Phil wants to run several trains and asks readers:

“I’m new to layout design and would like to know how to wire for multiple trains (2-3) in order to go from one circuit of track to another without an interruption in motion. I am using AC transformers as with the original American Flyer system. Does someone know?”

Add your feedback using the Comments and Feedback link below.

Palmer has a question for anyone interested in military trains and scenery and asks:

“I am an HO model railroader and a Civil War re-enactor. I want to add a Civil War tv show battle scene to my layout (the siege of Petersburg). My problem is that I can’t find the color scheme used by the U.S. Military R.R. on 0-4-0 locomotives and rolling stock. Can anyone help me please?”

Add your thoughts using the green Comments & Feedback below Palmer’s posting.

Johnny has an Athearn Genesis and is having problems:

“I have an Athearn Genesis f unit with dc and dcc sound. Everything works great in dc but in dcc I have sound but the loco will not move. I have a digitrax system. I have tried to reset the cv125 to 1 several times to no avail. I even emailed Athearn and they said to reset in dc which I did but all that did was reset the dc only.”

You can add your thoughts and possibly help Johnny by using the green Comments and Feeedback link below this posting.

Michael is new to model railroading and has British Graham Farish locomotives and asks:

Have you got any experience building or operating a model railroad layout?

What can you do to help others in the hobby (especially beginners)?

If you know a little (or a lot) about model railroading, then please join in and add your comments and feedback to the various postings on this Model Train Help blog.

There will be lots of others in the hobby who could benefit from your knowledge and experience. Please don’t just read these postings and think to yourself “I know that answer”, but then do nothing. A little time and effort on your part could hugely benefit several others in the hobby.

We are all getting older and it is critical that experience and knowledge is passed on to younger ones in this hobby.

Please! Please! Share your knowledge and experience with others. We are all in this hobby together. We are not commercial competitors, so what does it matter if someone else knows how you did something and solved a problem? Share your knowledge.

Please help!

We are all guilty of taking things for granted. We think that because a brand (or stockist) has been around for many years they will continue to be around forever. However, we live times of change and we can’t always take things for granted. These are testing times for all of us and we need to try and stay positive and work as a community and help each other.

Here are some things you could do:

1. If you can afford it – keep up your interest in model railroading and continue to support stockists of model train supplies. If the stockists stop selling, then they stop buying from the manufacturers. If the model train manufacturers stop selling, they stop manufacturing and could potentially go out of business. Model Train manufacturers are unlikely to get a government bail-out!

2. Encourage others in the hobby particularly newbies. We need new people coming into the hobby all the time to ensure this hobby not only survives, but it prospers! Beginners often spend the most money and will help the industry survive these difficult times.

3. Help each other by adding feedback and comments on this blog. It is a great way to share ideas and I am putting my time and effort into this to keep it as a FREE service – so please use it.

4. Please help me too. If you haven’t already bought my Model Train Help ebook, then please do. I need to earn a living too.

5. Keep a smile on your face (it’s contagious!) and enjoy life. Despite all the bad news, the trees will keep growing, the sun will keep shining, kids will keep laughing and life will go on.

Don has two Broadway Limited Blueline engines without decoders and asks:

“I have two Broadway Limited Blueline engines that will not run. They both have sound but no decoder for DCC. The have a plug that is difficult to plug in. I thought that I had not properly inserted the plug but when on a live track you get headlight and rear light according to the direction indicated, but they will not respond. This occurs after installing a remommended decoder. Does anyone have any thoughts on why?”

If you have the experience to comment on this problem you can do so using the green comments link below.

John is trying to locate a N-scale Big Boy Locomotive and asks:

“I am interested in purchasing a N-scale Big Boy Locomotive. Does anyone know where I could ask about purchasing one since they are discontinued?”

Do you have some experience in this wonderful hobby of model railroading?

Do you belong to a model railroad club?

If you answered YES to any one of these questions, then you probably have some knowledge you could share with others in the hobby. Please don’t just keep the information to yourself. There are lots of beginners who need mentoring and guidance from others in the hobby.

You can help by adding feedback and comment to their postings on this blog site. If you think you can comment (or even answer) some of the questions posted on this blog, please add your thoughts below each posting (use the green Comments and Feedback link).

I’m sure we all want this great hobby to continue and grow. If it starts to die off then suppliers will start to disappear too and the selection of accessories will diminish. So, please encourage others, help the beginners and share your experience with others in the model railroading community.

The easiest way is to add your feedback to one or two of the many questions asked on this Model Train Help blog. This blog is read by thousands in the hobby, so you could be assisting a lot of people who have been struggling with the same problems you have experienced (and even solved).

This blog is a FREE service but we need your help to keep it going.

Note to anyone asking a question. Please ensure you supply plenty of details to help others help you. The better the question – the better the answer is often what happens. So, if you want a detailed, focused answer – make sure you compose a detailed well thought-out question.

George wants a source for locomotives and asks:

“Years ago I built a model of the famous General steam locomotive. Can someone tell me are there any sources where one can purchase models of various other locomotives (without motors and larger than HO scale)? “

To help George reply using the green Comments link below.

Dennis has a Kato AC 4400 engine and asks for help from anyone who has some suggestions to solve his problem:

“I am so glad that I purchased the Model Train Help on line book, it has really helped me alot. I do have one major problem: the handrails on my Kato AC 4400 ho scale engine were destroyed accidentally recently. Kato does not have them and I have been talking to everyone: Cody at MR, Mike at Kato, and various other professional modelers. My last hope is your experienced readers.

Does someone know of anyone in our hobby whom makes these by hand? I know that it is somewhat of a ‘lost art’ but at this point I have so much money into these 2 engines (DCC installation, custom painting 2 times to Texas, plus all the shipping and insurance charges, and putting all the handrails and grab irons etc. on the first time) I would like to get them done correctly once and for all.

Also, my eyesight is borderline poor and I cannot do it myself. This whole situation has been just a wreck. But, we say our prayers and remain thankful for all our given blessings.

If anyone has any ideas, I would certainly appreciate their help.”

Comment on Dennis’s blog posting below.

Nancy has a question about a train from the 1940’s and asks:

“I am brand new to this hobby and have just started a layout. However, my question concerns how to find out what train was running a certain route at a certain time. I would like to know what train ran between Hope, Arkansas and Houston, Texas right after WWII.”

Use the green Comments link below to have your say.

Ray has a question for model train manufacturers and asks:

“When is a manufacturer going to make available the very famous steam loco Hiawatha that exceeded 100 mph? Such a famous loco and no manufacturer has chosen to produce it recently. Walthers has recently manufactured the entire Hiawatha passenger train, but chose to put the later diesel loco upfront. A shame it is not available. Hope someone makes it available soon.”

If you would like to comment on Ray’s posting use the green Comments & Feedback link below.

Kevin is a model railroading beginner and has a question for readers:

“I am really new to this train hobby and this may sound silly but – Does anyone know if there is any significance to the number 5690 found in the keystone decal on the front of some Lionel locomotives. I have noticed it on quite a few. Thanks, Kevin”

Share your knowledge and help this beginner to the hobby. Add your feedback and comments below.

I got an interesting email from Dan of Arlington in Texas who has built a solar generator in his backyard and is using it to power his model trains. He tells me he got the idea and plans from Michael Harvey who runs a web site about building wind and solar generators to save on electricity bills.

Andrew has an HO layout and wants to hear from anyone who has a shay locomotive or knows something about the history of shay locomotives:

Pictured a LIONEL O GAUGE SHAY LOCOMOTIVE.

The Shay locomotive (named after the late Ephraim Shay of Michigan) was the most widely used geared steam locomotive. Ephraim Shay wanted a new way to get logs to the mill instead of just floating them down a river. In or around 1877, Ephraim Shay invented the idea of an engine sitting on a flat car with a boiler, gears, and trucks that could pivot.

Between 1878 and 1945 the Lima Locomotive Works manufactured nearly every Shay. They were is four classes and ranged from 6 to 160 tons:

Class A – two cylinders, two trucks, 6 and 24 tons.
Class B – three cylinders, two trucks, 10 and 80 tons.
Class C – three cylinders, three trucks, 40 and 160 tons.
Class D – three cylinders, four trucks, 100 and 150 tons.

It was not unknown for Shay locomotives pulling a heavy load to leave the track after failing to respond to a change in track curvature. This was usually before or after an uphill curve.

Tom would like to hear from ‘O’ Gauge enthusiasts about semaphore:

“I am looking for information on any source for a complete three position, upper quadrant, mechanical only semaphore, or parts such as the semaphore arm, so I can build my own.

No lights are required for my use as I am modeling in the 1890’s through the 1920’s when electric power in remote areas was unavailable. In those days signaling was all handeled by the brakeman, or station attendant, and were operated manually by them.

I would greatly appreciate any help anyone can provide. I found one source in HO Gauge only, for semaphores similar to the ones I want at the following website. tomarindustries.com/signals, #H-853, but nothing in ‘O’ Gauge is listed. Thanks for your help. Tom.”

Add your feedback and help Tom below.