Peter's Model Railroading | My Library | Magazine Authors
Magazine Articles By Ken Patterson

Build a Supersize Flatcar Load

The author describes how he built a 218-foot refinery tower that is carried on five flat cars.

Building a Modern Plate Girder Bridge

The author built a diorama focused on a bridge crossing a creek in an area where he hung out when he was young. Today it is covered with graffiti, which he also modeled. Diorama construction photos and bridge scale drawings are included.

Creating Realistic Roads

Using plexiglass to make realistic-looking roads. Includes tips on how to weather the road surface.

Fake Fur Grass

Using fake fur, a synthetic material used in making toy stuffed animals, is used to simulate grass fields. The author paints the fur and then adds real soil to make the grass appear patchy.

Making Winter Trees

The author describes how he uses 26-gauge floral wire to build large, realistic trees.

Model Trackside Brush Realistically

Using Bachmann's wire tree branches, the author shows how he converts them into small trees and bushes, using the standard poly fiber and ground foam approach.

Realistic Weeds

Making a special tool to easily insert weeds into a foam-based scenery base.

Scenic Facelift: Adding a New Bridge to an Old Module

This issue's cover photo was taken on the same module, with snow added. It shows the old bridge (a Central Valley model). The new BLMA 150-foot brass bridge was added and the author describes how he did that. Includes many construction photos.

The Art of Making Trees

The author shows how he creates realistic trees using Super Trees material by Scenic Express. They have a nice "airy" quality to them.

What's Neat

The author shows how he cleans track with some homemade tools, his improvements made to his airbrush compressor set-up, shares photos about how Michael Gross does his modeling work in hotels, how he does dust removal from scenery, and some photo/video props.

What's Neat

Supplementing his monthly video, this article covers gluing foam along the thin edge, using screws to hold glued foam board, expanding the layout, and several photo shoots.

What's Neat

Supplementing his monthly video, this article covers modeling scale leaves (using real ones), Mike Budde's automobiles, Soundtraxx Tsunami 2 Diesel set-up,

What's Neat

Supplementing his monthly video, this article covers how he did a fire photo shoot, George Bogatiuk from SoundTraxx shows his UP 3985 with a small SoundTraxx cube speaker, progress report on the B.T.S. sawmill diorama, Matt Hermann of ESU LokSound comes by, carving track profile topography in foam,

What's Neat

The author shows (through the accompanying video and photos) a tour of a big O-scale layout, and a small N-scale one, learns about trees, and builds Walthers' paper mill.

What's Neat

Covers Bill White' s G-scale layout, Ron Pare Chinese architecture in HO-scale, Steve Mann's HO-scale layout, build a lift-out section, and look at some
G-scale autorack cars from USA Trains.

What's Neat

This column tours the Rio Grande Southern, visits Mike Budde's wrecking yard, adds jointed rail sounds to the author's own railroad, and Ron Pare spray paints structures.

What's Neat

The author reports on Rand Hood's layout progress, meets the New Mexico Modular Railroad Club narrow gaugers, visits Sam Syzdek and his highly detailed railroad, and talks with the people expanding the San Juan Model Company.

What's Neat

Using roots from bushes as tree roots on the layout. A visit to Gulliver's Gate museum in New York. How to do advanced consisting with Soundtraxx' decoders.

What's Neat

Graffiti painter Peat "Eyez" Wollaeger. Joe Atkinson's Iowa Interstate. The layout at the Magic House in the St. Louis Children's Museum. A visit to Trainland store.

What's Neat

Topics covered are the Galesburg, IL N-scale modules, how to make a Kleenex tarp, information about Dimensional Modeling Concepts which make some interesting products, several photos about layout animation, the Gretna, Manitoba grain elevator model and prototype photos.

What's Neat

Interviews with Chris Brimley from ExactRail, Jeff Parker from Central Valley, The Ohio Valley Sipping and Switching Society club members, Rick Dakota Kempf's graffiti, John Lee from Badger, The 1:87 Vehicle Club guys, Chris Palomarez from Athearn, Dave Hussey from Cannon and Company, the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society, David Lehlbach from Tangent Models, and Gene Fusco from InterMountain.

What's Neat

Covered are military models by Radisson McGuire, locomotive with many LEDs by James Regier, and graffiti modeling with Peat Wollaeger.

What's Neat

Covered topics are a visit to Daniel Coombs' new layout under construction, shooting models photos at night, and creating a holiday excursion train.

What's Neat

This column covers a visit to John Schindler's HO-scale Junction Railway layout, and the author covers how he builds his layout.

What's Neat

This column covers using dried leaves for scenery, a visit with the North American Prototype Modelers layout, and how to do a wintertime train station photo.

What's Neat

This column covers how the author built an oval N-scale display layout for Athearn to use in their show booths, he also reports on what he did over the winter on his own layout, he visits the Joe and Tony Pellegrino layout, and checks in with Rice Campbell to see how he is progressing on his layout.

What's Neat

This column covers how to create a model scene for a magazine cover, how Tony Pellegrino integrated operations into the design of his layout, and a visit with John Peluso's HO-scale layout.

What's Neat

This column covers how to create a model roads, Carlton Brown of TrainTraxx shares a freight car locating tag system to make operation interesting, and photographing G-scale steam locomotives.

What's Neat

This column covers how to add weight to the open space in an Athearn tunnel motor's fuel tank, and James Regier's locomotive detailing and upgrading process.

What's Neat

This column covers the author's soldering tools and resistance-soldering methods.

What's Neat

This column covers how the author installed a 21-pin decoder plug into an Athearn Genesis SD70ACe, and he visits Campbell Rice to see his latest layout changes and his use of the Ring Engineering RailPro system.

What's Neat

This column covers lessons learned from 19 years of garden railroading, and George Bogatiuk of SoundTraxx explains why and how to use a DCC programming track.

What's Neat

The column covers building rocky scenery.

What's Neat

The column covers making bushes using Bachmann's wire armatures, how to model Saguaro cactus, adding light and sound to the BLI TrackMobile

What's Neat

The column covers installing a Train Control Systems Trainspeed1 speedometer, and bonding rocks and trees with Ballast Magic and Ballast Bond.

What's Neat

The column covers making pine trees using four different methods, and visits Dennis Krausman's Santa Fe layout.

What's Neat

The column covers a visit to the layout owned by father and son team Austin and Steve Allard, which are two separate layouts in the same space via a double-decker format. Also covered is an article on how to make your own four-LED Stratolite beacon.

What's Neat

This column covers creating crashed cars using tin foil, LED lighting improvements on John Schindler's layout, installing TCS sound decoder in a BLI RSD-15.

What's Neat

This column covers building a consist on a TCS UWT-100, and building a layout from the base to the finished product.

What's Neat

This column covers building a concrete paved road and unloading area using DAP Ready-mix Concrete Patch, and using low-temp melting alloys to add
weight to locos and rolling stock.

What's Neat

The author shows a photo essay of key features of his home layout.

What's Neat

This month's column includes the introduction of the construction of a lightweight N-scale layout. Also includes an interview with Robert Stears, co-founder of the San Juan Model Company.

What's Neat

Modeling the Civil War's "Texas" 4-4-0 engine using a Bachmann model.

What's Neat

The author shows how he makes static grass tufts, experimenting with various glues and common household wax paper. He also visits Gary Gross' Franklin Pacific Railroad.

What's Neat

The author reports on the St. Louis Railroad Prototype Meet held in Collinsville, Illinois. Includes photos and an online video.

What's Neat

Radisson McGuire shows off his HO-scale military equipment collection, the author interviews Bachmann's Larry Harrington, and he builds the Walthers Fire Department Headquarters kit.

What's Neat

Painting military vehicles in HO-scale with Rad McGuire. Interview with Union Pacific's Ed Dickens, Steam Program Manager & Big Boy engineer. The author also interviews Doug Blaine of Bachmann Trains.

What's Neat

The full process of how to do a 3D-print. A tour of the Jacksonville Terminal Railroad Museum Club layout.

What's Neat

How to install long static grass fibers, building muliple-level display shelves, and Bachmann product promotions.

What's Neat

Topics include: making trees, review of the Anycubic Vyper 3D-printer, and a Bachmann staff interview.

What's Neat

The author shows how he built the Lightner trestle diorama for Blackstone Models. Also includes an interview with Bachmann about their Christmas offerings.

What's Neat

The author shows how he built a display yard for his professional photo shoots, and he interviews Bachmann's Larry Harrington.

What's Neat

Ken starts a HOn3 modular layout (shows screen captures of the YouTube video), and he interviews Bachmann's Larry Harrington.

What's Neat

Ken continues to work on his HOn3 modular layout (shows screen captures of the YouTube video), and he interviews Bachmann's Matt Stern.

What's Neat

Ken starts work in an HOn3 layout that started out as a run-by scene. Also photos of upcoming Bachmann products.

What's Neat

Ken continues work in an HOn3 layout that started out as a run-by scene. Also photos of upcoming Bachmann products, and installing sound in a BLI locomotive.

What's Neat with Ken Patterson

Modeling damaged freight cars. Building a G-gauge diorama for a photo shoot. Installing a DCC decoder in an HO-scale brass engine. Moving a shelf portion lower on the layout and using LED light strips to light the area under it.

What's Neat With Ken Patterson

Covers the St. Louis Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet with lots of photos.

What's Neat with Ken Patterson

How to make a paint-bottle shaker. A visit by actor Michael Gross. Updating a manufacturer's portable display layout. Interview with Matt Hermann from ESU LokSound.

What's Neat with Ken Patterson

Topics covered are a follow-up on the breaker bar handle track cleaner, the Digitrax DCS 240 command station, building the Athearn snowy trestle photo shoot diorama, and the Soundtraxx Tsunami 2.

What's Neat with Ken Patterson

The supplement to his online video, this article covers the Woodland Scenics Just Plug system and installing it on his wharf/dock scene, an interview with James Wright (YouTube train product reviewer), and the SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 DCC sound decoder for steam engines.

Window and Door Screens in HO Scale

This brief article with plenty of construction photos shows how to use silk-screen to simulate window and door screens.