Larry sent in these photos of his layout to share.   

Model train photos supplied by these club members

A couple photo to show the high level of craftmanship that was on show at the Bassetlaw (North Notts) Railway Society exhibition, Retford, Nottinghamshire, UK. Well done to all involved!

The online Model Train Club is about to turn 5, with the membership numbers and resources increasing every month. Some members have been with the club since it started. The club is keeping pace with changing times and recently added a new category of ELECTRONICS for members to access. The club is not intended as a replacement for joining a local model railroad club, however it is like a giant resource library for those who want to access help and advice at home at any time of the day or night, in any location worldwide. Current members are spread across the globe including: USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, France and numerous other countries.

Watch the free video tour inside Club levels 1 to 3 here

Ken asks readers:

“I recently acquired a 1950s model O gauge Lionel Diesel switcher loco and I am trying to return it to working order. Can anyone tell me the voltage that these early three rail locos used and was it AC or DC current?”

Steve asks readers:

“My layout is ‘conventional’ and the trains pass through several transformer controlled isolated blocks. Voltage to these blocks can vary, because of grades. How would you configure a Helper Loco, and do the Locos need to be the same model ?”

Helper locomotives on the Colorado Joint Line

A helper engine is a locomotive that temporarily helps a train in need of additional traction or power to climb a gradient. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, a helper engine might be called a bank engine (or banker). The term pusher engine is also used in the USA. Regardless of what you call them, these engines are most commonly used in mountain divisions (helper districts) where the ruling gradient might necessitate substantially more power for a train to climb.

In some situations a helper, with its own crew, would be utilized to assist the train over a short distance. The rear end caboose would be removed so the

helper locomotive could couple onto the last car in the train. On reaching the top of the rise, the helper would cut off and the train reassembled ready for its downhill trip. The helper loco would then return to where it first joined the train, and be ready to assist the next train.

In other instances a train would be assisted by a Distributed Power Unit (DPU). This is basically an unmanned helper locomotive remotely control from the lead cab. Depending on the load and gradient, it could be positioned at the rear of the train or in the middle. Apart from helping a train climb a steep gradient, a DPU can have benefits on flatter land. Instead of being added just before the climb, it could operate the length of a division.

There are definite advantages in distributing locos throughout a long train and having them operate at the same speed. This can reduce the physical forces on the coupler drawbars and cars. By doing this; fewer cars get pushed (and pulled) by each loco set. Locomotives can be positioned mid-train, at the rear end, or in both positions, to reduce the time required to set and release the brakes.

This is an interesting scene with lots of activity… but what do you think is really going on? Why is the loco on its side? What are the workers doing?

It would be interesting to get your feedback on what you think the situation is. Use the link under this posting to post your comments.

UPDATE: The good thing about the above photo is that the scene is not predictable and it gets you thinking about what might (or might not) be happening. If you click the comments link below you will see that readers have already come up with, not one, but a number of possible scenarios.

Stan asks readers:

“Thanks for the input on so many fronts, but I have a Question. I would like to know how to convert my O scale 2 rail into a dead rail train?”

Joe sent in these photos of his model railroad to share with readers. He doesn’t say what scale it is but I’m sure we can all guess.

Joe says: I had an area in my basement not being used. It took a little over year to complete. Here are a few shots of the layout.

First pic is a railroad museum in New Hampshire that my parents took me to see when I was a child. I’m 68 but the memory came to life on my railroad.

The other pics are the three areas I originated.

Left side is more country design.

Middle area is my plateau area. If you look close you can see the climbers almost to the top.

The right side of the layout is industrial with a small town and a freight yard behind it.

A reader asks:

“I have 2 N scale King George VI engines. Does anyone know of a renumbering service please?”

Club member Frank has a question for readers:

“I have been dabbling in the hobby for some time now but only in a small space. I thought I would expand my N scale track in another room and go DCC with eventually 8 to 10 engines – that’s my dream. A fellow at the train show said an 8 amp unit might damage my engines and I would be safer sticking to 5 amps. I thought that sounded kinda weird?? Is he right?”

Joe sent in this idea to share –

I just wanted to tell you about the fix I came up with for my Lionel wireless locomotives. I bought two locomotives from a hobby shop last Christmas. One is the diesel Area 51 and the Scout locomotive. These locomotives run on the track with wide open power for the transformer and controlled by a battery operated hand held pendant. I supply power to them from a Z transformer. When I had a derailment or passing through a track switch, the track would short out, causing both locomotive components to burn up. However Lionel did honor their warranty, I wanted a better fix. I laid out a dedicated track without switches.

My theory is that with AC current from the transformer to the track is 18 Volts. The Z transformer has higher Amperage output than smaller transformers. I relate electricity like plumbing. Voltage as the water pressure and Amperage as the water supply. There are two legs from the transformer, a hot and a common. In ideal conditions, the AC current is produced evenly on both legs. If of the legs allows more electronic flow than the other, (short) the voltage drops like water pressure would. At this time the transformer tries to keep the balance by using providing more amperage to produce more voltage. This is called an IN RUSH. When the higher voltage is supplied to the components it is turned back to Amperage, through resistance and heats up the components burning them up.

I couldn’t get any information from Lionel as to what the accepted threshold of amperage is for the their locomotives.

As a fix, I went to the auto parts store and purchased a Buss fuse holder and a box of 5 AMP fuses. I wired up the fuse holder in series to hot terminal of the transformer to the track. When there is a derailment or a short, the fuses blow instantly without damaging the locomotives.

With the 027 tracks, Switches tend to have small shorts as a lighted car on some locomotives pass through. Lionel calls them snaps. These snaps will burn out the locomotives if not protected in your train stops in the switch over a very short time..

I know it’s confusing to some, but the fix works. Some new transformers produced by Lionel have this protection as a circuit breaker starting around $150.00.

Thank you to all those readers who requested we add a function to allow them to post a photo or diagram when they answer a question. We have worked out the techie stuff on how to do it, so can now offer this service.

So, when you go to add a comment to a posting on this blog, you can now add a photo to explain the answer you are giving (if you want to that is). This quick clip gives a demo.

Please Note: All comments and photos still get submitted to the Blog Moderator for approval before they are published. This is to stop spammers and to maintain a very high standard of content. Poorly worded questions and answers are not published.

Alan sent in these photos of his layout to share. I’m sure you’ll agree he should be very proud!

Here’s what Alan has to say –

The theme is South Wales in 1956-60, when I used to go to school by train. It is purely fictional and is suppose to be a small branch line.  It is 00 scale.

It’s DC controlled so isolating sections have to be provided.  It is a terminus to Fiddle yard type, two F/Y’s actually.  The main one has 7 roads and the lower one has only one.  Both are turntable types which means I don’t have to handle the stock too much.  The lower one is accessed by a tunnel which also houses a short spur for either a diesel railcar or auto train.

I use a Gaugemaster dual controller as both tracks are independently controlled although trains can cross between the two.

I enjoy authentic operation more than just watching trains go by.  The shunting operations are much more interesting which are carried out by the station pilot.

Most locos used are tank engines but I do have 5 tender locos, three of which are used on the high level track, but that’s another story.

Some points are electrically operated, but a lot of retro fitted ones are mechanical.  I prefer the latter.  All uncouplers are manually operated using my own method of levers.

As there is a coal and timber merchant on the canal basin, a creamery, Brewery, Mill and two goods sheds, there are plenty of shunting movements to keep me busy.

I hope this is of interest.