Archive for the ‘Model Railroad Layout’ Category
HO Model Railroad – Hines Lumber Co
Eastbound freight #32 passes the Hines Lumber Co. on my HO scale Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf model railroad layout. … model railroad layout HO trains Mississippi Orleans magnolia NMRA railroading railroader steam locomotive scenery logging shay mill lumber
THREE LEVEL MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT UPDATE
THREE LEVEL MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT WITH A HELIX AND PAPER MACHE MOUNTAINS AND SOME HAND MADE TURNOUTS.
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Tour of the Expanded S-Gaugers San Diego model railroad layout
The San Diego S-Gaugers set up and ran their expanded modular layout during the December, 2009, Great Train Expo at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The club’s modular layout currently sports fourteen modules designed to the NASG S-MOD standards. To learn more about the club, visit our website at sites.google.com
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Model Railway Trains – A Fascinating Hobby
Model trains have been around almost as long as real life railway trains. Model railway trains find their origins in 1891 when the first complete model train system was released by Marklin, a German company. Marklin followed up the first model railway train with a series of accessories, track expansions, and track gauges.
These days model railway trains are still a popular hobby, there are countless clubs, equipment, special interests groups, manufacturers and hobbyists out there. With so much variety those looking to get into the hobby might find themselves overwhelmed. Not to mention the model train hobby has developed its own terminology. It can take some time to get used to phrases such as “gauge”, “reverse loop”, “mainline”, “scale” and “benchwork”.
The sheer variety of model railway trains means that any hobbyist can specialize in a certain type. Anyone can find an area of interest that suits them when it comes to model trains. Some model train hobbyists prefer to act more as a collector, gathering parts of a particular kind whether it be operation, railway, or something else. Other hobbyists want to build an entire railway layout. There are even some hardcore hobbyists who want to create model train layouts that are as realistic as possible. These types of hobbyists seek to emulate actual railway operations with their model trains.
Let’s time to go over some of that model train hobbyistâ??s terminology. We’ll begin with choice of scale. The scale is the size of the model train compared to the real life size of the train it represents. The most popular scale is the HO scale which is 1/87th the actual train size. That means 1 inch of an HO scale track presents 7 feet and for inches of a real world track. Something on a larger scale, such as a G or “garden” scale requires a lot of space but is a much easier model to work with. A much smaller size like the N scale of model railway trains are difficult to work with but allow a hobbyist to build much more complicated layouts in a smaller space.
What gauge any given track is depends on the scale. Gauge is the word used to describe the distance between track rails. Naturally the gauge of a track needed will be smaller the smaller the scale of the model. Benchwork is the word that describes the supports of one’s model train layout. Beginning hobbyists generally begin with a flat layout. But of course a railroad isn’t always going to be flat in real life, so the benchwork can help create much more complex and realistic terrain. Many hobbyists enjoy building their benchwork and track layouts and crafting the scenery so that they can create a realistic small-scale representation of real world railroad operations.
Model railway trains have only become more sophisticated since Marklin introduced the hobby back in the late 1800’s and today it is a highly accessible hobby. With so many choices it’s possible to find something to interest any budding hobbyist. But how do you get started? Well there are a number of resources you could look to. There are many articles and books written on the subject, you could visits a hobby shop or a show, there are so many ways to learn about the exciting hobby of model railway trains.
Mike Foster is a model train enthusiast and enjoys helping others learn about this fascinating hobby.
For more on model railway trains, visit his website: http://model-train-essentials.com
An Insight Into The Different Model Train Scale
One of the biggest identifying factors in buying a model train is the model train scale. The scale of train will tell you the size of the train and allow you to buy anything, which will go along with the train you are buying. Buying accessories such as buildings and landscape features will all depend on the scale of the train that you are buying. It is important to get to know the different scales in order o make sure you have the train which best suits your needs. Keep in mind, while some people may use the terms scale and gauge as if they are the same thing, they are not. Scale refers to the size of the train itself whereas gauge refers to the width of the track as measured in millimeters between the rails.
The most popular model train scale, which is commercially produced, is the HO scale. This scale is characterized by being almost exactly half of the 0 scale which was made popular between World War One and World War Two. As more homes did not have the space to be able to accommodate such large trains, the HO scale was a much better option. The scale represents a 1:87 ratio which is still not popular in most of Great Britain even thought there is a 1:87 Scale Society which was established in 1994 to celebrate the scale. The bulk of the HO scale models are sold to model railroaders in Europe and North America.
For homes with very little space like homes in Japan and apartments in New York, the N scale model has become very popular. This model train scale has become very detailed by the manufacturers in order to meet the exacting demands of the model railroader. With the popularity of this scale growing, it is becoming easier to find the accessories you need in order to create a highly detailed layout. American companies are leading the charge in creating the best N scale model trains available on the market today.
Many model railroaders live in a home with an outside garden they would like to be able to put a model train in. For these people, the G scale has become the most popular model train scale because of its ability to operate in most any kind of weather. The scale was made popular by the German manufacturers who actually came up with the name of the scale. The G scale was named because the German word Gros means big. Most call these train’s garden trains and believe this is why they are called G scale trains.
The smallest model train scale is the Z scale model. Being the smallest scale in commercial production has allowed it to be favored by those looking to create large layouts in a small amount of space. It is not a practical train for many private modeler railroaders because it is on the expensive side. The other drawback of the scale is it does allow for many details larger models have on them. The details Z scale trains are able to boast are painstakingly won, which accounts for the high price for such a small train.
David Blackburn has had a passion for Model Trains for over 20 years. His enthusiasm and knowledge on the subject of model trains can be found in his writing and his new book. For more great information on model train scale visit his site at: http://www.modeltrainsadvice.com. While you are there don?t forget to sign up for his FREE “Secrets To Successful Model Railroading” Mini Course.
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