The NMRA's Turntable is a monthly publication that, like a railroad turntable, will lead you in several directions on the internet. 



This e-publication is a collection of railroad and model railroad videos, podcasts, websites, and/or other information freely available on the internet that we think may be of interest to you. The NMRA claims no ownership of this information, nor do we endorse its creators or their websites. The NMRA Turntable will not promote individuals or their for-profit ventures.

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An in depth and candid interview with Walthers President, Stacey Walthers Naffah.

Stacey talks about what it's like growing up in the family business, what it means to be a female boss in the model railway hobby, Walther's fantastic subscription service BUILD A WORLD, PLUS exciting new plans to take model railroads into senior living facilities.

A visit to the Detroit Model Railroad Club during one of their many open houses.

A tutorial on how to weather an HO scale freight car without an airbrush.

Boomer considers scratchbuilding to be somewhat of an art form and not just a scientific technical exercise. Why? Because not one build is ever the same and like art you have to solve problems you encounter all the time as each one is unique and requires a different approach to solve.

Oftentimes there is no simple solution, but rather, spontaneous creative thinking to solve the problem. The problems you must overcome are unique and eminently rewarding. Therefore, every model is worth the effort in the end if you finish it.

In this video scenery construction has started and a new product is used for river rocks. Also shown is a newly decaled locomotive and a woodchip hopper car. This layout is coming to life!

Railroad timetables are chock full of information most folks would never think about. But railroaders, particularly trainmen, have to know, or at least have instant access to it. This video will explain the pertinent information in a Union Pacific Timetable.

Having built three 3D printed locos for this OO9* narrow gauge layout Chalkdon, Woody looks at some of the other things available and gives some idea of costs. He gets most from 3D Printing For Charity that attends many of the shows in the Lincolnshire and East Midlands area (usual disclaimer of just being a very satisfied customer). All profits are donated to the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance which is a great cause to support. You may be surprised at just what is available and at a very reasonable cost.

[ *OO9 is 4mm to the foot scale (that is OO or 1/76) but using 9mm track gauge (the same size as N gauge). This is narrow gauge modeling and is meant to represent 2ft gauge in real life. The name comes from OO scale and 9mm track. It is a very similar scale to HOe (HOn30) which is HO narrow gauge, so 1/87 scale on 9mm track.]

Use modular structure elements to create any size custom structure for your model railroad or other display. Steve's Trains used Woodland Scenics/DPM kits for these, but other manufactures like ITLA offer similar modular structure elements you can assemble in custom arrangements. Both make modular wall panels in N, HO, and O scales.

A visit to the Lake County Model Railroad Club in Wauconda, IL for their open house.

Take a tour of the outside where you can see real trains going by and the inside seeing their 6,000 sq ft HO scale layout!

Does a Caboose Make Noise? - Unboxing and Product Review of Athearn's HO Scale UP CA-10 Caboose!

Union Pacific’s CA-10 cabooses were built in 1975 by International Car in Kenton, Ohio. There was a total of 50 cars in this class numbered from 25700 to 25749. These were steel cabooses similar in overall appearance to previous UP steel cupola CA-8 & CA-9 caboose classes. The CA-10 cars rode on Buckeye outside swing hanger roller bearing trucks, which gave crews a smooth ride.

All 50 CA-10 cars were equipped for system wide pool service, which is what the “P” on the cupola stood for. These cars could operate anywhere on the UP system on run-through trains as well as on connecting railroads like Southern Pacific, Chicago & Northwestern, Burlington Northern and Rock Island.

This HO scale model train caboose from Athearn Genesis has all the bells & whistles - literally! This car has DCC controllable onboard lights and sounds. It's also exquisitely detailed.

As usual, Dan evaluates the model train's packaging, prototype accuracy, paint & detail, and how well it operates and conforms to applicable standards. If you're a fan of cabooses in general, Union Pacific, or just love model trains, be sure to check out this unboxing and product review!

In this video, the presenter shares the unexpected challenges that have led him to make the difficult decision to completely tear down and rebuild his N scale model railway layout. Despite months of hard work and dedication, unreliable trackwork, faulty wiring, and compromised materials have made the layout unsustainable. He walks through the problems he encountered, the lessons he learned, and his plans for the new and improved layout.

Whether you're a seasoned model railroader or just curious about the process, there's much to take away from this experience. He invites you to follow along as he begins the journey of starting from scratch, focusing on smarter design, more reliable construction methods, and plenty of exciting new features.

A new 3D design and print of a Fluid Transfer Station in N Scale which would be perfect for oil refineries.

In a news piece, CBS Detroit covers this beautiful model railroad with real consideration for what it is - a fabulous work of art and labor of love depicting our world in miniature. By covering this professionally they are helping people realize this isn't just a hobby of old men in funny hats playing with toys.

This documentary was produced by students in Penn State Altoona’s communications program, and aired on WPSU-TV on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

“The History of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona,” produced by students enrolled in COMM 490A, explores the origins of the industry in central Pennsylvania and explains how the railroad in the Altoona area served as a major contributing factor to the nation’s industrial, commercial and cultural development. It also details the early 19th-century origins of railroad construction in Pennsylvania while exploring the complexities of 20th-century transportation challenges. The documentary concludes with an investigation of the importance of today’s railroad industry.