Candis has sent in this information on the upcoming Great Scale Model Train Show & Railroad Marketplace to be held at the Timonium State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Maryland on June 27-28, 2009.

The Great Scale Model Train Show & Railroad Marketplace

• June 27-28, 2009
• Saturday 9-4/Sunday 10-4
• Timonium State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Maryland
• It’s the ONLY major train show in the mid-Atlantic this summer!
• Off-train season bargains
• Up to 400 vendor tables
• Door prizes all day, including “train show cash”
• All scales, from Z to large
• Air-conditioned
• Kids under 15 FREE, Adults $9, Family Pass $18
• Good for BOTH DAYS
• Each paid admission gets $10 in Free Vendor Coupons
  Air-conditioned!

Enjoy you time at the Great Scale Model Train Show & Railroad Marketplace, Timonium State Fairgrounds, Timonium, Maryland on June 27-28, 2009.

You may have already read earlier postings about Subhash from India. He finds it difficult to access model train supplies, and when he can, they are very expensive. So, his solution has been to make his own trains from any local materials he can get his hands on. He not only scratch builds his trains, he also stratch builds his tracks… and, best of all, they work!

This video shows a first test run of his scratch built Suburban AC/DC EMU train. Subhash’s uncle made an AC/DC adapter from a kit running from 1.5V to 12 V. He is obviously very talented and industrious.

You may have already read earlier postings about Subhash from India. He finds it difficult to access model train supplies, and when he can, they are very expensive. So, his solution has been to make his own trains from any local materials he can get his hands on. He not only scratch builds his trains, he also stratch builds his tracks… and, best of all, they work!

This video shows a first test run of his scratch built Suburban AC/DC EMU train. Subhash’s uncle made an AC/DC adapter from a kit running from 1.5V to 12 V. He is obviously very talented and industrious.

Here is your chance to promote your model railroad club or upcoming model train show for FREE on my model train blog site.

Tell readers about your Train Club and the projects your club is working on. The best submissions will be published FREE OF CHARGE on my model train blog site. If your submission gets approved, I will even include a layout photo (if you supply one). This is a great way to get some FREE publicity for your club and share ideas with others in the hobby. I get a lot of visitors to my blog site.

http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/train-club.html

If you live outside Australia you’ll probably never heard of Toowoomba. Well, now you have. The Darling Downs Model Railway Club Inc. is located in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Fact is; The Darling Downs Model Railway Club has a membership of over 100 members and is the largest Queensland model train club outside of the National Body AMRA. The Toowoomba club has extensive model train layouts in Z, N and HO scales.

The Darling Downs Model Railway Club is hosting the Toowoomba Model Train Show on Saturday the 13th and Sunday 14th June 2009. The Toowoomba Model Train Show runs from 9am to 5pm and Sunday the 14th June 2009 from 9am till 4pm. The location for the model train show is the Founders Pavilion at the Toowoomba Showgrounds in Glenvale Road, Toowoomba.

Our recent reader poll results showed 75% of respondents thought other model railroaders were willing to share ideas. Unfortunately, 23% thought some people in the hobby could be more helpful, or that many resist sharing their ideas and knowledge. So, here is your chance to prove the 23% wrong!

If you have any knowledge of model railroading you can contribute your ideas to this blog and help others in the process. Without help some beginners may simply give up and leave the hobby through sheer frustration.

You will know from previous postings I always encourage people to join their local model railroad club, and this blog is also a way you can interact with the wider model railroading community.

Your Thoughts Matter

The problem is, I don’t have the time to continue running this free service on my own. I need others in the hobby to step up to the mark and start helping with answers to questions etc.

At the moment this blog is available as a free service to everyone, but one option is to make it for private membership only. That way I could generate some revenue to cover some of the costs of my time spent running this service.

However, my preference is to keep it as free access to everyone, but I need others in the hobby to contribute their skills and knowledge to keep it going. Fortunately, we do have some very generous, regular contributers like Tony P, Hank, Herb Snr and others… but, they can’t be expected to do everything.

The first thing you can do is register as a contributer and blog member. That way, I know you are seriously interested in helping others in the hobby and helping me (and others) to keep this blog as free access for everyone.

Then, you can simply add your feedback and comments to various posting and share your thoughts and ideas with others. We need this hobby to grow and prosper. We need to continually attract and encourage new people into model railroading. Without them, the manufacturers, suppliers, retailers etc won’t do as well… and we all know what happens when people don’t make money.

I am sorry for the lecture, but it is best I speak my mind, rather than just make changes without giving everyone the opportunity to participate.

So please, we can all help each other. We are all in this hobby together. Don’t just sit there, register now and help others!

Click on the green Comments and Feedback link below this posting to register as a contributor and blog member.

Bradley has an LGB garden railway and wants to hear from others in the hobby and asks:

“I wish to find a product for my LGB Garden railway layout. Prior to this I have charged my track to run my trains. I want to look into a battery operated remote control system where I might put a battery in a car behind an engine in order to run the trains. This would eliminate the use of my transformer. Can anyone involved in garden railways help me please?”

If you have an LGB garden layout and would like to advise Bradley, simply click on the green comments link, register and then reply.

Greg is looking for a Scale 2-8-2 Mikado and asks:

“Would somone know of any New York Central H10a’s or H10b’s on market say between MTH, Lionel up to 3rd Rail or any other Imported Brass version 2-8-2 ($400.00-$800.00). I am looking to model Pittsburgh and Lake Erie’s hand me down Mikados from NYC in 3 rail O-Gauge. Iust missed a beauty on E-Bay (Closed4/10) but. . . she was $980.00 scoots B-4 shipping.”

Ron has a question for readers on the Durango/Silverton train line and asks:

“What I am really looking for is a Durango/Siverton train set in N guage. The reason is, my grandfather had the first livery stable in the town of Silverton, CO. I visited that town in 1978 and saw a unique area surrounded by high mountains. I wish I had a lead on any model train builder that has the Durango/Silverton train line. Can anyone suggest someone they may know of?

Our recent poll on this model train blog site surveyed 954 respondents and found that 48% (459) people operated or prefered HO scale and 8% (78) selected OO as their choice. HO and OO are not exactly the same but are similar in scale.

In response to the poll findings here is an email I got from keen model railroader Ken. He makes some good and interesting points and has a question someone may be able to help him with:

“Thanks, I enjoy the blog, the site, and the links. I have a set of good-performing (but inexpensive) HO diesel locomotives. Over the years I’ve patiently rebuilt the mechanisms, which include some older (and newer) Athearn, Bachmann, Model Power and Tyco (all older).

I have a couple of locos due for rebuilds soon, and I’ve been wondering for some time whether it might make sense to add a second powered truck so the locos are dual powered (instead of just front- or rear-powered. All of the above-mentioned.

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? It looks pretty straightforward from studying the parts diagrams of the different locos, especially the same model that came/comes in both dual drive and single drive.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.

Best, Ken”

To answer Ken’s question, or to comment on the points he makes – add your feedback using the green comments link below this posting.

Edwyn also has some interesting comments on the poll results:

“Thanks for sending me the results of your survey. The figures were really, not all that surprising. What they did confirm to me, was the definite popularity of HO, as number 1. Was the survey mainly structured from NZ replies, or were they world-wide?”

Edwyn – the results were from all over the world.

Edwyn continues:

“This brings me to a big beef I have with many retailers of model railway material…their seeming insistence that there is little or no difference between HO and OO SCALE and their continued advertising of locos and rolling stock as “OO/HO” scale.

Many model train retailers confuse SCALE with GAUGE and whilst modern HO and OO scale stock all now share HO gauge rail, there is still a considerable difference between the two SCALES. After all, OO is 1/76 and HO is 1/87 and the difference is nearly 12%!

Lineside material, buildings etc, don’t seem to matter too much but when you put locos and rolling stock together for comparison, the size differences become very apparent. Place an English OO ‘Jinty’ shunter next to an American HO 4-6-2 Pacific and the Jinty looks disproportionately large!

Could you please use your influence with some of these people and try and make them understand that HO and OO are NOT THE SAME!

I wonder if you could also help me with my search for a good repair/serviceman, in the Brisbane area of Queensland. I desperately need assistance with a couple of items and any help you can give would be much appreciated. Many thanks.”

Add your feedback and comments to this posting using the green comments link below.

Tom has a question about train control and wants to hear from others reading his posting:

“Can one of your readers tell me for radio frequency remote control of model trains, what frequency is used? What section of the FCC rules do these operate? What test equipment is used for testing and repairing the transmitters and receivers?”

I know from answers to previous questions we get hundreds of very experienced model railroaders reading this blog, but I think they must all be asleep. Several question have been posted by fellow railroaders that need answering, but no one seems to want to help others at the moment. I know things are a bit gloomy financially, but it is all the more reason why we should all lend a helping hand to others and try and stay cheerful.

The point is; if this hobby is to move forward we must all help each other… the newbies in the hobby are the ones who especially need help and encouragement.

I have said it before and I will say it again – I get dozens of emails from beginners in the hobby who feel excluded. One guy told me “model railroading is like a secret society” with many in the hobby not wanting to share their knowledge. Although I don’t entirely agree, I have seen some evidence of this attitude, and I must say it saddens me.

PLEASE- If you have can help others, or offer feedback, please add your comments using the green comments link below each posting on this blog. That’s all anyone expects.

This blog gets thousands of readers and I run it free of charge in the hope that as many model railroaders as possible contribute. The problem is that we get lots of questions from people who genuinely need help, but not enough other model railroaders are prepared offer feedback, comments or answers.

So, please help out if you can and prove that model railroaders are a helpful cooperative bunch of enthusiasts who welcome and encourage new people into the hobby.

Enough said!

Converting an HO Loco To DCC

A reader asks:

“Does anyone know how difficult is it to convert a spectrum loco from Bachmann to DCC operation? It is about six or seven years old but has not been used much.”

HO Model Buildings and People

Doug wants to hear from fellow HO model railroaders about their experiences with constructing HO buildings and people and asks:

“Can someone tell me is it best to just purchase HO buildings like barns and stores and weather them or can someone suggest a method for making various buildings? Also, has anyone made models of people… if so how did they do it? I would like to know the techniques”

To provide feedback use the green comments link under this posting.

Art is looking for help to buy a trolley:

“Can one of your readers assist me with a relatively simple project to identify and buy a Trolley(or train) in scale with Hawthorne Villages. It needs a tight turn ability for setup on a Credenza. Looks like smaller than HO – but not sure. I am real amateur at this – but I am looking to enhance our village for the Grandson (Oh all right, me too).Thanks !”