Masterist Scale Railroad Models

01/03/2026

Visit www.MasteristScaleRailroadModels.com/shop to see our merchandise as well as new template coming soon. Initially it will have printed labels, however we will also explore engraving options and if contractor's laser has sufficient precision we may provide engraved text option at an extra cost for the longevity of the labels on a jig.

Moreover purchasing from us contributes to a very noble goal of saving Latvian railroad heritage. For more information and reasons we strive to preserve these trains see https://masteristscalerailroadmodels.com/projects/save-rvr-trains/

It is a very practical tool for a modeler as a reference for a tightest parallel track curve pair at 63mm, 2.48" track spacing which in real life translates to approximately 5.5m or 18 scale feet.

It is not uncommon to see passenger coaches sideswiping on starter set tight curves, most notably Piko. While Piko likely trimmed their HO scale coaches down to 1:90 width instead of proper 1:87 scaling to avoid issues with their already existing trackwork. We came to this thought after testing a pair of 303mm long Roco coaches and they collided on Piko's R1 and R2 curves that were geometrically enforced to the right radius by a roadbed. At MSRM we start designing our track from scratch accounting for modern day passenger coaches. Soon this template jig will be available for sale on our website.

Train coaches got much longer since 1950s and established European modeling standards, known as NEM (Normen Europäischer Modellbahnen) of the time are no longer relevant for modern day modeling.

11/20/2024

What is Proto:87? At a glance: look at the self-explanatory photo.

Compare the top prototype images: original one on the left and photoshopped on the right. Which wheels do model trains resemble on the bottom image? Proto:87 movement created in 1993 by Rene Gourley addresses these inaccuracies in model trains and we at MSRM will produce wheelsets accordingly to resolve this discrepancy. Original website: https://proto87.org

See https://www.masteristscalerailroadmodels.com/en-p87-info for more information.

Original image sources:
prototype, left image:
page source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/tank-car-train-end--588353138805687800/
image: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fd/47/96/fd4796658c3170d4dc39ed6dddd36aa0.jpg

Model train photo:
page source: https://ishop.hobbytech.ca/iShop_p17/freight-cars-ho/5963-walthers-proto-ho-54-23000-gallon-funnel-flow-tank-car-sunoco-sunx.html
image: https://ishop.hobbytech.ca/iShop_p17/17216-medium_default/walthers-proto-ho-54-23000-gallon-funnel-flow-tank-car-sunoco-sunx.jpg

11/06/2024

We may seem inactive recently however there is a lot of work behind the scenes when it comes to research and development with CAD software and CNC calculations. In order to minimize potential of hidden mistakes that might later manifest in non precise fit between parts, leading to derailed model trains every piece of the blueprint including extension lines need to be documented on the coordinates table and accounted for to ensure flawless template for a big variety of parts.

11/01/2024

Wheelsets page is up and running and wheelsets themselves are coming soon. It would be handy, however to get to know certain wheelset related terms on the aforementioned page before deciding which wheelset works best since no model train is created equally.

At MSRM we strive for precise compatibility and realism. It is therefore recommended to get familiar with few key terms to make choosing the right wheelset configuration easier.

10/19/2024

New MSRM term of the week to better understand our future wheelset products:

TII - Tread Increment Index

Although somewhat arbitrary it denotes the nominal thickness of wheel tread to easier find a prototypical match. The bigger the number the thicker the wheel rim. Shown are pre-production rendering of two 33" (~840mm) diameter wheels. Thinner rim is TII-2, suitable for models of most North American freight cars; thicker rim is TII-4, better match for Budd RDC and it's European equivalent size of 840mm is suitable for French Alstom Coradia X73500 diesel multiple units. TII-1 would theoretically be a scrap-worthy worn out wheel. Going that thin, however in 1:87 scale is not up to our current tooling. Being driven by loose drill-press shaft any error exceeding 0.1mm would break the super thin disk edge, the part that is in contact with the outer rim. Since 0 means absence of objects, rims alone without any disk inside receive the TII-0 designation.

10/14/2024

Wishing Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian . We ourselves have a lot to be thankful for. Even though seemingly for little things it is God's guidance that keeps us moving forward no matter the amount of "friction and turbulence" in our path. Please read our plea for more details

It is solely by the grace of God Almighty my company exists today. Everything could turn totally other way and I would not be here if not the late 2011 moment. Since my childhood years I had passion in trains and liked to ride them (the ones shown below): every Soviet and Post-Soviet person knows th...

10/14/2024

At MSRM we value historic heritage. As unfortunate as it is due to the political turbulence not every iconic piece of equipment gets a chance to be preserved. In Eastern Europe historic railways are a new concept currently in its infancy. This means retired train is 95% scrapped. Those 5% preserved will end up as static monuments not suitable for recording sounds for DCC decoders used in model trains. Such is the fate of Latvian trains built by RVR (Rīgas Vagonbuves Rūpnīca), bankrupt since 2017. What were once the most common commuter trains in Eastern Europe are now limited to only a handful railways still operating them. Those railways plan to replace them within this decade. Unlike many trains from North America and Western Europe these Latvian trains still don’t have high quality scale model of them built despite over 50 years of service (although Tyco quality model of them was recently introduced by Modimio). Thus it is important to

RVR electric multiple units are unique trains in terms of loading gauge, being 3500mm or 11’6” wide. This loading gauge allows for 3+3 seating arrangement which only exists on two trains in the world. The other one is

We have this special interest in seeing them preserved. However now being located in Canada, on a different side of Atlantic presents an extra shipping challenge. Despite that challenge we believe that with politically unstable Eastern Europe these days there is high risk of turmoil, revolution or expanding warzone that may be detrimental to the remainder of those trains. Given how few of these trains remain today we believe Canada would be a safe place to preserve rare museum pieces. Given those trains being outdated and cost hardly more than the value of a scrap metal - most of the cost will go towards land plot in Northern Ontario where they will ultimately be preserved as well as shipping.

You can donate on our website https://www.masteristscalerailroadmodels.com/product-page/save-rvr-trains-fundraiser

Should you have any questions you can email us at [email protected].

100% of the proceeds from this purchase will go to saving endangered and soon-to-be extinct Latvian-made trains from the currently bankrupt Rīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca (RVR). We really appreciate your support during this time when every single day counts.For more information contact me at Masterist...

10/13/2024

Welcome to official MSRM page. Before further posts we must give credit for the inspiration of model railroad "tuning" to Andrew Reichert, his website store https://proto87.com/ and Rene Gourley, see https://proto87.org/

A very big thank you for the inspiration to keep improving the hobby. When it comes to model train components - we are committed to pursuing Proto:87, Proto:64 and Proto:48 contour commitment for our wheelsets and later trackwork throughout our future products.

Exploring the limits of HO scale