Kalmbach Model Railroader 

January 2021 

Modeling forbidden spaces 

by Dave Abeles 

Dave Abeles shares some of the "forbidden spaces" on his layout, and how to model and photograph them. Building a layout gives you access to places you may not be able to visit in real life. 

Add real rocks to your scenery 

by Lou Sassi 

Model Railroader contributing editor Lou Sassi shares his techniques for adding real rocks to your layout's scenery. Nothing looks more like the real thing than the real thing, when it comes to rocks! 

track, ballast, and soil - Using grout to model soil 

by Lance Mindheim 

Lance Mindheim shows you how to use tile grout to create earth textures on your model railroad. This material is inexpensive and readily available in a broad range of earth tones. 

Two Tortoise motor switches 

The care and feeding of Tortoises 

by Gerry Albers 

Some installation and repair tips can keep these switch motors thriving under your layout. 

Into canyon country 

by Bob McLaughlin 

How the Florida Scale Rails club extended its HO scale Denver & Rio Grande layout. 

Creating better layout photos 

by Brooks Stover 

Frequent contributor Brooks Stover offers suggestions for improving your photographs of your model railroad. 

Installing fiber optic lighting 

by Paul Jack McCarty 

This wiring-free solution allows you to add illuminated scenes to your layout without any soldering.