder paste is a thick, sticky material made up of small (very small!) solder […]
Lance Mindheim | Model Railroading As Art
Often we’ll see a thread on a model train forum that asks the question, can model railroading be considered art? This question never fails to deliver a wide range of opinions that will go in circles and often end up back at the original question… can a model railroad actually be considered to be art? […]
