MAY 2025: We kick off our coverage of layouts that will be part of the 2025 NMRA National Convention in Novi, Mich., this summer. This month, we visit Gregory Rich’s beautifully detailed HO scale New Baltimore & Fair Haven, set in 1920s Michigan. Clark Propst shows us how he detailed, pained, and weathered some mid-century wooden boxcars, while Trevor Marshall demonstrates techniques for assembling a brass locomotive kit. All this and more in the May issue of Railroad Model Craftsman!

This Month

May 2025

Vol. 94/No. 5


Features:

New Baltimore & Fair Haven

by GREGORY RICH, MMR — We visit a beautiful freelanced HO scale layout set in the late 1920s.

Gunderson SP&S 50’ Boxcars

by JAMES KINKAID — Built for Spokane, Portland & Seattle, these cars served into the BNSF era.

NS&T 17: Build an Electric Loco in Brass

by TREVOR MARSHALL — Using “old school” methods like resistance soldering to assemble a brass model.

Detail and Weather Single-Sheathed Boxcars

by CLARK PROPST —These mid-century wood-bodied freight cars could be found from coast to coast.

Kitbash from Harriman to Basalt

by ROBERT SCHLEICHER  — This kit can be easily modified for many common station prototypes in HO.

Easy-to-Build Harbor Pilings

by JOSEPH KREISS — Make realistic details for your harbor scenes in an evening or two.


Departments

Safety Valve – Letters from our readers

Receiving Yard – Product and industry news compiled by Harry K. Wong

Test Track – Product Reviews

Railbooks – Book news and reviews

Craftsman Timetable – Scheduled events and notices

Perspective

Craftsman Workshop

Collector Consist

Painting & Weathering

Company Photographer

The Layout Doctor

Diverging Points – Opinion by Jason Shron

Editor’s Notebook- Commentary by Otto M. Vondrak


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