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NEW Background City Series – Pack B
Types of Bachman Track
Vic models HO and writes:
“I have an older Bachman train set that has track that uses track connectors. I cannot find this type of track anywhere. All I can find is the EZ Track type that snaps together. Does anyone know what the type of track I have is called and where I can buy more?”
Download – Print – Build
ON SALE – 13 Plans To Make A Wild West Town Complete With Saloon, Sheriff Office, School House, Telegraph Office, General Store, etc.
https://www.modelbuildings.org/wild-west-town-pack-deal-c/
The street scene photo above was kindly supplied by Mike Racine.
Mike said, “I named the town Racine City Nevada. I built this for my Pop because he loves old west stuff. The buildings were awesome and easy to build. It just takes a little patience, a steady hand (sort of), and a bit of creativity. The cool thing is you can add whatever woodworks on the outside and the combinations are endless. I just wanted to that with your products and a good imagination you can make any train layout or diorama a beautiful work of art.”
Double Shelf Layout
Hanks asks readers:
“I am building an HO double shelf layout in a small room. The question is, how high should the second shelf be if I am going to use a helix to reach it? If possible please be specific and detailed in your response. Thanks.”
Contribute your suggestions below.
Turntable Reverse Polarity
Tony models OO and asks:
“Having got my Arduino-controlled Turntable working at last, will I have to reverse the polarity of the complete railway setup when the engine does a 180-degree turn on the turntable? And, if so, how do I do it? Ta in advance for your help.”
Making Hay Bales For A Diorama Scene
Mark asks:
“In the scale HO I wish to create hay bales… any suggestions will be helpful. I have constructed a stable and have horses. I am looking for a felt-like fabric to paint maybe? Like the stuff hats are made of. Any ideas please?”
DCC Engine Sounds Working on Older MRC Command 2000 Control
Chris models HO scale and asks:
“I just bought a beautiful CSX broadway limited rolling thunder engine, so I’m wondering if the sound (not the thunder part) will work on my old MRC Command 2000 controller?”
Add your comments below.
No Track Power After Ballasting
Darryl runs HO and would like some help:
“I ballasted about a third of my track and have tried to run a train, but no power to the track. It worked before with good voltage, and I haven’t changed any wiring. I have DCC and the cab still has power. Where should I start? Hoping for some help.”
Add your comments (or view comments) below.
Tall Warehouses Make An Impressive Backdrop
Watch the construction demo and view the scale sizes of these background warehouses on the chart at https://www.modelbuildings.org/tall-warehouses-pack-deal
Upgrading Horn Hook Couplers to Knuckle Couplers
Richard posts:
“I have an old Macy’s Holiday Lane Express HO Set # 1 by Bachmann, with a 2-6-0 locomotive, tender, and three cars. It has horn couplers. Does anyone know what trucks I could use to upgrade to knuckle couplers? I just opened this set. I have had it for a long time and it is like new, still in box, but needs a coupler upgrade.”
Engine and Track Problems
Jim models in HO scale and writes:
“Here’s a goodie – a problem half solved that created an even bigger problem. I had a 19 degree crossing (code 83 ) installed on the layout. I filed the track down to make everything run smooth.
Finally, I found a steam engine, a 4 – 6 – 2 that I liked. I started running it with some wood reefers. It seems every time that engine came to the crossing, it needs a push to get it through! UUGGHH! Only to discover that all of the other track I had on the shelf that I used to build this little 4′ X 4′ layout was all Code 100 track.
I found a new 19 degree crossing at a hobby shop, so bought it and removed the code 83, and installed the new code 100 crossing in the same location. Problem solved???
WRONG!!! The engine still needs to be helped through that crossing. WHY???? Otherwise, the engine runs just fine throughout the rest of the layout.”
Any thoughts to assist Jim please?
Peter Upgrades His Layout
Peter Field from South Africa recently upgraded his model railway prompted by one board warping which had to be replaced. Peter writes:
In 1985 I built my first layout which was 150×120 and was an oval type of layout that served me for many years +-34 to be exact as this layout was used as a demonstration layout and convention layout. In 1990 I built my first permanent layout which was again 150×120 and over the years added on to it until it became 3.0x120m and in 2019 added my last extension bringing the board to 5.0m x 1x20m and in September 2021 had to replace the original board due to warping and put in a scutter board of 2.0m x120 which lies diagonally across from the original two other boards making the board 8.4m in total length by 3x20m across. The board is based on the SAR in the 1950s to mid-2000s when steam diesel and electric traction worked side by side.
The passenger rolling stock goes from the wooden balcony coaches of the 1950s to the present steel passenger rolling stock and has the Blue train South Africa’s premier train and a Metro train.
The Goods or freight wagons range from Coal, Fuel, Cement, and container trains made up as unit trains or general freight trains, or general goods trains.
The locomotive roster is Electric locos Class4E, Class5E, Class 6E, Class 7E. Steam locos comprise Class 16E 4-6-2, Class 15CA 4-8-2, and Class 24 2-8-2. Class 6 2-8-0 whilst the diesel locos range from Class31 from the late 1950s to Class 34, Class 35, and Class 36 shunter loco.
How do I run all these locos at once, I select 5 – 6 and use them as required and after a period of three months swop them over with other units and do likewise with the rolling stock.
What does the layout comprise of well it is based on a small village north of PIETERMARITZBURG called Hilton which is a village with various trains running through the village?
The layout consists of a few small farms, some small holdings some just outside the village, the village itself has a Church, One Stop garage, small shops, a post office, station which is modeled on the actual Hilton Station here dating from 1880’ and the container depot and Loco facility plus some houses and smallholdings and past the game reserve, Jenny’s Furniture factory and past the Container depot and into the station again.
Let’s take a journey on my train leaving the station the train does the right-hand curve past the Anglo Boer war Blockhouse and over the river into a left-hand corner past the loco sheds and past the shunting yards, which contain the Cat Factory, then we reach our first farm which is a typical African farm with the farmhouse, dam, and windmill, and sheep grazing in the paddock with a cattle loading platform, to the right-hand side there is a branch line going to the coal mine which is in the mountain and a coal staging point for loading the coal wagons from this point the track makes a right turn past a Xhoza village and into a mountain cutting which is part of the coal mine then through a tunnel and back onto the main straight past another farm and the Squatter camp and the track makes a slight right turn past two small
holdings and over the points onto the mainline of the new board past Jenny’s Furniture Factory and the Container depot and into a cutting and over the points and into the two-line Hilton village station which is then the end of the journey on my train.
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