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!
Model Train Layouts – More On Choosing A Model Train Scale
The model train scale you choose to model in will depend on what you want from a layout and the space you have available. So, think carefully, before you choose which scale you want to model, because depending on your available space (and budget), you can achieve different things with each train scale.
Think about whether you want to see long trains running quickly through a town or countryside scene. Or, would you prefer a small compact model train layout featuring a branch line terminus and small goods yard with lots of small shunting moves? With model railroading there is a lot to think about before you choose which train scale you will model.
Happy Railroading!
Flywheels Bring Locomotive To Smooth Stop
The flywheels on the locomotive are another important feature. Flywheels are solid-metal cylinders mounted in line with the motor. Flywheels at one or both ends of the locomotive motor ensure a smooth take-off by slowing down the initial rotation of the motor. Flywheels help achieve a smoother stop when the electricity is turned off. They also help the locomotive operate more smoothly and negotiate dirty track better.
When buying a new or used locomotive always feel its weight. Locomotive weight is important to ensure that the wheels connect and stay firmly on the track. This is achieved through solid metal frames.
For more model railroad information on locomotive wheels and flywheels have a look at the Model Train Help Ebook.
Be Careful When Buying A New Or Used Locomotive
When buying a new or secondhand model train locomotive always carefully check the wheels. When not connected to a gear, the locomotive wheels will move easily when prodded with a finger. The wheels on a locomotive may move just a little and then go stiff. If that happens it is usually an indication the wheels are connected to a gear. That’s a good sign.
When buying a new or used locomotive careful check the motor because it needs to be of good quality, to turn smoothly, using the least amount of electricity.
If the locomotive is slow to start, then it may not be worth buying. You may be better to save up to buy a better quality locomotive.
ON30 Gauge Model Train Layout Question
Here is a question from a model railroader in New Zealand who has just purchased a pilot train; an ON30 gauge Bachmann 28 ton Chey loco and rolling stock. He is working on a layout that could be 20-30 yards long and will be based on 19th century trains a lot of which came from the USA. Here is his question which fellow model railroaders might like to offer some help with:
“Where/who is the best source of 19th century, ON30 gauge, logging type trains,
rolling stock, buildings, scenery and DCC equipment?”
The model train enthusiast is also looking for “distressed” buildings and model trains which look as though they have had some service and been around for some time. This is for reality purposes.
To answer this question simply click on the comments tag under this.
4 x 8 Model Railroad Layout Question
Here is a model rail question from a fellow railroader. You might like to offer some ideas.
“I am thinging of a layout fitted onto a 4 x 8′ board. The only problem I have is it would be difficult to move around. If I make it 2 4 x 4′ boards it appears to work better. The boards would sit on 6 wooded posts: two for the left end, two for the center where the two boards are connected, two for the right end. Of course everything would have to be connected after the move. This should be not a problem as how often do you move house. Any thoughts from your blog readers would be appreciated.”
To offer an answer to this model railroading question simply click on the comments link below.
N Gauge Ballast Techniques
Here is an opportunity for experienced model railroaders to share their ideas with others involved in the hobby. An N gauge enthusiast has this question:
“What precautions / technique are needed to ensure N gauge points are not gummed up by ballasting when using the accepted ballast -diluted PVA method?”
If you would like to offer an answer to help this fellow model railroader, simply click on the “comments” link below and submit your answer to the moderator for publication.
Model Train Shows
There are several model train shows and exhibits planned for 2007 in most states and around the world. Here are four upcoming events:
The 2007 National Model Railroad Association National Train Show® will be held at the Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center July 27 – 29, 2007 Detroit, MI. Each year this big event is held in a different city and state in North America. Detroit, MI will host the 17th Annual National Train Show® which will showcase all aspects of model railroading including the industry’s newest and most unique products and services from manufacturers and retailers from the U.S. and around the world. The event will cover 180,000 square feet of space, including over 45,000 square feet featuring extraordinary operating model train displays.
The Great Scale Model Train Show will be held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Timonium, MD Saturday June 23, 2007 9am – 4pm and Sunday June 24, 2007 10am – 4pm. Another model train show will happen at the same venue on Saturday October 13, 2007 9am – 4pm and Sunday October 14, 2007 10am – 4pm.
And in New Zealand…
An annual event organised by the Christchurch Model Railway Exhibition Society Inc with trade stands and in excess of 20 layouts of various scales and trade stands catering for both the serious modeler and those wanting a family day out. This New Zealand train show will be held at the Pioneer Stadium, Christchurchon Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th October 2007.
Bachmann Steam Locomotive Problem
Here is a question from a model railroading enthusiast about Bachmann steam locomotives. RJ asks “How do you fix/repair a stalled/stuck drive gear set, on an older Bachmann steam locomotive?”
This is an opportunity for you to share your ideas and thoughts. Simply click on the comments tag below to add your answer.
Popular Track Cleaning Method
Cleaning model railroad track is one of the best ways of improving model train performance.
Several track cleaning methods are available to the hobbyist including using Goo Gone®. This product is a general cleaning agent that seems to remove much of the grime that build up on railway track.
Goo Gone® is a combination of Citrus Power and scientific technology designed for tough cleaning problems.
Goo Gone® has minimal impact on the environment and is safe to use on almost any surface.
When cleaning rails use a small amount of Goo Gone® on a rag and just wipe. If the railroad track is rusted or corroded use fine sandpaper or a track cleaning block after sanding the rails. Then wipe with Goo Gone® or other cleaners.
Some hobbyists also use Goo Gone® on the wheels of their locomotives. Goo Gone® or fine sandpaper can be used to make the wheels bright and shiny.
As well as using Goo Gone® on model railroads, the product can also be used on: carpets, upholstery, clothing, tile, glass, grills, appliances, vinyl, wood, draperies, autos, boats and fiberglass.
The manufacturers claim Goo Gone® is effective on: gum, tar, crayon, fresh paint, tree sap, oil and grease, blood, ink, asphalt, scuff marks, tape and tape residue, makeup, lipstick and mascara, adhesives, candle wax, kitchen grease, shoe polish, soap scum, bumper stickers, duct tape and bicycle chain grease.
Rusty Track On Gauge 1
A keen model railroader named Keith, has offered to share his ideas on weathering track to give a rusty appearance on Gauge 1 and other thoughts on this fascinating hobby we are involved in. Here are his thoughts. If you would like to offer your ideas on this subject, simply click on th comments tag and submit your thoughts to the blog moderator for publication on this blog.
“Thanks for the model railroading tips and info you have sent me. My own model railroad journey has gone through Gauge O then Gauge N back to O and now into Gauge1 live steam. All this has been over a period of nearly 30 years and almost entirely British outline until recently. “
“The Gauge 1 will eventually be run outside, I am planning about 70 yards of track per loop and eventually 3 tracks wide plus a steaming bay and sidings for rolling stock marshalling. In this scale a scale mile is just under 60 yards. “
“I am using Cliff Barker Code 180 stainless steel track which is supplied as separate 1 or 2 yard rail lengths and moulded UV stabilised sleepers. For realism I am rusting the rails by acid etching, thorough washing then covering with fresh degreased mild steel and leaving this to rust outside for a few weeks before removing the rusted steel and assembling thetrack. The moulded plastic chairs can be painted in suitable rust colour enamels for realism.The rust stains the etched surface and this appears to be quite stable although it remains to be seen how durable this is outside. The nice thing is that the colour has to be right as it is real rust and it has that dry matt appearance of rusty rail.”
“The running surface can be buffed back to bright steel using wire wool.This technique may be adaptable for nickel silver railin other scales. “
“For locos I already have an Aster Flying Scotsman, an Aster Schools class, an Aster Prussian T3 tank loco,an Aster BR86 tank loco and an Aster Lion andhave on order an Accucraft Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson which is due for delivery during the summer. I also have a few items of rolling stock both British outline and German epoch 1 and have ordered 6 carriages to go with the Hudson. “
“I am developing a real taste for North American railroads and next on my wants list is a Burlington Pioneer Zephyr set proper diesel electric in Gauge 1. Just to confirm what a nut I am I have also started to build miniature buildings in 1/32 scale from real brick, slate and stone to go on the outdoor railway. “
“My big problems are time and money as Gauge 1 is incredibly expensive and layout building on this scale requires lots of pre-preparation, planning, materials and continuous time to build the basic structure. From then on lots of the work can be done gradually. At my current speed I expect it will besome time in 2008 before I am ready to run a train. Happy model railroading from a fellow nut.”
Track Cleaning Rolling Stock
The Aztec Annihilator is a system for cleaning dirty track (HO). The Annihilator was engineered for ease of use and minimal maintenance. Aztec are the first to admit that the car was not built to look utilitarian but instead to be a functional piece of rolling stock.
The custom painted 40ft gondola is gray with black “M.W.” and dimi data. No road or end numbers are provided. The modeler can apply decals (not included) in the railroad of his/her choice. To finish off the car the hobbyist might want to cover the mechanism with a piece of cloth (not supplied) to simulate a tarp.
The Aztec Annihilator can be run in a train and go unnoticed without hitting scenery or derailing.
A hard black anodized aluminum chassis holding two free rolling canvas rollers at a slight angle to the railhead, a magnet and a fluid reservoir (1/2 oz. capacity) is housed in a 40 ft gondola equipped with Kadee® couplers.
There is a valve to regulate the amount of cleaning fluid dispensed to the front roller. The rear roller is run dry and mops up loosened grime. A clear plastic lid covers the reservoir allowing you to see when it is running out of fluid. Turn valve about one quarter turn for ten seconds or so. Turn off and run for 10 to 15 minutes (or change times to suit).
This stealthy lightweight tips the scales at a mere 7-3/4 ounces soaking wet. The Aztec Annihilator will clean in either direction but works best with the magnet to the rear.
Diesel Horns, Steam Locomotive Whistles Add To Layout
Although I don’t personally recommend any particular brand of model trains or accessories, I do from time-to-time mention some of the products available for use on a model railroad layout.
Adding a sound system is something that many model railroaders are interested in, so here is one option worth considering.
Imagine being track side at a major rail hub with locomotives busily performing their appointed tasks, noisily shoving freight cars into their sidings, or pulling a string of cars.
MRC Symphony 77 is a steam and diesel locomotive sound system for any model railroad layout.
MRC Symphony 77 produces a high quality, realistic digital railroad sounds and comes with two large speakers and a powerfulamplifier and handheld controller and AC adapter. The MRC Symphony 77 has an eight foot cable for maximum mobility around the track.
The MRC Symphony 77 has more than 25 different sounds, with sound-on-sound combinations and controllable speedrates for diesel and steam. The MRC Symphony 77 has steam or diesel modes, a choice of horns, whistles, bell sound, rail clacks, an air release, brake, dynamic brake,water pump, fan, coal being shoveled sound, conductor, and even a crossing gate sound effect.
11,000 Locomotives Built In 50 Years
This is the N scale 2-6-0 Mogul Steam Locomotive from Micro-Ace in an 1880s era paint scheme.
The earliest 2-6-0 Mogul steam locomotives were built in 1863 by the Rogers Locomotive Works in Paterson, New Jersey. The extra set of driving wheels on the 2-6-0 Mogul steam locomotive was said to increase in tractive effort by around fifty percent over the then standard 4-4-0 wheel arrangement.
Approximately 11,000 Mogul-type locos were then built over the next 50 or so years. The 2-6-0 was a general-purpose steam locomotive that was found in both freight and passenger service.
How Model Locomotives Are Manufactured
I came across an interesting article about how Märklin Trains are manufactured.
Here is an extract from the article:
“First stop is the die casting shop. Loco body, chassis and wheels are cast independently of each other. At the same time, in the plastic molding shop, work goes ahead on the remaining body components. The highest precision has to be the rule in the turning shop. Gear wheels which still guarantee the almost legendary Märklin quality even after thousands of working hours, bevel gears and the extremely fine Mini-club wheels acquire their form here. The cast wheels for HO and gauge 1 locos are finished here, too. “
The article goes on to say:
“In order to ensure that the paint holds securely, the individual zinc die cast units are electro-phosphated. Hundreds of parts are dipped simultaneously in the various chemical baths, secured on special mountings. In the paint shop, linked spraying machines apply the basic colors of locos and cars where these are not already of dyed plastic. Against this, the spray gun operators need a practiced hand and the right kind of practice for painting individual sections of the loco bodies. And because not all color can be applied by spraying or printing, skilled women’s hands in the manual paint shop give the final touch to body and chassis. The print shop, finally, adds the lines and serial numbers and all the remaining insignia, etched with the same precision as all the other processes. “
Interesting!
7 Useful Model Railroad Tips
The Model Train Help Ebook includes hundreds of quick tips and ideas for designing, building and maintaining a reliable and spectacular model railway layout. Here are 7 quick model railroad tips from the ebook:
1. Cleaning the wheels or electrical contacts with ‘wire wool’ is NOT recommended. The wire wool is made of steel so is attracted by the magnet and will cause damage. Strands of wire wool can also cause electrical shorts within a locomotive.
2. The same rule applies to cleaning the track. Never clean the track with wire wool as it will leave strands potentially causing a short across the track to trip the controller. The ebook explains several good options for track cleaning.
3. Ensure all loose track pins have been removed from the track before running trains. The magnets will attract the pins into the motors and cause damage.
4. Be careful when laying ‘loose’ ballast around point blades. This can cause problems if the ballast gets distributed in the wrong place.
5. When laying ‘loose’ ballast never run the trains until the glue has fully dried. Vacuum the track clean to ensure no loose ballast remains.
6. When wiring your layout to operate points, lights, power feeds, etc. always use different colour multi-stranded flexible wires. Plan first with a diagram and record the colors used for each function for future reference. This can prove invaluable when checking for faults later.
7. Avoid touching the running gear on the sides of a locomotive when using your fingers to pick a locomotive. Touching the running gear on the sides of the locomotive can damage the alignment of the running gear.
More helpful tips and ideas for designing, building and maintaining a model railroad layout are in the Model Train Help Ebook.
A Shelf Layout Can Fold Away
A shelf layout is ideal when space is limited because it can be fitted in where a looped circuit would never be able to fit.
Another other advantage of building a shelf layout is that the folding baseboards on a shelf layout can be constructed in such a way for them to be easily folded away when not in use.
Being smaller in size means that shelf layouts are often quicker to construct, require less modeling, use of less materials, less trackwork and require less rolling stock. A shelf layout is therefore usually much cheaper to build than a traditional model railroad layout.
Depending on the amount of space available, it is often possible to expand a shelf layout along more than one wall. This results in an L shaped, or even a U shaped, shelf layout design.
In summary; if space is problem for building a continuous run or looped plan, consider a shelf layout. A shelf layout can provide for interesting operation, good scenery and structures, great realism with potentially a lower overall cost and shorter construction time.
Why A Shelf Layout Is More Hands On
When faced with only a small amount of space, a model railroader will usually opt for building a smaller n scale or z scale layout. Another option is to incorporate a shelf layout into the design. This can be in addition to the traditional ‘oval’ or ‘continuous run’ layout, or instead of the typical train set loop type layout.
Since shelf layouts typically occupy less space they can present some problems for the modeler. A shelf layout can limit the possibilities of incorporating continuous run and track loops. Trains can’t usually be left to run in the same way they can on a loop layout. A shelf layout generally requires a more “hands-on” operation which will appeal to many in the hobby.
Shelf layout operation usually means individual train movements are completed relatively quickly. Operation on a shelf layout is much more intense when compared to operation on a basic loop layout.
A shelf layout is certainly an option worth considering during the planning stages especially if space is limited.
Operation Verses Scenery
When building a model railroad layout decisions need to be made on the importance of different aspects of the layout. One such vital decision depends on the amount of space available. It relates to the importance of scenery at the expense of operation.
Scenery looks good, is fun to build, but takes space. Train operation is also very enjoyable, but may require a compromise in the scenery (or realism) depending on the space available.
With a small layout it might not be practical to have the desired operational system as well as the perfect scenery and realism. The key is in deciding what is important to you and making the right choices before building your layout.
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