By far, the one railroad element we interact with most must be grade crossings. Doesn't matter if we're the most devoted prototype railfan or if we're only vaguely aware that flanged-wheel transportation exists somewhere in the world. At some point, we all stopped behind a gate, a flasher, or crossbuck and waited for a train … Continue reading Crossing Protection
Author: James McNab
Freight Cars and the Art of Chess
I don't know how to play chess. To be fair, I've never really tried. I knew guys in high school and college who did; one was even ranked among players in the state. But my knowledge of gambits and grandmasters doesn't extend beyond being able to name the pieces and a vague understanding of how … Continue reading Freight Cars and the Art of Chess
Over The River
“The easiest way to leave this world without leaving this world is to stand in the middle of a bridge and watch the surroundings” -Mehmet Murat ildan- As much as I hate to have to do something I've already done over again, my second attempt at modeling the lattice-truss bridge over the Iowa River on … Continue reading Over The River
Do Over, Part Two
Despite a tendency to "break every bone in its body" when attempting to build something for The Hills Line, even I occasionally have moments of mild success in constructing something from scratch. For the lattice-truss bridge over the Iowa River I have the advantage of having done it once before. I left the deck in … Continue reading Do Over, Part Two

