A Manually Dispatched Model Railroad - Visiting the Keystone Midland Railroad Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-15 | Located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, the Keystone Model Railroad Historical Society is a multifaceted group which has constructed a model railroad in a former substation for a long defunct interurban and trolley line. Their layout, the Keystone Midland Railroad, occupies a 20x50 foot space inside the old substation. The layout was built with operations in mind, meaning it's intended to be run to the same rules and regulations as a full size railroad and to function in miniature like a real railroad. As part of this, the club built a replica Centralized Train Control (CTC) signal and dispatcher's panel on an upper floor overlooking the club's space. This CTC machine is 100% functional, controlling signals and switches on the layout.This video was taken during an open house at the club in early December of 2025.For more information about the Keystone Model Railroad Historical Society, and for dates and times of open houses where you too can vist, see thier website:keystonemidland.org
How Touching… Lighting Control methods on Model Passenger Cars Jimmy Lambert 2026-04-06 | While running a new Broadway Limited Imports car, I noticed lights turning on and off in ways that didn't make sense, until I actually bothered to read the manual...Touch activated lights? What will they think of next. This got me thinking however... What will the model train manufacturers come up with next? Or better yet... What methods have they already come up with for lighting control? In this video we'll look at 3 methods model makers have come up with for turning lighting options on and off. We'll look at some advantages and disadvantages of each.Models featured: BLI Heavyweight Business ObservationRapido Trains Super Continental SleeperBachmann Amtrak Venture Coach
Tea & Moonshine Short - First of April #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-04-01 | Down South in North Carolina, Sketty Hall comes into the yard on the first day of April, but can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Aerodynamics in Steam Locomotives - Shaping the Wind in HO Scale Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-30 | Of all man's traveling inventions, few would seem to be less aerodynamic than a steam locomotive... Yet it was the steam locomotive that accelerated humanity to the speeds where aerodynamics really began to come into play.In this video, we will take a look at 3 model steam locomotives and devices or design elements they had to control or smooth out airflow, be they smoke deflectors or streamlining.Featured Models:Rapido Trains CPR H1a HudsonBroadway Limited Imports Paragon 1 N&W J ClassBLI Paragon 3 Pennsylvania Railroad T1.Filmed on the club layout of the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders - www.nvmr.org
Tea & Moonshine Short - Rule G #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-25 | Down South in North Carolina, The L1 finds a beer wagon, and is reminded about the rules of operating while intoxicated, but decides to find out personally...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Rapidos 20th Anniversary Super Continental Passenger Cars Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-23 | In 2004, a fledgling model train company emerged in Canada, and quickly brought forth many remarkable products. One of these were the 'Super Continental' passenger cars. Now, 20 years later, Rapido has brought the cars out again, with 2 specially painted cars to celebrate this particular milepost for their company.In this video, we will take a look at both of Rapido Trains' 20th Anniversary Super Continental Sleeping cars, the Edmunston and the Northern Spirit, as well as a brief look at a coach in Canadian Pacific, all in HO scale.Filmed jointly at the Bunker Hill Train Club and Northern Virginia Model Railroaders.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Christie Calamity #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-18 | Down South in North Carolina, The J50 has found a new affinity for a classic author, but seems to have misunderstood the title of one of her best known books...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Case File: The Challengers Fall - Model Railroad Incident Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-16 | When someone pushes the limits of what a model railroad club layout can handle, things will work until they don't. In this first episode of CASE FILE, we will look at the true story of a Broadway Limited Imports Brass Hybrid Early Challenger locomotive that was pushed a little too far in an unfortunate location.CASE FILE is a potential series of videos I am looking at where I re-tell true stories from the hobby world with the names changed. Much like the classic crime show Dragnet, my hope for Case File to to be a look into the real goings on in the hobby world, with a few lessons in between, re-told in a Noire Narrative style. This episode features the story of a model train that met an unfortunate end.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Emergency Shay #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-14 | Down South in North Carolina, an ALCo diesel makes off with the wrong freight cars. The Southern Railway has a way of dealing with that...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Mine #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-11 | Down South in North Carolina, The 44 tonner follows up on a lead that takes him to the trolley line, and finds his red paint attracts some misunderstood attention...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
That Simply Isnt Quite Right (Alternate Railroad History - Part 5) Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-09 | What if a regional northern Nevada railroad called the Truckee and Wells got a K4 from the Pennsylvania Railroad? What if Amtrak failed and the freight railroads had to come up with their own passenger service, digging into legacy names? What if a museum asked Chessie System to move half a Baldwin Centipede diesel?Model Railroading is an incredibly adaptable hobby, and the story behind your model railroad can be as prototypical or outlandish as you darn well please. Today we're looking at some 'what-ifs' in model train form, HO scale specifically..Some of the locomotives featured in this video include:A custom painted Bachmann K4 in Truckee and Wells paint.ScaleTrains and Bachmann Heritage unitsA shell from a BLI parts box that was adapted for rail use in an... interesting way.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Double Trouble #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-04 | Down South in North Carolina, The Ivatt knows when some stars (or in this case, locomotives) align, the day is already a write-off...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
The Complete Executive Models Collection - Rapido Trains HO Scale Jimmy Lambert 2026-03-02 | Over the past couple of years, Rapido Trains has released several models of locomotives and passenger cars used by the Canadian Pacific Railway for Executive trains, the Royal Canadian Pacific luxury train, and heritage operations.In this video, we will take a look at Rapido's complete Executive Models collection; The Empress - H1b 4-6-4 #2816, Two coaches from the Super Continental range of models, the 3/4 Dome car, and the Sleeping car H.B. Bowen.We'll see these fine model trains strutting their stuff on the Western North Carolina Railroad, club layout of the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Iron Horse Hockey #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-28 | Down South in North Carolina, Chadson hears about the American Ice Hockey victory and decides to have a word with the Canadians about it, but he may have forgotten about Canadians' prowess at the sport of Curling...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Clashburg #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-25 | Down South in North Carolina, The Dean Goods is made aware by the J50 of a rolling fashion disaster area, and intervenes...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Staging the Model Train Crashes (Tea & Moonshine Behind the Scenes) Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-23 | While I wanted to minimize crashes in Tea & Moonshine, there were still a few. With everything filmed using physical models, I had to get a little creative to get crash and derailment sequences on camera without breaking or damaging things. In this behind-the-scenes video I will go back to the original raw clips and walk you through exactly how I filmed several of these sequences.Tea & Moonshine was a 24 part comedy serial filmed using OO and HO scale model trains on several layouts in the mid-Atlantic region.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Gee Cord #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-18 | Down South in North Carolina, the K4 has a plan to wake the GG1 up and figure out what is going on...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
14 More Model Train Layouts from the Timonium Train Show (February 2026) Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-16 | As the three annual train shows in Timonium go, the first is usually held early in the winter months of the year. The first show of the year was held on January 31st and February 1st on the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. A snow storm the previous weekend put a slight crimp on the show, but there were still many layouts and displays at the first Great Model Train and Railroad Collectible Shows of the year. I had hoped to make both days, but weather related problems saw me only attending on Sunday afternoon, February 1st.For more information about the shows, visit:gsmts.comLayouts and Groups Featured:00:15 - Baltimore Society of Model Engineers (2 Rail O Scale)01:32 - L Gauge Modular System (Lego Trains)02:40 - Chesapeake Division of the NMRA (HO Scale Switching Layout)02:57 - Maryland T-Trak (N Scale T-Trak Modules)05:00 - Touch Toggles Micro Layouts (ON30 and N Scale)05:26 - High Speed Model Trains (HO Scale)06:52 - Harford Association for Railroad Modeling (N Scale T-Trak Modules)08:32 - Meade Area Railroad Society (MARRS - HO Scale Modular)13:04 - Western Maryland Historical Society/Harford County Modular Railroad (HO Scale Modular) 14:36 - Baltimore Area N-Trak (Free-Mo N Scale)15:20 - Circus Modelers (Various Scales)15:55 - DC Area Independent Hi-Railers (3 Rail O Scale/O Gauge)16:48 - Capitol Free-Mo (HO Scale Free-Mo Modular)17:42 - Prince William Model Railroad Crew (HO Scale Modular)
Tea & Moonshine Short - Valentines Day #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-14 | Down South in North Carolina, Smokey Joe learns about Valentines Day, and gives it a try...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Low Road to Paradise #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-11 | Down South in North Carolina, the 44 tonner has lost sight of the J50, but expects he'll turn up...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Criss-Crossed Crazies #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-04 | Down South in North Carolina, The Ivatt Mogul finds herself in the middle of a familiar situation...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
U50s, Berkshires, and More - Scale Trains Product Samples at Timonium (February 2026) Jimmy Lambert 2026-02-02 | Among the many vendors and dealers at the Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonium Maryland in early 2026 was Scale Trains. They brought a number of samples of models they are currently taking pre-orders for, among other things. I stopped by their booth briefly and recorded some of these models. My aim with this quick video is to provide a little more material for someone considering a purchase.Seen in this video:Fox Valley BerkshireFox Valley HeavyweightsMuseum Quality U50CWabtec CMAC44/AC44CMAs well as a variety of HO scale and N scale models.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Dodge-Burg #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-31 | Down South in North Carolina, the 44 tonner sees what looks like the thief he seeks, and follows him into the yard...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Switch-A-Roo #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-28 | The Yard Goat is working to sort the yard, but has a slight problem...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Friend #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-24 | Down South in North Carolina, The J50 is stealing another freight car from the yard, but this time it's for a 'friend'...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
5 Model Train Displays in a Restored Station - Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum - January 2026 Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-21 | Just outside Sharpsburg, Maryland, one finds the former N&W Antietam station. The station is today the home of a model railroad organization that dates back to 1937 as the Hagerstown Model Engineering Society. The Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum maintains and operates several displays and layouts inside the station.Filmed during one of the January 2026 open houses, this video takes a look at 5 model train displays the club and its members were operating.After a brief history of the organization, we look at an N scale layout donated to the club a few years ago. Next we look at a small N scale winter scene. Following that we look at a combined S gauge and O gauge layout. We cap it off with an exhaustive look at the club's primary O gauge and HO scale layouts.For more information about the Hagerstown Model Railroad Museum, visit their website: antietamstation.comI released this video a little off my usual schedule so that it would be available for viewing before the Museum's last scheduled open house for the time being. (UPDATE: this open house was canceled due to snow). Yes I know I said I would be on hiatus, but this is a slight exception.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:29 - Donated N Scale Layout02:28 - Member's Winter N Scale Layout02:55 - O Gauge/S Gauge (Lionel & American Flyer) Layout05:03 - Marklin Loop05:10 - Large O Gauge Layout (Potomac Valley)06:29 - O Gauge Animations08:09 - Dark Side of the O Gauge08:46 - HO Scale Layout (Maryland Central)14:30 - Full Scale Railroad Items on Display & Conclusion
Tea & Moonshine Short - Disoriented Express #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-21 | Down South in North Carolina, Sheriff Panko is keeping an eye on things in Asheville, but unusual visitors have a way of popping up...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Gee Whiz #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-17 | Down South in North Carolina, The Yard Goat ends up between a rock and a hard place, but someone with a special touch may be able to sort it out...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Wheres Waldo? #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-14 | Down South in North Carolina, The J50 is asking if anyone has seen a friend of his...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.Thanks to George Davidson for some of the models used in this short.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Strasburgled #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-10 | Down South in North Carolina, a visitor from Pennsylvania comes calling looking for a crazy green tank engine...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Wall-Gee #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-07 | Down South in North Carolina, Smokey Joe tries his hand at organizing the yard, only to find a minor obstacle...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Layouts from The Last Train Show at the Dulles Expo Center Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-05 | Growing up, I always looked forward tot he next time I could attend a train show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. It was announced recently though, that the center was closing and would be replaced by an Ikea. The Greenberg train show preceding Christmas 2025 would be the final train show at the venue. There were two model groups with displays at the show, the Piedmont Railroaders and Northern Virginia N-Trak. We will take a look at both displays. Piedmont had an HO scale modular layout, Northern Virginia N-Trak brought its namesake modular layout.Train shows at the Dulles Expo Center have been a part of my involvement in the hobby since I was in elementary school. With that in mind, I knew I had to attend the last one. I may not have been there for the first one, but I was there for the last one.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Showoff #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2026-01-03 | Mallard is getting ready to take a northbound passenger train, but someone else is lining up at the station as well...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Happy New Year! #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-31 | Down South in North Carolina, The Ivatt Mogul is preparing for a New Years gathering, and so is the J50...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
10 Models of Trains from my Childhood Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-29 | I've heard it said many times that model railroads often model their childhood in some form. The more I think about it, the more I realize I too do this in a number of ways. In this video I take a look at 10 models from my collection of HO scale trains and talk briefly about their connection to my past.This video is a little different than others I have done, and is certainly more personal. All the same I do hope you still enjoy it.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Quick Service #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-27 | The L1 is getting ready to take the local passenger service to Ye Olde Fortress, but someone may have jumped the gun on that..Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Santa Fe Claus #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-24 | Down South upon a North Carolina Christmas Eve, Chadson awaits the arrival of a special visitor, but it's not who the British engines are expecting...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
That Never Was Quite Right (Alternate Railroad History - Part 4) Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-22 | What if the Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac bought some of the ex-D&RGW Challengers? What if a New York Central Hudson was slated for preservation by the Smithsonian but poor decisions were made in sending it to Washington? What if a Silicon Valley tech start up tried to replace locomotives with artillery? We'll take a look at what it might have looked like in HO scale.Model Railroading is an incredibly adaptable hobby, and the story behind your model railroad can be as prototypical or outlandish as you darn well please. Today we're looking at some 'what-ifs' in model train form.Some of the locomotives featured in this video include:A Broadway Limited Imports Challenger custom painted in RF&P paint.A Bachmann NYC Hudson
Tea & Moonshine Short - Bye-Bye #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-20 | The J50 again has Talyllyn on a wagon, and storms into Spencer with some sort of mission in mind...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - The Molar Express? #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-17 | Down South in North Carolina, seasonal train rides for the Christmas season are winding up, but so are the creative ways of getting around that one movie title everybody knows...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Oh Geez... #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-13 | Down South in North Carolina, The J50 describes a strange visitor that just seems to have appeared out of thin air...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Banana #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-10 | The 56xx goes to pick up a load from the lumber mill, but finds something very different.Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Canadian Classic - The Rapido Trains True North FPA-4 Diesel in HO Scale Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-08 | Rapido Trains has made a special effort in filling the gaps in the Canadian model train market, and one of the bigger gaps was the MLW FPA-4 diesel locomotive. Built in the late 50s for Canadian National, these engines were built to CN's specifications, and lasted into the 1990s in regular service before making even more of a name for themselves in preservation. In this video, we will take a look at Rapido's 'True North' FPA-4 diesel locomotives that were first shipped around 2015.Filmed on the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders club layout.www.nvmr.org
Tea & Moonshine Short - Citation #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-06 | Down South in North Carolina, Sheriff Panko has set of a speed trap, but will he snag the right speeder?Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Baked Biscuit #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-03 | The J50 has found a place to put Talyllyn for the moment, but it has some unintended consequences.Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.
Yes, I really sent this... Open Request Email to Rapido Trains (CN 3254) Jimmy Lambert 2025-12-01 | Rapido Trains has a well known sense of humor in their instruction manuals and advertising. I had a few thoughts on a product suggestion for them, so I thought I would try to speak their language... Even if I am still learning written and spoken Canadian...Yes, this is me reading aloud the text of an actual email I sent to Rapido Trains.I don't think I am alone in thinking that an HO scale model of the CN S1b (specifically 3254) would be a must have. What do you think?
Roster Snapshots: The Texas Type - T&P 610 Jimmy Lambert 2025-11-29 | Unique in many ways, this large 'Texas type' steam locomotive has quite a history behind her. From a park display to the American Freedom Train to the Southern Steam Program, this locomotive has been around. Her size and bulk however, does quite fit the name of her wheel arrangement.In this Roster Snapshot, we take a quick look at the history of Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 #610.
Tea & Moonshine Short - Happy Thanksgiving! #TeaAndMoonshine #modeltrains #comedy Jimmy Lambert 2025-11-26 | Down South in North Carolina, some of the English residents are trying to get an understanding of the American Thanksgiving Holiday...Tea & Moonshine Shorts are bite size slices of life from the insane world of the main series.Master of the Feast by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400019Artist: http://incompetech.com
Trailer Failure - The Story of the ‘Front Runner’ Flat Cars in HO scale Jimmy Lambert 2025-11-24 | Trailer Train, today TTX, is the backbone of American intermodal railroad equipment. Few Trailers, Containers, or Automobiles travel on American rails without traveling on TTX rail cars. However, even the best make a mistake now and then. In the 1980s Trailer Train brought out a new, smaller spine car for hauling trailers. It was called a Front Runner, and it promised more efficient shipping of single trailers by reducing the weight of the car needed. On paper it looked great. Out on the road though, the 12 ton freight cars had some challenges...In this video we take a look at the life and times of the Front Runner spine car.Filmed on the Western North Carolina Railroad, club layout of the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders of Vienna VA. www.nvmr.org
Roster Snapshots: The Jersey Switcher - CNJ 113 Jimmy Lambert 2025-11-22 | Preserved almost by accident and purchased by a father-son duo, this bulky 0-6-0 has defied practically all the odds to run again on the Reading & Northern railroad. In this Roster Snapshot, we take a quick look at the history of Central Railroad of New Jersey 0-6-0 #113.For more information on Railway Restoration Project 113, visit www.rrproject113.org
