Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
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)
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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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Use of Couplers
Michael has a question for readers:
“I see that Athearn are advertising N-scale models of a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy and a 4-6-6-4 Challenger. These do not have couplers at the front end. At the same time Bachmann are advertising a 2-8-8-4 which does have a front coupler, looking a bit larger than scale but obviously useful. My question is, is this coupler used only for double-heading, or is there any circumstance in which a 2-8-8-4 might haul a train tender-first?”
Model of Bridge on the River Kwai
Most of us will at some time have watched the movie “Bridge on the River Kwai.”
Jim is planning to recreate the bridge in his model railroad and asks:
“I remember when the movie Bridge on the River Kwai was released. There was a copy of the model of the bridge on the river kawi in HO scale. I would like to incorporate a copy of this bridge in either HO or N scale. Can anyone offer some suggestions?”
The whistling tune from the movie will bring back memories for many. The words to the original song were adapted by the British POW’s but I can’t publish them here as they are somewhat rude.
Add your comment and when approved by the blog moderator (censor), it will be published.
POLL RESULTS – Does your layout include a rural (farm) setting with livestock and/or crops?
A whopping 632 model railroaders took part in last weeks poll that asked “Does your layout include a rural (farm) setting with livestock and/or crops?”
I was a little surprised with the results. What do you think?
>> NO – neither (32%, 202 Votes)
>> YES – both animals and crops (25%, 156 Votes)
>> YES – animals and livestock (24%, 150 Votes)
>> YES – crops (1%, 10 Votes)
>> I don’t have a layout yet (18%, 114 Votes)
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Train Room Sign
As a follow-up to the earlier video about handling criticism about your railroad, Don sent in details of what’s on the sign he has in his train room. Add your comment to this post.
Check Your Loco When You First Get It
Regular contributor John Mc Cabe kindly sent in this short article for publication:
Engines are an integral part of any layout, and should be checked out when you first bring it home from the hobby shop or get it in the mail from an online dealer. It’s real easy to do and it doesn’t take much time, but checking the engine, besides eye-balling it, is imperative, especially a new one.
What you are looking for is slow, continual running without stops and stutters. You can use the layout you already have, or set up a length of track, making sure it’s straight and on a level surface. Use your DCC or hook a power pack to the end of the track, make sure the wheels of the engine are on the track, and the engine is pointed front-to-back. Turn the power on slow, and watch that the movement runs slowly and smoothly in both directions. Do this also after the engine is picked up and turned around to run from back-to-front. This test can also be tried on curved track.
Awhile back, I was in a hobby shop that had long, straight test tracks for HO and N-Scale. The owner of the shop took a brand new Atlas N-Scale diesel engine out of the box, put it on the test track, and ran it slowly back and forth. He then stopped the engine completely, put a ruler next to the track, and turned up the power about two clicks, just so the engine was on slightly. In a half-hour time, the engine moved forward three-quarters of an inch! I would have bought it immediately if it wasn’t already spoken for, and if I had the money.
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Where’s The World’s Longest High Speed Rail Network?
AMAZING FACTS: China already has the longest high speed rail network in the world and by the end of 2015 China this will increase to 18,000 km (11,000 miles) of track. The coverage is planned to increase to 25,000 km (16,000 miles) by 2020. Although the Chinese bullet trains can comfortably reach speeds of 380 km/h (240 mph), for safety reasons most operate at around 300km/h. During a test run a train reached speeds of 487.3 km/h ( that’s 302.8 mph).
Step back to 1993 when average train speeds in China were 48 km/h (30 mph) and the railways were losing market share to the airlines and China’s fast expanding road expressway networks. Although not as fast as planes, the bullet trains are more environmentally friendly than motor vehicles. The Chinese high speed rail network of 1580 high-speed trains currently transports 1.33 million passengers every day.
Mike kindly sent in this video giving you a 5 minute condensed ride on a bullet train from Beijing to Hangzhou and then on another high speed train to Shanghai. Fascinating to watch.
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