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KATO Track Feeders
Bob sent in this question for readers:
“I’m re-doing my N Scale layout and I plan on using KATO Unitrack. My question is: How many feeder tracks do I need per 10 feet of track? This will be DCC controlled. I’ve been told that it’s not like using Atlas and others as the connectors on the Unitrack carry the electricity better. On my old layout I had feeders every 2 feet, sometimes closer. I was thinking a feeder every 5 feet. Too far? Thanks.”
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A Keen Hobbyist Has His Say
If model train manufacturers want to promote the hobby it should be done through advertising, something that model railroading doesn’t get enough of. This is the view of at least one keen model railroader (watch video). Do you agree?
Add your comment to this posting and/or take part in the poll.
POLL RESULTS: Do You Operate DC Or DCC?
There was a great response to last weeks poll which asked: Do You Operate DC Or DCC?
In all 841 model railroaders had their say with the majority (53%) of railroaders saying they operate DCC. Another 20% hoped to convert.
Although I’m not a professional pollster, I did notice one thing of significance.
Throughout the polling the percent results remained constant, indictating (to me) that the results were very accurate and hardly changed as more and more people voted. Here are the survey results:
>> DCC – I have always operated DCC (14%, 120 Votes)
>> DCC – I converted from DC to DCC (39%, 326 Votes)
>> DC – I hope to convert to DCC at some stage (20%, 169 Votes)
>> DC – I will be sticking with DC (19%, 162 Votes)
>> I don’t have a layout yet (8%, 64 Votes)
Click here for more DCC info
Making Your Layout Appear Bigger
Positioning buildings in front of the background scenery (or backdrop) can give the impression the layout is bigger than it actually is. When done well, the distant scenery can appear go on forever. Trees or a road disappearing behind a hill can give a similar effect.
This quick video shows an easy way to construct a building in low relief. The building can be made with 3 sides and a roof, or just attach the front directly onto the backdrop. The construction material is either core flute or foam core… both are available from a hardware store. A big sheet will probably cost you less than $10 and make lots of buildings. Also remember, because the building will probably be positioned in the background, you could make it smaller than the scale you are operating.
The plan is one of a series of six available from http://www.modelbuildings.org/Low-Relief-Buildings-B.html
Battery Powered Locomotive
Stanley asks readers:
“I would like to know how to convert either a dummy loco or one with a defunct motor in order to run on dead track. I presume it would require off/on switch, wiring [of course] and maybe four AA batteries. Any help out there?”
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Bachmann DCC Equipped Diesel Engines
Thom has a question for readers:
“I have 2 Bachmann DCC equipped diesel engines a GP35 CSK light future and a GP38-2 Dark future. I’d like to add DDC sound to both HO engines, however a Digitrax rep has looked at these and doesn’t believe sound can be added due to the limited area under the shell. Has anyone added sound to these Bachmann engines? Thanks in Advance!”
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NCE Power Cab Accessory Decoder Programming
Tony has a question for others in the hobby:
“I have an HO NCE Power Cab and a Hornby R8247 Decoder for lighting/accessories. Can any one help with programming for a simple on/off operation for the layout scenery lights please.”
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Rivarossi Pullman Car Wheels and Axles
Gil wants your help:
“I have 2 N gauge Rivarossi Pullman cars and a model power freight car that are giving me grief as the wheels will not stay attached to the micro trains chassis. It seems to me that the holes for the wheels have now worn out so that they no longer have the capacity to hold the axles in place. Any clues or do I need to buy wheels/chassis….by the way this is not a constant problem ..it doesn’t occur all the time when trains are running, but it is annoying.”
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HO Trestles for Subway
Margie asks readers for the name of a retail outlet or manufacturer:
“Hello everyone, Hope you can help. I’m looking for HO trestles for a subway (actually, elevated train system). There are lots in other gauges, but having trouble finding HO scale. Thanks!”
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The Evolution Of Model Railroading
Model railroading has evolved from clockwork mechanisms or steam power through to battery operation and now electrics and digital control. The last few decades has seen real improvements in the quality of model trains (detail, materials, and control). This biggest change in recent years came with the invention of digital command control (DCC).
With DCC you can control and operate each locomotive individually, and you can choose to have it operate on its own, or you can operate it in concert with other locos. By comparison; using conventional DC control, you control “blocks of track”, so any locomotive on the track will respond the same way. With DCC the wiring can be less complex – with more operational flexibility and possibilities. That’s not to say DC can’t be a huge amount of fun – it is!
Why do you prefer DC or DCC? Add your comment.
New DCC Books Will Help Many
DCC has been around for many years – yet for many in the hobby, how DCC operates is still a mystery.
DC Wiring
Basically with DC you need to break your layout into various electrical sections and add suitable switching. Pickups on the loco get power from the track directly to the motor. You need to have one controller for each locomotive running. You will also need to run a large amount of wire even on a small layout.
Tuning a loco’s performance on a DC railroad can be very difficult without changing motors or gearboxes. Locomotive lights will vary with the voltage. A low speed will mean low voltage, so stalling can be a common issue unless the trackwork is perfect.
DCC Wiring
There are several brands of DCC controllers to choose from.
DCC can be as simple (or as complex) as you want it to be. A DCC layout can consist of a simple common electrical circuit (you decide) – or if you are a wiring enthusiast…well, the sky is the limit!
With DCC each loco can be operated independently without worrying about unwanted interaction with other trains. There is no operational requirement for isolated sections or separate controllers.
The DCC controller provides a full voltage at all times so locomotive (and coach) lighting is constant. With the availability of a higher track voltage, the starting and slow speed running is often better than if the same loco were running on DC.
Two new DCC ebooks
If you are comfortable with DC then stick with it. If you want to explore new possibilities, then consider DCC. It really is a matter of personal choice.
If your layout operates well on DC, then it operate well on DCC too.
These new DCC ebooks are available from http://www.dccmodeltrains.org
Crowd Fascinated With T Gauge Layout
Ken G from sunny Queensland in Australia has kindly sent in this article to share:
After reading a recent blog posting and the article about John’s small layout that had too many trees etc I thought you might be interested in my T Gauge layout. T Gauge is 1:450 so its roughly half the size of Z and one third the size of N.
Although “T” stands for Three (3mm track) it could also stand for “Tiny”
Its called “Briefleigh” because it fits into a briefcase.
I work as a volunteer at the Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich Qld and over the weekend of 26th and 27th October we held the Queensland Model Railway Show at the museum. After last year’s show I made a promise to myself that I would build a layout for this year’s show. It wasn’t really what I had originally intended but I built a T Gauge layout inside a briefcase and called it “Briefleigh”.
John’s story was a reminder of my thinking when I built the layout. I deliberately used trees and bushes sparingly so as not to dominate the scene and distract viewers from the overall appearance of the layout. I even used flocking quite sparingly. The base is made of extruded foam which was firstly painted with a flat brown acrylic. I then randomly air brushed the hills and areas outside of where the village was going to be with green and yellow/ochre. When the flocking was applied I left bare areas, again randomly, to depict a more earthy landscape.
The buildings, bridge supports and tunnel portals are all made from card. The larger industrial looking building is a model of enough of the museum for viewers at the show to recognise it as such. The whole museum would have almost filled the briefcase. The little layout generated an enormous amount of interest and comment, especially the eagle magically flying above the river, which unfortunately proves to be very difficult to photograph.
Robert adds – If you would like to submit an article for publication, please follow the “Submit Your Article” Link in the right hand column.
New Resource For OO Gauge and HO Scale Railroaders
The Beginners Guide To HO/OO Trains by Tom Hobson has just been released. It is an ebook that can be downloaded to your computer, burnt onto a disk, or printed out for handy reference. It will benefit many in the hobby and focuses on OO gauge and HO scale.
Model railroaders choose the scale they want to model for different reasons. Some prefer bigger trains; some like lots of scenery and track so opt for a medium scale size such as HO or OO, whilst others are more limited for space and choose N scale or even smaller scales.
There is no right or wrong scale… it really comes down to personal preference and/or space and budgetary considerations.
That said; the biggest selling model train scale worldwide is HO scale (1:87), with the UK equivalent OO gauge (1:76) being the number one size in that part of the world.
If you are interested in building an HO scale or OO gauge layout then this ebook is a good starting point. After all, the more you know, the less mistake you’ll make.
POLL RESULTS: Do you plan to expand your layout size in the future?
600 Model railroaders took part in our latest survey which asked “Do you plan to expand your layout size in the future?”
Here’s how they voted:
>> YES – I hope to (43%, 257 Votes)
>> NO – Unfortunately I don’t have the space (40%, 237 Votes)
>> I don’t have a layout yet (17%, 106 Votes)
Add your comment to this post.
Office Building Made From Card Or Foam Core Board
There are all kinds of ways to approach the construction of this model railroad office building structure. The first thing is to decide what scale you want to use. The plan is in PDF format which you print on your home printer, so you just scale it to meet your needs – HO scale, OO gauge, N scale etc.
The next thing is to decide if you want to assemble it in full 3D with all sides visible. The other option is to make it as a low relief building for positioning against a wall on a backdrop. That way you could just construct the building frontage (1 side), or maybe construct the frontage and part of 2 sides and part of the roof.
The third thing to consider is what construction method you prefer. The building can be made very strong by just using card such as an old cornflakes pack. You can strengthen the corners if you wish, but it is optional. The other method is to use foam core board or core flute board, both of which are very rigid and available cheaply from a hardware DIY store.
This plan is available from http://www.modelbuildings.org/office-building-B424.html
Add your suggestions.
References To Engines and Rolling Stock Over The Years
Pete is hoping other model railroaders can give him some suggestions:
“In an effort to be as prototypical as possible, I am searching for a resource that depicts what engines and rolling stock were used during various eras?”
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Mistakes For A Very Small Layout
John has very kindly sent in another article to share:
You’re reading this from somebody who tried four times to make a very small layout, and failed miserably every time, in my opinion. I work in N-Scale, a great size for small or large creations, but very small seems to be something else completely to make it look realistic and not a toy. My layout was less than 2×3-feet, just enough using a radius of 45-degree 9-3/4′ curves in Kato N-Scale Unitrack. It was an oval with one siding, and was based on the TV show “The Honeymooners”, which I still think was the greatest comedy ever created, even after all these years.
The mistakes I made might help someone else, and they’re recorded below:
– In the first creation, I had so many trees on it that it looked like a Tree Farm. So in the second try I added more structures. So now it looked like a Tree Farm with Buildings. The third and fourth attempts didn’t remedy the situation.
– Don’t put in too much. A very small layout naturally does not allow a lot of space, so choose wisely. Stay in scale, and pick structures, landscape, and figures that blend in with the track without overdoing it.
– Put trees, especially smaller ones, in the foreground, and don’t use a lot of them. Save the background for tunnels and larger trees, and for trees in clumps.
– Though it’s easy to lay the track, don’t be in a hurry. Take your time and add detail, but not enough to overpower the rest of the layout. Driveways, flowers, freight loads (if you’re using a freight house or station), fences, and vehicles are all examples of adding detail, especially on smaller layouts.
– Do things backwards – have roads that fit whatever structures and scenery you want to use. If you try to match houses to the roadways, it could be asking for trouble. Try out all combinations before gluing them down, and take a few days to study them to find what works.
– Don’t let scenery take over. N-Scale is known for letting scenery get too much for the trains in some cases. The trains are the main thing, and have the trains run through the scenery, not the scenery through the trains.
Remember simplicity. Making anything over-complicated on a very small layout (or even a large one) can result in failure.
These ideas might make a relatively tough job much easier, but remember; the only “critic” is you. This is your creation, and no matter what, if you get enjoyment out of it, that’s the name of the game and nobody can tell you different.
NOW to make that very small N-Scale layout, and it will be different this time!
Software to Capture Layout Data
Sergio asks readers for advice:
“I am a Marklin train enthusiasts. Is there a reliable software to capture all data of a layout… locomotives -coaches – the history of the pieces its origin number of loco – etc? I once bought a program off the internet but it wasn’t reliable. Your answer appreciated.”
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