Watch Episodes of The Hills Line with James McNab
Trains.com Video
Purchase the first season on DVD
Trains.com Store
Confession time. As long as I've been involved in model railroading, I've never used static grass. That's not entirely true. For many years I've used the Farm Pasture Blend from Scenic Express as my base scenery layer, both on the IAIS Grimes Line and now on The Hills Line. To my eye, the blend does … Continue reading In The Weeds
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
Real railroads are disgusting. They're covered with dirt and grime and sludge and oil and waste. Modeling them effectively therefore requires an appropriate amount of dirt and grime and sludge and oil and waste. That's easily done with weathering methods on locomotives, rolling stock, and even buildings. But the crud should also extend to other … Continue reading Every Litter Bit Helps
Continuing my trend for blatant self promotion on this site, the past few weeks have been a very good time for me... promotionally speaking. First, the 2022 edition of Model Railroad Planning is now available on newsstands, in fine hobby shops, and online at the Kalmbach Hobby Store. My article, Demolition to Discovery, details the … Continue reading Meet The Modeler
The Hills Line 