NASG Dispatch Articles by Brooks Stover

2023 #5 September

24

Photography & Videography

How to take good photos of an A.C. Gilbert-base layout.

2006 #2 April

17

Layouts - S

The author has been working on his layout for 10 years. It measures 44'x25' and based on the BC&G in West Virginia. Includes several photos of the layout, as well as a track plan.

2023 #3 May

24

Locomotives - 0-8-0

The author describes how he modified an S-Helper Service 2-8-0 model into a 0-8-0 switcher. Includes full and close-up photos of the changes made.

2020 #1 January

12

Freight Cars - Hoppers

The author describes how he converted American Flyer 3-bay offset hoppers to become representative models of the B&O wood chip hoppers used by the Elk River Coal & Lumber Company's sawmill at Swandale, West Virginia. Includes construction photos.

2014 #1 February

15

Photography & Videography

The author wrote a 30-page document for Model Railroader magazine called "Model Railroader's Guide to Digital Photography". The document is available on the NASG web site for free (see link). In this article, he describes the selection of a camera, lighting, and the 14-steps to taking a good photograph. (related web page)

2024 #6 November

17

Locomotives - 2-8-0

The author describes how he modified an S-Helper Service B&O 2-8-0 locomotive to model the Buffalo Creek & Gauley engine #4. Includes some model and prototype photos.

2022 #2 March

8

Freight Cars - Box Cars

The author describes his process of converting an A.C. Gilbert American Flyer box car into a reasonable likeness of the B&O car. Includes several close-up photos.

2015 #3 May

11

Locomotives - GP35

The author starts off with an American Models GP9 chassis and a GP35 shell, to build a model representing the B&O GP35. Many close-up construction photos are shown, including the final result.

2011 #2 April

10

Locomotives - Steam

The author takes an American Models 4-6-2 and details it for a B&O locomotive used for passenger railfan trips into his BC&G layout. Includes on prototype photo and many model photos indicating the details and changes he made to the model. The project also includes installing DCC and sound, and painting and weathering the model.

2008 #3 June

20

Operations

Brooks Stover, Gaylord Gill, and Dave Held each had their layouts open for an operating session at each layout over a Friday and Saturday in April 2008 to local S-scale modelers and a group from Minnesota. Includes several photos of the layouts and the group of operators.

2019 #1 January

19

Model Railroad Philosophy

The author asked several modelers about what they consider to be top lessons learned in their decades of modeling, and he summarizes them in this article. Includes photos of the layouts built by these modelers.

2019 #4 July

4

Scenery - Vehicles

The author describes the three things he does to every vehicle, at the least, before it is placed on the layout. Includes many photos of examples.

2022 #3 May

14

Locomotives - 4-6-4

The author has hung on to a few A.C. Gilbert items he has had since childhood, and still uses them on his current layout, including the #322 Hudson, shown in photos of his layout.

2021 #3 May

15

Cabooses

The author describes how he modeled the B&O I-5d caboose, starting with a kit of the I-1 model produced by Lake Junction Models.

2021 #5 September

23

Cabooses

A re-run of the May 2021 article in the Dispatch, because the editor had made many mistakes in the original version. The author describes how he modeled the B&O I-5d caboose, starting with a kit of the I-1 model produced by Lake Junction Models. Includes several model photos, as well as one prototype photo.

2023 #5 September

20

Photography & Videography

How to use your cellphone to take good-quality layout photos.

2015 #6 November

7

Freight Cars - Box Cars

The author describes how he built a 50-foot Southern Pacific box car out of two 40-foot Ye Olde Huff 'n Puff box car kits (now owned by LaBelle Woodworking). Includes construction and final-model photos.

2022 #3 May

24

Freight Cars - Flat Cars

The author describes how he built this bulkhead flat car from various parts, starting with an American Flyer flat car.

2019 #6 November

7

Operations

The author's grandkids came by and had a blast operating their grandpa's new, under-construction layout. This also was the layout's first "operating session".

2017 #1 January

15

Operations

The author shares his insights after having had 50 operating sessions on this home layout. Includes several photos of the layout, as well as a track plan.

1995 #6 December

10

Layouts - S

The article started in the June issue continues by covering operations on the BC&G, it provides a description of the author's S-scale layout, and includes both prototype and layout photos. A track plan of the author's layout is also included.

2022 #5 September

19

Cabooses

The author describes how he modeled two wide-vision cabooses from American Models to represents models from two different eras of the B&O.