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!
HO Bachmann DCC Turnouts
Dick would like advise from anyone in the hobby who can help:
“I have searched and searched, but have been unable to find a definitive answer (or a solution) to programming Bachmann DCC turnouts with the Dynamis system. I can get them to respond, but the programming does not hold. I was able to get them programmed with the Bachmann base DCC system (E-Z?), but not the Dynamis. Can someone help? Also, I am trying to figure out the configuration for wiring a double cross-over with Bachmann’s reversing loop modules. Thanks!”
South African Model Scene 1960’s to Present Day
Peter Field from Pietermarizburg South Africa has sent in this article to share:
In later years model trains became my media for creating a small South African village and country side scenery that I so enjoy in my spare time and as we grow older we need to make time to relax and spend time with our hobby.
In the past few years I’ve built a number of layouts 4 to be exact some very basic whilst others have been quite complex in design, however the basic point was to operate model trains.
I had now started my new layout (back in the garage) number 5, on a board that was used for the 2007 Model Railway conference in Westville which has also been used for the Bisley Miniature Live Steamers hobby fairs over the last two years, which has been modified somewhat from the original board which is now mounted on a steel frame table.
My present board was started as a demonstration board of 1.80m x 1.20m the idea was to show people that you could operates HO on a small board and still enjoy what was on the board, however there were plans afoot to add another board to this also being 1.80m x1.20m in the near future which will give me a straight run of 3.6m on each side and the other side will represent a Karoo scene with on or two farms and a very small village a three to four houses and a shop and a garage.
At present my new board houses a replica of Hilton Station built by Eric Tucker and a factory some houses a Wimpy and Service station, working farm with a combine harvester and animals on the farm with a windmill and a real country atmosphere, a church scene and two shops, the layout has a tunnel, some cuttings two signals still to be connected and a spur that runs to the factory and the engine sheds and a staging line.
All houses are lighted as well as the streets etc.
As the board is wired as such I can operate one train on small we call it board A in a loop formation whilst on board B we can shunt or make up another train whilst the train on Board A is running it’s section.
When I am ready I close all the points and the train can now go from board A to board B in one big loop as long as the pints are all closed on board A. Then again when it’s finished it run I can close off board B and open the points on board A and revert back to two operations on separate boards.
Once again it’s fun to spend time operating the layout, seeing it change every so often and make improvements. As when is necessary.
As previously mentioned there is always some thing to do be it track maintenance, fixing this or that improving or changing a building sorting out wiring beneath the board etc.
And so 2011 dawned and it was time to add another board to the layout which was duly completed which now gives me an additional a total length of +- 16 meters to operate trains.
I still operate trains most Saturdays which I find very relaxing and gives me time to recapture those memories of the past and of my child hood riding behind those “giant steeds” of the past.
Well in November 2011 I had to go to Cape Town on leave and collected my Class 25 Condenser and returning home put it on the board and after running well suddenly ground to a halt on the one corner the reason being the radius of the corner was only +- 24 “ and as the size of the locomotive dictated that a minimum of +- 32” was needed and after considering this it was decided to alter the boards yet again by adding on 1.2 meters to cater for the wide radius of the wheels.
This meant rebuilding sections of the board and changing scenery which was duly done and the Class 25 Condenser can now negotiate the corners quite easy and lovely to watch going through the corners.
The board is now completed with a game reserve with elephants, giraffe, rhino, and hippos and other animals imagine going through the game reserve by rail and seeing these animals.
With that came a game lodge and two small farms and thus the layout was completed in six months time.
Now I can run a Class 25 Condenser or Class 34 diesel through my board be it a passenger train, container train, fuel train or a coal train.
It still looks spectacular going around the board with what ever train is running.
N-Scale Digitrax DCC Layout
Horst asks others in the hobby for advice:
“I am installing a Peco Double Crossover Turnouts with electro frogs in my N-Scale Digitrax DCC layout without a reversing loop. (Parallel tracks only). My plan is to use two or four servo motors with decoders to operate the turnouts. Which components do I need to achieve a flawless operation including to electrify the two frogs alternately for the correct polarity?”
DCC Interior Lights
Steve would like some advice from DCC railroaders:
“Hi, I brought an HO Roco train and carriages set which is dcc. I put Roco interior lights in the train set. It has wire going to the axle but no light seem to be working. Would I have to program them into my dcc unit? Any help would be great. Thank you”
To add your answer to help Steve, simply click on the title link “DCC Interior Lights” above this posting, and you’ll be redirected to the comments page.
DCC and Tracks Setup
Francis wants advice from anyone with DCC experience and asks:
1. How do I start an HO DCC setup lets say for a 16x 8 ft layout?
2. How many boosters and transformers do I need?
3. What brand of locos can be combined to run on the same tracks?
4. Can Marklin, Atlas and Bachmann locos run on the same tracks?
Click on the BLUE title of this post to add your answer(s) to help Francis.
Making A Waterfall Appear Natural
It is usually best to start waterfalls above eye as they will have a more realistic and dramatic effect, as well as providing the illusion of extra height. 
When making your waterfall try not to make it too perfect as water never falls down in a perfectly straight line. In real life, water will flow naturally around the rocks and possibly split out into yet another waterfall. It’s best not to make the water appear too still or smooth, as it will usually look more natural if it has ripples or splashes.
Submit A Question Or Answer A Question
If you have a question to ask others in the hobby, or if you want to answer or comment on a question, or if you want to publish a photo/description of your layout… then this is the place to do it. This popular Model Train Help Blog has already had nearly 400,000 visitors!
To submit a question simply use the “Submit Your Question” link in the right hand column.
To answer a question click on the title of the posting and you’ll be redirected to a page where you can add your comment or answer. You can also see what others have to say.
To add a photo/description of your layout, or add a tip for others, use the “Want To Help” link in the right hand column.
PLEASE NOTE: All questions and comments get submitted to the Blog Moderator for approval prior to publication. Please spell check and proof read what you write before submission, as only the best comments, questions and answers will be published. Sorry to be fussy, but we get a lot of comments that don’t make sense, and we want to maintain a high standard for everyone reading this blog.
Rolling Stock Weight
Travis sent in this tip to share:
Weight your cars to avoid derailments. Flat cars and gondolas can be a problem, so you can add a removable load. Use metal nuts, lead shot, and panel box knockouts are some ways to add extra weight. Make certain you glue the weights in firmly to avoid movement. There is nothing worse than having the weight come loose.
Click the BLUE title to add your comment to this post. Comments will be approved by the blog moderator usually within minutes or a few hours and then published.
Scrap Tyres To Complete A Junk Yard Scene
Ramish has sent in this scenery ideas to share:
I am very proud of the Scrap Yard scene on my layout. Visitors always comment on the a pile of tires stacked up in the yard.
Unfortunately Ramish did not supply a photo of his trash yard scene, but this photo of another layout shows how the idea could look.
Here’s how I made it. A went to a local auto parts shop and bought a short length of the small diameter water hose (very cheap to buy). I cut it into thin slices based on my scale and painted them a dark greyish black and added some specks of mud color. When dry I stacked and glued them in place.
Add your suggestion or comment by clicking on the BLUE title above.
Smoother Running Locomotives
Flywheels
Flywheels will generally make your loco run more smoothly. Flywheels will help overcome the effects of dirty spots on the track. They help provide momentum to your loco with starting slowly and stopping slowly or when coasting.
Can Motors
Can motors provide the benefit of being sealed to protect from dirt and dust. As well as that, Can Motors give higher torque with low speeds, and typically are smoother, and will draw less current.
All Wheel Pickup
Having all wheel pickup provides smooth operation and aids operation through crossings, turnouts, and over dirty track. The wheels can provide energy on track and create momentum.
Add your suggestions by clicking the BLUE “Smoother Running Locomotives” title above.
Economical Ballast for 027 Lionel Trains
Joe has kindly sent in an idea to share with others in the hobby.
I found a way to get ballast for 0 and 027 track. First of all I have been purchasing old track at train swap meets. Track and switches are there for a minimal cost. When doing different jobs in my garage, I was using play sand from The Home Depot for cleaning metal parts. The bigger grit of the sand sped up the sand blasting process. However some of the sand stones were too big for the nozzle forcing me to sift them out. Unbelievably, the pebbles that were sifted out from a normal aluminum screen turned out to be a great ballast size for my train layout.
Track ballast on Joe’s model railway layout.
With the three rail system, the space between the rails had to be spread out in order for the train wheels not to touch. (causing a derailment). After the ballast was in place, I used clear lacquer spray paint over the stone and saturated it. Once the lacquer dries, everything stays in place. The clear lacquer paint comes in spray cans at Lowe’s or The Home Depot, in their spray paint departments. You can guard for over-spray with news papers. Make sure you quickly remove the newspaper before the lacquer sets. The final step is to wipe the track with lacquer thinner on a rag to remove the lacquer and allow electrical contact with the trains. Most important is to allow adequate time for the paint and thinner to cure. ANY FUME CAN BE IGNITED FOR AN ELECTRICAL SPARK.
There are other methods of securing the ballast. Woodland Scenics has a material for this purpose that is water based. Either way the ballast looks real. I purchased a 50lb bag of sand for around $1.98 and gave me enough ballast to spread out on 60 feet of track after sifted. One can of spray paint covered over 30 feet pending on the amount of saturation applied. Click the BLUE title to add your comment or suggestion. Comments will be published as soon as they get approved by the blog moderator.
HO Cars Derailing
Richard asks readers for advice:
“I am building a Woodland Scenics River Pass layout, and I’m at the point where I need to lay track inside the tunnels and cover the tunnels. I am using the Atlas track kit that is designed for the layout, and a number of the cars derail at the switches. I have replaced some of the wheels on the cars, and that doesn’t help. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.”
To advise Richard, simply click on the BLUE title of his posting and add your answer. You don’t need to register or anything like that. Simply add your suggestion.
Train Blog Gets Important Update
If you are a regular visitor to this popular blog, you will have noticed some gradual changes over the past few weeks. You will have noticed the exciting NEW LOOK, and as from today we have made it easier for you to comment on postings. You no longer need to register with Google.
To add a comment, you simply click on the BLUE title of the posting and you’ll be directed to a page where you can add your comments. Most comments are approved within minutes (or hours) and get published on the blog.
Remember, this blog is for you, so get involved and comment on individual postings.
HO Wagon Weight
Stanley wants advice from others in the hobby:
“Dear Readers. This question has probably been asked many times [and answered] but I am in the dark about what is an average weight per wagon [European] to hold to the track properly especially curves and turnouts? In other words: 40 ft.= total ounces per car. 50 ft.= total ounces per car. Thank you for all your help !”
Add your answer below.
HO Track Spacing
Richard wants advice from others in the hobby and asks:
“What is the spacing of tracks where two run side by side? What is the spacing on curves? Previous answers have referred to NMRA standards but that means nothing to me. If I want to design my own layout how do I space?”
Please add your suggestions to help Richard below.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
Download Your Free Catalog
