Time spent at the workbench creating models is priceless. 

Research is important too.  Here is a short list of online sites I visit occasionally.  

Set a time limit on research and and internet time, then get back to the workbench!

Inspirational Modeling Resources

• Todd Herman: Todd’s Flickr site showing progress on his outstanding L&NE layout, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/77373135@N05/sets/72157660390159495
• Gene Diemling: Gene’s spectacular Proto48 modeling blog, at  https://myp48.wordpress.com/2021/12/12/modeling-tank-car-ladders/
• Frank Hodina: Frank‘s Resin Car Works blog, featuring excellent model builds: http://blog.resincarworks.com/
• Jim Dufour: Gentleman-Jim’s intriguing modeling and proto-photo website, found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12504598@N04/
• Tom Johnson: Tom’s incredibly inspirational layout on MRH Blogs: https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/8934?page=20
• More Tom Johnson: Tom’s newer blog on weathering freight cars, found at https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/weathered-covered-hoppers-for-the-lin-12194292
• Lester Bruer: Lester’s excellent blog on freight car construction, at http://mnrailroadcab100.blogspot.com/
• Eric Hansmann:  Here’s is Eric’s excellent and thorough 1920’s modeling resource: http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/
• Chris Nevard: Inspirational small layouts on Chris’s British layout site, at            http://www.nevard.com/
• Jeff Eggert.  Jeff Eggert’s excellent modeling site, a little off the beaten path, at                  http://www.yardoffice.com/
• Tony Thompson: Tony’s excellent and superbly-researched Modeling The SP blog, at http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/
• Rene Gourley:  Rene’s thoughtful, slower-paced modeling site, at https://pembroke87.wordpress.com/page/2/
• Joe Atkinson: Joe’s MRH site, featuring his new modern-design layout, at https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/iaiss-4th-sub-a-new-beginning-12216708
• Justin May: JR May’s out-of-the-way blog, featuring some great modeling, at http://georgiarailroadmodeler.blogspot.com/
• Tom Klimosky: Tom Klimoski’s website, with a lot of super modeling information: https://www.thomasklimoski.com/
• Marty McGuirk: Marty’s great New England modeling website, found at: http://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com/
• Mike Clement: Mike’s cool Boston & Albany modeling site, with lots of freight car stuff, at: https://nyc65.wordpress.com/2020/01/04/introducing-central-artery/
• Bruce Griffin: Bruce’s B&O modeling site featuring outstanding research and modeling, at:
  https://bomodeling.com/blog/

 

 

 

Above.  Tony Thompson (left) and Lester Breuer (right) at a recent St. Louis RPM event.

Modeling Sites of Interest

• Ted Culotta’s old Steam Era Freight Cars site, at                                    http://steamerafreightcars.com/
• HO scale box car doors and parts for kitbashers and scratchbuilders:          http://southwestscale.com/main.sc
• A cool new site with many new wood parts for building construction:                        https://www.rail-scale-models.com/index.php
• John Hitzeman’s “insider” AMB site for new AMB products:            http://www.rgspemkt.com/index.html
• Modelu (pronounced Model-You), a British company making incredible finescale figures:          http://www.modelu3d.co.uk
• Matt Goodman’s neat PRR and N&W VI Tower layout site, at                                                                https://vi-tower.com/about/
• Artitec’s official online store for military vehicles and details:             https://www.artitecshop.com/en/
• Precision Design Company–nice wood products, at                                https://www.pdc.ca/rr/catalog
• Bill Welch’s primer on resin car building (and kit building in general), at http://blog.resincarworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/resin_kit_primer_pt1.pdf
• Excellent blog on building a prototype short line, the Susquehanna & New York:      http://snyrr.com/ 
• A neat up-and-coming site with cool model conversion kits:        https://www.apogeelocoworks.com/

Resin Model Sites:

• Resin Car Works (Frank Hodina) http://resincarworks.com/
• Funaro & Camerlengo (Steve and Sharon Funaro) http://fandckits.com/
• National Scale Car Co. (Ryan Mendell) http://nationalscalecar.com/
• Speedwitch Media (Ted Culotta) http://speedwitchmedia.com/
• Southbound Model Co (Greg King) https://www.sbmwdco.com/
• Yarmouth Model Work (Pierre Oliver) http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/
• Rocket Express Models (Ron Van Werder) http://www.rocketexpress.biz/
• Southern Car & Foundry (John Cagle) https://southerncarandfoundry.com/

Prototype Research Sites

• A great railroad historical resource, UMSL’s online Barriger National Railroad Library site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/
• The Lake States Archive site, my second all-time favorite prototype site, at: https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/
• An interesting site that includes lots of information on central Illinois railroads:  https://www.mayberrytownship.net/index.html
• The online Hagley Museum, which includes a vast railroad photo section:      https://www.hagley.org/
• Great site for prototype signal research:                                      http://www.rrsignalpix.com/index.php
• The Center for Railroad Photography and Art:                                                      http://www.railphoto-art.org/
• JJ Young’s outstanding steam era photo archive, at:          https://www.flickr.com/photos/jjyoungjr/albums