Virtual Clinic Videos
● Railroad Infrastructure by Andrew Dodge, MMR
- Virtual Clinic 1, July 19, 2020
●
NMRA
Master Builder - Cars AP Certificate by Ernie Little, MMR
- Virtual Clinic 2, August 16, 2020
● Potomac Flyer/ NMRA Author AP by
Alex Belida -
Virtual Clinic 3 - September 20,
2020
●
Tips
For Researching and Building Prototype Structures by Marty
McGuirk - Virtual Clinic 4, October 18, 2020
● Constructing an Elevated
Railway by Brian Sheron- Virtual Clinic 5 - November
15,2020
● Using Styrofoam As A Base for
Scenery by Tim Barr - Virtual Clinic 6 - December 7,
2020
● 3D Printing, How to Use It and
Related Services by Zach Pabis - Virtual
Clinic 7 - December 13, 2020
● Painting Figures Using Citadel
Paints by Alex Polimeni - Virtual Clinic 8 - January 17,
2021
● Track Arrangement and
Operation by John King - Virtual
Clinic 9 - February 21, 2021
● The Art and
Technique of Lighting Buildings and Streets by John Sethian -
Virtual Clinic 10 - March 21, 2021
● Update on The Nickel Plate by Tony Koester -
Virtual Clinic 11 - April 18, 2021
● The
Oregon Coast Railroad and More by Mat Thompson - Virtual
Clinic 12 - May 16, 2021
● Staging is
More Than a Dark Space Under The Layout by Paul Dolkos -
Virtual Clinic 13 - June 20, 2021
● Introductory
Guide to Making Model Railroad Videos by Rod Vance -
Virtual Clinic 14 - July 18, 2021
● Update on the
USMRR Aquia Line by Bernie Kempinski - August 22, 2021
● Going
Beyond Prototype Freight Cars by Jack Burgess - September
19, 2021
● Prototype Modeling AP by Alex
Belida, MMR, - December 19, 2021
● Northlandz by Patrick Bentz -
January 16, 2022
● Drake's Well Diorama construction by Alex
Belida, MMR - February 20, 2022
● Building an
Operational Railroad Crossing by Brian Sheron - March 20, 2022
● The Center of the
Chessie's Passenger World by Bryan Kidd - April 24, 2022
● Do It Yourself Keep
Alive and Stay Alive Devices by Gil Fuchs - May 15, 2022
Individual Clinics
Scenery — Bill
Carl
This clinic shows how to do
basic scenery on a module using foamboard insulation. There
are almost 200 pictures so this clinic has been divided into
14 sub-topics: Assumptions, Foam, Hot Wire Tool, Track, Fill
in Cracks, Paint and Grass, Fascia, Rocks, Touch up Grass,
Trees, Backdrop, Bushes, Ballast, and Small Details.
View clinic
BackdropTutorial — J. Mark Chase
In this clinic Mark introduces the steps he followed from photo
processing and manipulation to backdrop construction, tools, and
methods used to go from a blank wall to a finished backdrop.
View
Clinic
Build a Warehouse roll-up door (Fine Scale Animation for
Operation) — Bill Day, MMR
The clinic introduces fine-scale animation in support of
operation. the clinic is about —Easy Animation—; virtually all of
the animation is accomplished with Tortoise switches and turntable
motors using black thread or music wire. The basis is a Design
Preservation Module (301-35) with a roll-up door and a loading
platform.
View
Clinic
Constructing Pine Trees of the Southeast — Mike
Hart
Constructing pine trees of the southeastern U.S., using stick,
clay and caulk techniques together with tree root branches, build
a model from scratch fallowing four easy steps to create a very
realistic looking tree. The photo shows the type of tree
modeled.
View Clinic
Creating Stencils for Your Logo — Gil Fuchs
When decals just won't do the job, you
can't find them, or you can't get your hands on an Alps printer
- create and paint your own logo on your preferred rolling stock
using this technique, which is borrowed from the world of PCB
production. The process is not very complicated, using your
preferred graphic editing program, and materials available at
your local Radio Shack store and on-line. The result is a
durable brass stencil that can be used over and over with your
airbrush to paint logos on a large number of cars, engines
and/or buildings. As an added bonus, the printed logo can be
made to have the fuzzy look of sprayed-on lettering, as in the
prototype.
View Clinic
Detailing and Weathering the MER—s CNJ PS-1 Boxcar — Mike McNamara
Changing the appearance of a model to fit the era that you
model.
View Clinic
Digital Photography Tips & Hints — Bob
Boudreau
Learn about taking pictures of your model railroad. Aimed at
digital cameras; basic info can be used with film cameras.
Advanced Techniques appropriate for both camera types. Note:
this link limits access; if you cannot open the pages try again
a little later.
View Clinic
Enhancing Backdrops — Mike
McNamara
Add scenery between foreground trees and blue sky backdrop.Foam
Core board cut to represent hills covered with ground foam
provides a slight 3D aspect. Trees added in front to blend
transition.
View Clinic
Electronics
— Bob Clegg
Bob Clegg of the New Jersey Division has put together an animated
PowerPoint clinic that will introduce you to some basic model
railroad specific electronics without pain. The theme of the
clinic is that "You Can Do Electronics". Bob provides, as a part
of the clinic, sources of electronic components that are more
economical than the usual Radio Shack supplies.
View Clinic
Installing Decoders in Steam Engines — Brian
Sheron, MMR
Many models of steam Locomotives are not available with
factory-installed DCC and sound, particularly older brass or die
cast models. Brian shows you how you can install sound decoders
in older steam locomotives relatively easy. He explains why the
motor must be electrically isolated from the rails, and shows
you ways isolate it. He also shows you how to get good
electrical pickup from the rails for no-stall operation, and how
to hook up and install a sound decoder (with or without a
Current Keeper) and speaker in the tender.
Installing Sound in an Atlas RS-3 — Brian
Sheron, MMR
RS-3 diesels were a large part of
the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) diesel roster around 1964. These
engines pose a bit of a challenge for installing DCC sound
because the shell snugly fits around the motor and flywheels.
However, loud, clear diesel sound can be installed in these
engines relatively easily.

Intermediate Resin Casting — John Griffith
This clinic reviews how to make molds and then how to make resin
castings from those molds. We will follow the process I used to
model the East Broad Top's combine #14. We will discuss the
trials and tribulations to produce adequate car sides and how to
produce a cestatotry roof with see through windows. I
demonstrate how simple one-sided molds are used to produce car
sides and a roof.
Layout Ideas From The Opera — John
Pursell
Incorporate various tricks and
techniques that go into stage scenery into your modeling.
(From MER Local.)
Making Dwarf
Signals — Marshall Abrams
Learn how to make a dwarf signal with a LED (Light Emitting
Diode) that's only .1 inch wide. The LEDs we use are nice
because the light from the individual chips light up a whole
circle. This means that in addition to green and red, they make
a quite nice yellow if both the red and green are turned on.
They also come in a green-yellow version, which can be used on
the main line approach track and two red-green on the main and
side tracks.
View Clinic
Similar: Semaphore Signals by Jim Atkinson
Signals & Detection — Marshall Abrams
Flashing lights, crossing gates, and trackside signals all
provide visual interest to a model railroad. They can also
inform the operators about track conditions to guide operations.
This clinic describes installing and use of occupancy detection
using current sensing and optical detectors used to control
crossbuck flashers, crossing gates, and trackside signals and
repeaters for Automatic Block Signaling (ABS). Products and
installation are discussed and available products are surveyed.
View Clinic
Similar: Semaphore
Signals by Jim Atkinson
Making Trees from Sedum — Bob
Sprague
With easy to obtain and use primary materials, Bob
shows you how to make some very realistic trees. The clinic
also contains a handy list of materials for getting started.
View
Clinic
Passenger Operations — Doug
Matheson

Doug discusses passenger
operations on the prototype, with lots of pictures. Much of the
article deals with equipment available in large scale (1:29).
Pre-1948, Pullman owned and operated the vast majority of sleepers
(and some others cars too). Post-1948 till about the mid 1960s,
sleeping cars were very much in evidence but were owned by the
operating railroad. After the mid 1960s sleeping car services
declined to just the few long haul routes Amtrak and ViaRail run
today. Railroads also operated a very extensive express service
and postal services. Collectively, railroads ran more head end
cars than all other passenger cars put together. Much of the
passenger switching is related to sleepers, express and mail
services operating on specified routes.
View Clinic
Railroading Along The Waterfront With Walthers – Some
Prototype Ideas And Future Directions — John
Teichmoeller

This clinic is based on the Wm. K. Walthers' —Railroading
Along the Waterfront— project rolled-out in 1998. The material
included in this program is designed with several objectives:
- To discuss the prototypes, as
best identified, for the Walthers products
- To discuss possible changes to
models to enhance fidelity
- To discuss other prototype
variations amenable to kitbashing with Walthers products
- To give you additional
informational resources View Clinic
Realistic
Finish on Brick and Stone Structures — Kathy
Renninger
Custom model builder Kathy
Renninger demonstrates some of the techniques she used to obtain
realistic finishes on models which feature brick and stone
surfaces. Her techniques were featured in the August 2004 issue
of
Model Railroader.
View Clinic
Resin Casting Introduction — John Griffith
This is an introduction to those
who would like to do castings. It will provide you the
information needed to do your own simple castings. It covers the
safety, tools, and materials required. We will talk about making
masters, walk through how to prepare a mold from a master, and
demonstrate how to cast parts. Along the way it offers tips on
what John finds works and what doesn—t.
View Clinic

Rocks Made Easy — Working with Rock
Molds & Coloring with Dyes — Bob
Johnson
Learn techniques for casting rock
molds using molding plaster and assembling the castings into
large, homogeneous formations. Emphasis is placed on blending
the individual castings together and maintaining a realistic
bedding plane throughout the formation. A major focus is on a
quick and easy technique to color the assembled castings using a
combination of washes,dyes, chlorine bleach and dry color
powders.
View Clinic
Scenic
Express Supertrees — Bill Carl
Longer and short methods to making
Scenic Express Supertrees are presented.
View
Clinic
Similar: Constructing Pine Trees of the Southeast by Mike Hart
As a modeler, Jim was only
interested in a simple, single blade, three positions, upper
quadrant signal. (from
MER Local.)
View Clinic
Scratchbuilding a Small Wooden Freight Station and Platform
— Martin Brechbiel, MMR
Now that you have a few old time wooden freight cars built, you
need a place to stop and load and unload those items you—ve
carefully crafted as flatcar loads or packaged goods from your
gondolas. (From
MER Local.)
View Clinic
Similar:

Scratchbuilding Wooden Freight Cars
— Convert Your Flatcar into a Gondola — Martin
Brechbiel, MMR
The quickest and easiest extension
from the basic flatcar. (From
MER Local)
View Clinic
Simple Scratchbuilding Tool — Fred Willis
A simple jig that is very useful in aligning and
measuring parts. It is cheap, easy to make, and ensures parts
are aligned properly. (From
MER Local)
View
Clinic
Using a Drill Press as a Milling
Machine — Evert Beekmann View Clinic
Using EXCEL to Create String
Charts — Bob Reid,MMR
There is an easy way to display
timetable in a visual way in Excel where the points that
represent each train are connected by straight lines.
View Clinic
View Completed
String Chart
Using Styrene For Backdrops — Mike McNamara
Constructed the backdrop for the
layout using styrene. (From
MER Local.)
View Clinic
Using Structural Steel to Create
Industries and Scenes — Tom
Brodrick
Shows some of the use of steel
after it leaves the mill and before it becomes a finished
building. The emphasis is on distribution from the mill, basic
explanations of shapes and their designations, the use of these
shapes in the building frame; pictures,descriptions, and ideas
about the equipment used in steel erection.
View Clinic
^Top
Water Effects — Mark
Sisk
Airbrush for Model Railroading — My
experiences — Clint Hyde
Airbrushes, Air sources, Paints,
Target materials (wood, styrene, brass/metal), Techniques
View
Clinic
^Top
Replacing the External Antenna on
NCE Radio Cabs — Ed Rappe

I
subscribe to the Yahoo NCE DCC users group and several years
ago there was an article about replacing the external antenna
on NCE radio equipped cabs with an internal one similar to
those found on NCE's latest cabs. Over the years on at least
two occasions I've knocked an antenna free from its soldered
on connection to the internal radio circuit board.
Re-soldering the antenna back on to the board was relatively
easy — but I always thought it was a weak design. Last month I
turned and the cab bumped the fascia breaking the antenna—s
solder connection. Rather than repairing the break, this time
I decided to replace the external antenna with an internal
one. I found the old article and ordered several Splatch
antennas from DigiKey — they cost only $2.08 each!. The first
cab took about 1.5 hours to upgrade, later ones perhaps 45
minutes. The internal antennas are a permanent fix for issues
with broken external NCE antennas and radio performance is
great.
For anyone interested in
replacing the external antennas on their NCE radio cabs I've
attached the article. Side note — among my 4 NCE radio cabs I
found two slightly different version radio printed circuit
boards (J and K). The article references the K board but the
same approach applies to the older J version as well.
View Clinic
View Article Link for
ordering Splatch antennas from Digikey
Railroad Worthy Industries —
Mat Thompson, MMR
This clinic considers workflow of
manufacturing and processing plants to help model industries
with the size and bulk that justifies rail traffic. The results
can add realism to a layout and improve a layout—s operations
potential. Examples include kit-bashed and scratch-build
industries. There are also examples of what parts of an industry
are needed and not needed to suggest its size, examples of
industries which handle many cars with little infrastructure,
and how adding special car handling requirements can increase an
industries traffic load and modeling interest.
View
Clinic
B&O Marine Operations on the
Ohio River — John Teichmoeller
This clinic Presents results of
research to date regarding the B&O's various marine
operations between Parkersburg and Pittsburgh. It Includes
discussion of issues involving modeling "Western Rivers" style
steamboats of particular relevance to modelers with West
Virginia or Pennsylvania coal theme layouts.
View Clinic Read "The
B&O Marine Story"

Details can make the Difference —
Adding Details to Your Layout — Brian
Sheron, MMR
The clinic will focus on the
details that exist in real life, and how modeling them can add
realism and bring your layout to life.
View Clinic
Making
a More Prototypical Waybill — Mike
White
This clinic covers the
development, construction, types, and uses of more
prototypical model waybills on your layout. Information on the
few materials needed, and sources of supply are provided.
Extensive references are also made available.
View Clinic Read Waybill
Clinic Notes
Everything You Wanted to Know
About Model Railroad Decals — Bill
Mosteller
Who makes them, where to find
them, who does custom work.
View Clinic

History of the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad — Ronald Beavers
The presentation covers the period
1847 to 1867 form the beginning of the O&A RR until it is
merged with the Manassas Gap RR with the focus on how the
O&A was used during the Civil War.
View Clinic

Filling in the Model Contest Forms
— Martin Brechbiel, MMR
A major impediment to entering
models into the contest rooms at both Divisional and Regional
levels occurs when the modeler is confronted with "filling out
the forms" or "the paperwork". That phase or participating in
the AP is apparently attached to countless myths, hysteria,
and horror stories.This clinic presents an overview and
discuss how to fill out the forms for entering your models
into the contest room for optimal success.
View Clinic
Electroluminescent Signs For Your
Layout — Brian Sheron, MMR
This clinic describes what
electroluminescent (EL) signs are and how they work. It then
explains how to connect and install commercially available
signs, and finally shows how custom signs can be created from
EL kits that are commercially available.
View Clinic
Build A Waterfall — Marshall
Abrams
A waterfall adds interest to your scenery. This clinic describes
how to make a waterfall using clear plastic packaging scrap,
EnviroTex Lite epoxy resin, Aleene's Original Tacky Glue, and
bristles from a nylon paintbrush. We discuss how to built up
rivulets or cascades to give texture to the surface of the
waterfall.
View Clinic
Operating With Single Cycle Waybills — Mike
White
This clinic describes and explains an operating scheme for use
with single-cycle waybills. Starting with the standard Setout,
Hold, Pickup method in use by many, it expands this system to
encompass many different types of waybill and freight movement
conditions. View Clinic

Creating Backdrops Using Pictures — Marshall
Abrams
Use of pictures to produce backdrops is one of the hottest
trends in realistic modeling. This clinic will cover how picture
postcards, card stock models, photographs and other media can be
used to make backdrops. Marshall will focus on urban scenes.
Extensive web links are included.
View Clinic
Detailing Athearn Blue
Box Freight Cars — Nigel
Phillips
Athearn Blue Box freight cars — we probably all have a few.
Have a look underneath though — the brake gear is back to
front! The story goes that the blueprint was upside down
during the tooling for the under-body. With the trend to
higher heights in baseboards, brake detail (or the lack of) is
becoming more obvious and a modeling "must have" item. This
clinic describes how to correct the position of the brake
cylinder, air reservoir and triple valve, and add air lines,
brake levers and wires using styrene strip and rod and copper
or steel wire. The results meet my "3-foot" standard (if it
looks good from 3-feet) and budget (the scrap box supplies
nearly everything). Commercial brake kits with finer detailing
(AB and K) give a much more prototypical look for those who
like to get close-up. They are also a good source of various
bits for a bash-build. Adding coupler trip-pin levers and air
lines at the ends of the cars.
View Clinic

Expanding the Long Island Railroad — Brian
Sheron, MMR
In 2015, Brian expanded his Long Island Railroad. Like most
modelers, he was faced with questions such as "what to model."
and "how to design the expansion." Brian explains how he made
these decisions, which resulted in modeling Flatbush Avenue in
Brooklyn, and the Long Island Rail Road's car float yard in
Long Island City. In his clinic, he explains car float
operations, benchwork construction, including simple
construction of curved backdrops, and installing a Faller Car
System. His presentation walks you through the process with
many photos and diagrams.
View Clinic

Backdrops — Brian Sheron, MMR
Model train layouts are mainly constrained by two factors,
limited available space, and accessibility. Both of these
factors will inhibit the viewer's perception of depth when
viewing a model railroading scene, unless we can add backdrops
to our layouts that will impart the feeling of depth. Brian will
describe various techniques that a modeler can use to achieve
the perception of depth on their layout. His clinic presentation
includes many photos that show these techniques.
View Clinic

Keep Alive — Gil Fuchs
Locomotives that stall on a gap or dirty track can be a
source of frustration and a nuisance during operations. Keep
alive devices are add-ons to the locomotive DCC decoder that
can alleviate this problem. This clinic will cover
installation and usage, as well as construction of a simple
DIY Keep Alive device.
View Clinic
Modular Model Railroading — Clarence
Guenther

Modular model railroading
is a practical form of model railroading for space challenged
model railroaders. This clinic explains what modular model
railroading is and discuss its advantages and disadvantages. We
will discuss the differences between modular and sectional model
railroads and present different modular formats.
View Clinic
Weathering — John Paganoni, MMR

The purpose of this clinic
is to demonstrate the use of weathering/aging techniques for
engines, railroad cars, and structures. Focus is on subtle
weathering using mostly chalks and chalk-type products such as
—Doc O—Brien—s—, Bragdon Enterprises powders, and colored artist
chalks from craft stores. A PowerPoint presentation, with
pictures, will be used that was produced by Mat Thompson, MMR to
highlight weathering and aging on HO scale models from the late
1940—s to early 1950—s. Emphasis is on subtle weathering versus
heavy weathering because the prototype railroad (Central
Vermont) I model maintained their equipment in excellent
condition. Models will also be on display for members to review
subsequent to the presentation. A major objective of this effort
is to encourage members to participate in the NMRA Achievement
Program and share their experiences in building and weathering
their models.
The purpose of this
clinic is to demonstrate the use of weathering/aging
techniques for engines, railroad cars, and structures. Focus
is on subtle weathering using mostly chalks and chalk-type
products such as —Doc O—Brien—s—, Bragdon Enterprises powders,
and colored artist chalks from craft stores. A PowerPoint
presentation, with pictures, will be used that was produced by
Mat Thompson, MMR to highlight weathering and aging on HO
scale models from the late 1940—s to early 1950—s. Emphasis is
on subtle weathering versus heavy weathering because the
prototype railroad (Central Vermont) I model maintained their
equipment in excellent condition. Models will also be on
display for members to review subsequent to the presentation.
A major objective of this effort is to encourage members to
participate in the NMRA Achievement Program and share their
experiences in building and weathering their models. View Clinic
Similar: Detailing
and Weathering the MER—s CNJ PS-1 Boxcar by Mike McNamara
—
Making a Realistic Logging Car from a
Plastic Flatcar by Raymond A. Long
Working Diaphragms — An Origami
Approach — Nigel Phillips
You will learn to make working
diaphragms from paper (and optionally from thin styrene sheet
and wire) that are useful for older locos and passenger cars.
While the result will not be "fine-scale" modeling, they will
pass the 3 foot standard (it looks OK from 3 feet) and the
cost of materials is minimal. Participants will design, cut,
and assemble working diaphrams for diesel loco consists and
passenger cars. The example used in the clinic is an early
Pullman passenger car in HO scale, but the technique is easily
adapted to other diaphragm designs and scales. Skills
required: If you can accurately cut, fold, and assemble (glue)
paper, you can make diaphragms.
View Clinic
^Top
Switch List Software — Marshall
Abrams

This clinic presents a
computer program model railroaders can use to generate freight
traffic on their own railroads. Computer generated switchlists use
tables of the cars on the layout, their type, and potential
delivery locations. The system generates moves of appropriate cars
to appropriate destinations, attempting to avoid repetitious
activity. The clinic describes how to use the RailOp program and
also addresses JMRI Operations.
View Clinic

Introduction to Model Railroad Operations — Marshall
Abrams
Model railroad operations simulates the movement of trains on a
railroad. Like any simulation, some details are emphasized and
other details are suppressed according to the objective of the
simulation. There are many choices to be made in establishing the
rules and procedures for a model railroad operations simulation.
This clinic provides a systematic survey described by Car
Forwarding and Traffic Control Systems. Car Forwarding can be
defined as is the purposeful movement of rail cars from one
location to another. Prototype car forwarding is determined by
customer needs. Model railroads simulate this part of the activity
to varying levels. Two methods are popular for arranging model
railroad freight: Car Card & Waybill, and Switch List.
Prototype Traffic Control is the purposeful movement of trains
from one location to another, as determined by customer needs,
physical constraints, and the desire for profitability. In the
model railroad simulation we typically schedule or sequence
trains. In rough order of increasing complexity, model traffic
control includes: Random — run anything, anytime; Sequential —
trains running in a specific order; and Timetable & Train
Order (TT&TO) — trains run by time (usually using a fast
clock) according to rules patterned after the prototype.
View Clinic

Oahu Sugar Company — Hawaiian Railroads — Nick
Kalis
Modeling in Fn3 the narrow gauge Oahu Sugar Company as it appeared
and operated in 1944 under wartime conditions. This layout
demonstrates how the techniques of European exhibition layouts can
be applied to an American semi- permanent layout. Two themes will
be evident - sugar cane operations and WWII as it effects the home
front.
Benjamin F. Dillingham founded the Oahu Sugar Company (OSC) on 20
acres of land leased from James Campbell in the vicinity of
Waipahu. In 1897 its first locomotive arrives and in 1899 the
first harvest of sugar cane is accomplished. Additional
locomotives follow. The plantation grows to over 12,000 acres of
leased land. By 1939 the railroad reached sixty miles of
three-foot gauge track plus an unspecified amount of portable
track on which 939 plantation cars (860 four- ton cane cars, fifty
flat cars, and 29 other cars) operated. The presentation includes
extensive use of photographs.
View Clinic

Modifying RTR Turnouts and Making Your Own From Scratch — Nigel Phillips
The aims of this clinic are 2-fold: Modifying RTR turnouts to make
them DCC friendly and looking more like the prototype; and
constructing turnouts from scratch to fit your layout (and not the
other way around) when what you want is not available as an RTR
item in the code rail that you use. Many RTR turnouts come as
power routed designs, and depend for electrical continuity through
the frog on a physical contact between the point blade and the
stock rail. Simple wiring modifications and frog isolation will
make them DCC ready. Some of the examples covered will be
converting old power-routed Shinohara turnouts to 100% DCC
compatibility, changing those pressed point blades in Peco
turnouts to solid rails, and making a left- or right- hand
crossover from two regular left- or right-hand turnouts.
Constructing your own turnouts is not complicated, and is very
cost effective with some simple homemade jigs for the frogs and
point blades or with (expensive) CNC-tooled jigs if you have large
numbers of turnouts to make. The clinic describes how to make
inexpensive turnouts using your own jigs and simple tools, how to
solder the frogs and rails to copper-clad ties, and how to wire
the turnout for DCC. Some of the examples covered will be a #6 wye
and a double 45—diamond crossing.
View Clinic

3D Printing Without A Printer — Gil
Fuchs
3D printing has made a major impact on Model Railroading, as it
has solved a long-time problem in the hobby of the viability of
small run productions. 3D printing allows the modeler to obtain
exactly the model he/she desires at the desired time, team up and
share projects with others working on similar designs or road
names, and/or print their products at home. Getting a one-off
unique item is not an issue, and if one spends the effort to
acquire some CAD skills, models can be designed using a computer
with free software, the only major cost being one's time. Several
approaches to 3D design and printing, currently available for
modelers, are presented and compared. Areas where 3D printing can
be successfully applied are reviewed with examples with references
to relevant resources to help get you started.
View Clinic

Prototype—Based Track Planning — Robert
W. Sprague
Railroad Prototype Modeling (RPM) is trying to replicate the
appearance and operations of real railroads as faithfully as
possible in miniature. Applying this philosophy to track
planning presents particular challenges, because few modelers have
enough space to reproduce prototype track layouts and distances in
scale and still maintain operating interest.
View Clinic
Visit Bob's Web
Site

Ships and Boats for the HO Waterfront —
Mat Thompson, MMR
The HO scale Oregon Coast Railroad has a major seaport and
several smaller dock and pier scenes. This clinic focus on
ships, boats and harbor buildings available and the reasons why
they may or may not be suitable for a specific location and
era.
View Clinic
Obtaining the Authorship Certificate — Martin
Briechiel, MMR
This clinic addresses part of working towards your Author
Certificate in the NMRA Achievement Program without any quaking
in fear with memories of those endless term papers or reports at
the office that tormented you in another time and place. This
category is really far less intimidating than you think and is
readily achievable while being a creative experience that
encompasses giving clinics, videotape, web pages, or the
traditional article publication format at a variety of levels.
The clinic goes through all of the requirements & rules,
discuss the "nuts & bolts" of "how to do it". Secondly, this
clinic includes Martin's experiences with personal hints and
tips for being a successful Model Railroad Author from an NMRA
clinician through to being an Associate Editor and
columnist.
View Clinic
Similar:
Demystifying
the AP Dispatcher Paperwork by Kurt Thompson, MMR
—
Filling in the Model Contest
Forms by Martin Brechbiel, MMR. There is
also a Special Interest report Earning Merit Awards that
discusses how to best score points in the NMRA achievement
program for modeling cars and structures.
View Report
Demystifying the AP Dispatcher Paperwork — Kurt
Thompson, MMR
Chesapeake Division's AP Director and MER President (2018-) goes
over the requirements and paperwork needed for a member to earn
this AP certificate. In a setting more of a seminar than a
clinic, Kurt presents the paperwork he submitted 25 years ago
when he earned his first AP certificate. If you are interested
in seeing through the "fog of the requirements" or just have
some questions about your own paperwork, this clinic is for you.
Remember that this certificate was easy enough that Kurt earned
his.
View Clinic

Downsizing to a Shelf Layout — Fred
Miller, MMR
Many model railroaders hesitate in building a layout because of
limited space. When Fred Miller moved to a high-rise condo he
was faced with either —arm-chair— model railroading, or
continuing his life-long hobby of building a model railroad.
This story is about how he designed and constructed a —shelf
layout— to meet that desire for building an operating railroad.
View Clinic

Estate Planning for Model Railroaders — Marshall
Abrams
This clinic is addressed to model railroaders who are
uninterested or unable to continue and want to dispose of their
model railroad assets. It also applies to the estate executor
who doesn—t know much about our hobby and who has many other
things on his or her mind at the time. Topics include:
priorities, inventory & value, high value items, written
instructions, planning for layout disposition, selling,
scenarios, fees, scenarios, references, professional services,
and using eBay.
View Clinic
There is also a Special Interest Report.
View Report
History of Model Railroad Control Systems — John
Glaab & Gil Fuchs
The clinic is a review of technologies, systems and methods
developed as part of the evolution of model railroading, to
support the fundamental need to run trains sharing the
same layout and track — from the late 1800s to recent years.
The first part of the clinic covers early attempts to provide
multiple train control, analog systems and the shift from
central panels to walkaround train control. The second part
covers digital systems and standards, ending with a call to
action for members — to promote standardization for the
benefit of the hobby.
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Insurance for Your Model Railroad — Marshall
Abrams
Most model railroaders never think about insurance. This clinic
will help you to determine whether your homeowners— insurance
sufficiently covers your model railroad. A decision will require
some data gathering and decisions on your part: These questions
will be addressed:
- What coverage does your homeowners' policy provide?
- What are all the components (e.g., motive power, rolling
stock, structures, scenery, benchwork, scenery, structures,
wiring, track, power and control electronics), of the
railroad worth?
- What is your subjective assessment of the risk?
- Are you going to include repair labor in the insurance?
Custom builders are expensive and unlikely to be willing to
do repair work on site. . View Clinic
There is also a Special Interest Report. View Report

Introduction to C/MRI — Jay
Beckham
This clinic is an introduction to Computer/Model Railroad
Interface. Some of the content is provided by Dr. Bruce Chubb.
It will cover some fundamental electronic and electrical
information as it relates to C/MRI. Also, it will cover the
basic parts that are used to provide signaling and the operation
of a CTC system. It will also cover some alternative circuits
that relate to C/MRI. It will not cover JMRI or LCC.
View Clinic
Introduction to Micro-Controllers — Terry
Terrance

Ever wonder what a
microcontroller is? Ever wonder what it can do for your model
railroading endeavors? This clinic will describe what a
microcontroller is, how it works and what it can do for you.
After a survey of some available microcontrollers, we'll
transition to focus on the Arduino, the grandad of
experimenter's microcontrollers. The Arduino's hardware and
software will be described.
View Clinic

Layout Background Sound — Fred
Miller, MMR
Adding background sounds is a way to enhance the
"multi-dimensional" effect on your layout. Industry, city, or
country sounds broaden the viewing and operating experience.
There are a number of commercial "sound boards" offering
pre-recorded or recordable capabilities with prices ranging from
$10 to $100 and varying quality of the recorded sound and
playing time. This clinic explores available options including
easy construction alternatives.
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Modeling Urban Scenes — Brian
W. Sheron, MMR
Brian's HO scale Long Island Rail Road primarily models many
urban and suburban scenes found on Long Island, including
Brooklyn, Queens, and Penn Station in Manhattan, and the town of
Huntington further out in Suffolk County. His clinic focuses on
how to plan an urban scene for your layout, identifying the key
elements that make up urban scenes, and then explaining what the
key modeling components are for each element, and how they all
can be combined to produce realistic scale model urban scenes.
Brian discusses how to create realistic backdrops for urban
scenes. He also discusses using techniques such as —cutaways— to
model underground stations, and also modeling overhead subways,
or —Els—. His clinic presentation contains many photos that
illustrate the techniques described.
View Clinic
Molding and Casting in Hydrocal and Resin — Jay
Beckham

This clinic covers the basics of
producing one-part rubber (RTV) molds from scratch built or
other masters. It also covers making castings from the molds
using two- part resin and plaster. The master is a HO Scale item
useful to most model railroaders.
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Multi-Function Animation DCC Decoder — Fred
Miller, MMR
This clinic is about a custom designed inexpensive decoder
developed to operate lights, sounds, and motion for animating
buildings on a layout. This decoder operates from DCC track
power and accepts DCC commands to initiate the animations. The
construction and details of the decoder are presented along with
several animated demonstration buildings operated from both a
LocoNet time-of-day Scheduler and a standard throttle.
View Clinic
Vinegar, Pickles and Railroads ... Oh My! — Rod
Vance, MMR
This clinic talks about modeling the pickle and vinegar
industries during the time period from the late 1800s to the
early 1970s. We'll talk about how pickles and vinegar were made
and processed, including looking at the typical structures and
facilities used in their production. We'll also talk about the
special railroad cars used to transport pickles and vinegar.
We'll finish by surveying some of the structures and freight car
models commercially available in our hobby that can be used to
represent the pickle and vinegar industries.
View Clinic
Visual Aids and Wiring Techniques — Pete
LaGuardia
Pete demonstrates wiring techniques used to control turnouts,
double-slip turnouts with LED, and controlling tortoises from
multiple locations. Along with visual aids used to assist
operators both doing visits or operating sessions. These
techniques and wiring aids have been featured in model railroad
over the years.
View Clinic

Working With A Professional Layout Designer — Fred
Scheer
Fred walks you through a bit of history, then choosing to use, and
picking, a layout design pro. He explains how things go, from
pre-planning to a completed design. Fred addresses time, cost, and
the re- design issue; and mentions a couple of surprises along the
way. You'll get a quick look at Fred's railroad and hear about the
inevitable "What-I'd-Do-Differently" list. And, there's a short
list of some resources now available to the design-challenged that
weren't around 10 years ago. .
View Clinic
Focus Stacking — Norm Reid &
Jeff Fleisher

Every model railroad
photographer faces the same problem: how to get the locomotive and
caboose both in sharp focus. While traditional film techniques can
help, one of the best methods now possible with digital technology
is focus stacking.
Focus stacking involves making a sequence of photos at varying
focal points, then "stacking" them to create combined images that
are sharp throughout. The clinic will present two methods for
creating stacks and demonstrate the hardware and software needed
to produce stacked images. Examples are presented.
View Clinic
Fantasy Meets Reality — Alex
Belida

In this clinic Alex explains how
he enhanced the experience of building his fictional Eureka and
South Pass RR by writing his own history for the railroad and by
creating articles portraying events in its turn-of-the-century
Nevada locale. Then he discusses how he discovered there is a
real life prototype for his operation and how that is shaping
his future plans.
View Clinic
Having Fun with Operations — Mat
Thompson, MMR

Operations is a fun way to
increase your enjoyment of model railroading but in the
beginning it can seem intimidating. This clinic focuses on
helping you understand what happens during an operating session
to help you get over the new-guy confusion. Mat starts with easy
things you can do beforehand and then discusses the operating
jobs you can expect and how to do them.He'll cover the few rules
you actually need to know and suggest a few things you might
want to bring. He'll even talk about the no-no's — things not to
do if you ever want to be invited back!
View Clinic
Railfanning — Dave Arday

This clinic has two parts. The
didactic first part covers
- The relationship between model railroading and
railfanning,
- Safety issues,
- Types of railfanning, and
- Railfanning information sources.
The remainder and majority of the clinic consists of slide shows
from several railfanning trips, including the Cumbres &
Toltec, Western Maryland Scenic, the Tehachapi Loop, White Pass
& Yukon Route, and the Canton RR, with a little bit of
background information on each.
View Clinic
Building a Turntable — Nigel
Phillips

Lazy Susan, M12 and the
Gear-head. No, not a pulp fiction novel, but how to build a
small turntable using readily available components at a fraction
of the cost of a proprietary kit or a RTR one. The first build
Nigel describes is an On30 "gallows" DCC turntable, 7.5" in
diameter, built using a 2" square Lazy Susan bearing, an M12
(12mm diameter) bolt, and a gear-head 12v DC motor that is rated
at 2 rpm at 12v, and even slower if desired. Electrical wiring
is probably the most challenging part, as 2 separate circuits
are usually required, one for the motor (DC), and one for the
track (DCC). Some extra items such as a pulse-width speed
controller, and a track polarity reverser, are covered (the
bells and whistles). The second build Nigel will describe is a
wood platform turn-table using a 6" diameter Lazy Susan bearing,
again in On30. He uses the same approach but different in
detail. Some of the issues in polarity reversal, track power
wiring and indexing are reviewed. The basic components come to
about $25, adding the bells and whistles is about an-other
$50.
View Clinic

Design Enhancements — Nick
Kalis
This clinic applies artistic concepts to improving the story our
layouts tell. Topics covered are: 1) Four steps in design (pick
the story, design your scenes, select your scale, design as you
build); 2) Design Basics; 3) Seven Principles of Design. .
View Clinic
Building the Building for Building
the Layout — Jerry Stanley

Jerry knows
that building an actual building just for the layout takes a
level of expertise beyond most modeler’s ability. He addresses
the process to select a building site, what type of building to
build on different terrains, the basic requirements to provide a
set of plans for a building permit, and “things to consider”
when designing your hobby room building to get these things done
correctly.
View Clinic
There is also an article.
View Article
Static grass seem daunting, but
it's not that hard to get good results with the right
materials and a little practice. In this clinic held at the
Hobby Barn on January 30, 2021, Todd Hermann shared some of
his techniques that he uses to achieve the look he wants to
achieve on his layout. View Clinic
Modeling in 2 Rail O (1/48)
Scale — John Sethian

Much this
presentation pertaines to how accessible O scale is,
dispelling myths about O scale being too expensive, requiring
too much room, and that the layouts are “plywood central”
without scenery. The larger size gives the feel of heavy
moving machinery, and fine details can be added and seen
without heroics. Most equipment is readily available. The
clinic includes sources, suppliers, and techniques. You may
come away with a changed outlook on O scale!
View Clinic
Modeling the B&O West End
— Terry Terrance

Terry Terrance's
M∓K Junction Model Railroad (O Scale) is part of the “double
humped” B&O crossing of the Allegheny mountains. The
grade on Briery Mountain (Cranberry Grade), the crossing of
the Cheat River at Rowlesburg, WV and the grade up Laurel
Mountain (Cheat River Grade), is depicted in condensed form
on this layout. Rowlesburg was a helper station as trains
needed to be pushed up the grades in both directions out of
Rowlesburg. The track is designed to create the feel of the
prototype with heavy grades and very little tangent
(straight) track and to be scenically sincere, that is,
trains pass through a scene only once. There is quite a lot
of information in the clinic and related layout tour.
View Clinic
View Layout Tour
Modeling the Railroad of
the Civil War & more — Bernard
Kempinski

Bernie is a
freelance writer who has written dozens of magazine articles
and several books on model railroading. Bernie uses some of
the latest technology and techniques to build his 19th Century
Civil War O scale railroad, including laser cutting, photo
etching, 3D printing, spin casting, battery powered
locomotives, and a microprocessor controlled telegraph system.
His blog is a journal following the history, design,
construction and operation of his 1/48th - (O) Scale model
railroad depicting the U. S. Military Railroad (USMRR)
Aquia-Fredericksburg line in 1863, and other model railroad
projects. He is also the proprietor of Alkem Scale Models, a
cottage industry specializing in fine scale kits and detail
parts.
View
Blog*
View Video — How to Operate the Aquia Line
View
Video — The Port of Los Angeles HO Scale Layout Project
View
Video — WWI Battle of Cambrai View
Video — (more) Battle of Cambrai Visit
Alkem Scale Models* View
Book Review — Model Railroads Go To War
View
Book Review — Waterfront Terminals and Operations
*
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Clinic
Libraries
Electric Railway Modeling School
This schoolhouse is a repository for articles on electric
railway modeling (street cars) and for recording electric
railway prototype facts that can be used for modeling
purposes.
- Room 1: Catenary and Trolley Wire — Construction and
Operation
- Room 2: Track Construction & Operation
- Room 3: Electric Railway Vehicle Painting &
Lettering
- Room 4: Electric Railway Vehicle Couplers
- Room 5: Repowering and Rewiring
- Room 6: Modeling Tips
- Room 7: Traction Models

Australasian Region Clinics
Australasian Region of the National Model Railroad
Association (NMRA) covers Australia, New Zealand and some
Pacific Islands. The purposes of the Region are to promote,
stimulate, foster, and encourage by all manner and means the
art and craft of model railroading and the preservation of
the hobby's history, science, and technology.

Pacific Coast Region Clinics
Here are links to clinic handouts and presentations given
at PCR and Division events. Not all clinics from the event
will be listed. Only the presentations and handouts
provided by the clinician will appear here.
Here are links to clinics,
articles, photos, and reference materials on model
railroad related topics.
Last modified: May 15 2022 16:57:22.