Author Topic: Model railroading (Read 2091 times)

Petertherock · « **on:** May 29, 2014, 01:35:24 PM »

Is this a Catholic thing? I was looking at layouts and two random videos on youtube had crucifixes with palms on them so they must be Catholics! Anyway...I am just starting out in this fantastic hobby.

I have decided to put my spare room to use and get going on setting up a model train set. I only have room for the standard 4 x 8 foot table but from what I have been looking at you can get some pretty decent layouts with a 4 x 8.

This is one I want to model mine after...

I actually want to model my layout after Rigby Yard here in South Portland Maine.

You should be able to see a birds eye view here...

But to start off with I will have 2 simple oval sets...one is a standard analog CSX HO scale set...

http://www.csxstore.com/prod-Train_Set___HO_Scale-1053.aspx

And the other I just bought is a DCC controlled Norfolk Southern set here...

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-892

I wanted to get going into DCC since it's a lot more fun with authentic sounds and being able to control multiple engines. I can't wait to get up and running! From, what I have read about DCC I will have to study up and become a wiring and soldering genius. The great thing is I don't have to do everything at once. I can build a little bit at a time. I will post video and pics when I get set up and going!

Oh...here are the two videos with the crucifixes...I love this one where the guy has tunnels through the walls!

SenzaDubbio · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2014, 09:51:19 PM »

A pricey hobby! My mother's husband does this as a hobby when he is feeling well enough. When you have something together, would you send me a picture?

shin · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2014, 10:41:19 AM »

I've always liked working with models and miniatures and admired miniature landscapes, like the battlefield recreations some folks do. It's been a long time, don't think I have the same mind for painting tiny things with pins and strands of hair anymore though.

It's amazing what some folks can do with setting up their dioramas for trains.

I've never caught the train bug myself but I enjoy seeing what folks put together.

Brennus · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2014, 01:25:29 PM »

Roadside America, in Pennsylvania, is a large model railroad, certainly one of the larger ones in the world, that started out in the 1930s. Two brothers started it. They were Catholic and one became a priest. The place is rather Americanist though, but that is only a hold over from the 1950s.

http://roadsideamericainc.com/

Petertherock · « **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2014, 07:45:49 AM »

It's not much but it's a start!

I have since added a tanker car. My DCC set comes in today. I'll have to get some more track and switches to wire up to get started on what I want.

ggreg · « **Reply #5 on:** June 03, 2014, 08:13:29 AM »

Peter,

Just tell visitors that you made a lifelike model of a train travelling over the Nullabor Plain in Australia.

SenzaDubbio · « **Reply #6 on:** June 03, 2014, 12:05:37 PM »

Quote from: Petertherock

It's not much but it's a start!

I have since added a tanker car. My DCC set comes in today. I'll have to get some more track and switches to wire up to get started on what I want.

Where did you get that GIANT model voltage meter?! :)

moneil · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2014, 11:29:29 AM »

This is very cool Peter. I’ve had a long time fascination with model railroading (railroads in general, actually) and hope to maybe play around with it later in life when I might have more leisure. I always enjoy visiting the model railroad display at one of our local fairs, Latah County, in Moscow, ID and sometimes attend model railroad shows if I hear of one locally.

One of our local PBS stations produces short shows on regional attractions and personalities called “Just A Minute”. One was about a retired electrician in Pasco, WA who built an outdoor model railroad in his back yard, with 950 feet of hand spiked rail. He made most of the buildings and landscaping features himself, constructed to hold up in the weather and had a series of tunnels and covered train stations to park the engines and cars in during bad weather. He called it Flower Mountain Railroad. I noticed in the paper that he died about a year ago at age 77. I found the clip, titled Garden Train, on the KWSU web site http://kwsu.org/Offers/OMNJustAMinute.aspx, but the links aren’t working. If I find a viewable clip I’ll post it.

It would be fun if you could post some more pictures as your railroad develops.

Petertherock · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2014, 02:46:21 PM »

I finally came up with a theme for my model railroad. Since the biggest industry around here is oil and we have huge oil tank farms around I decided to go with that. Here is a picture I am using as a rough draft...

I have also been reading and there are many things I can use for the tanks. Things such as the caps to spray paint cans, coffee cans, and many other things that I can find around the grocery store or Wal Mart. So at least I have something to work on!

shin · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2014, 03:01:21 PM »

What a fine theme! Powering the country! Impressive picture!

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2014, 02:01:10 PM »

Father Gregory Hesse was an avid collector of model railroads. I remember taking him to a small shop here to look around, and to a few other collector places that I knew of when he was still with us that had that memorabilia.

crossbro · « **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2014, 11:50:02 PM »

I have always been tempted to go into model railroading.

But knowing myself- I would sink a lot of money into it.

Given the railroad software available- I see no point in getting into a hobby that will cost thousands when I can buy the game for $29.99. And I get tired of that game after 30 minutes I don't play it again for 2 years.

SenzaDubbio · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2014, 12:07:32 PM »

How's your track coming along? I've been helping a friend build an oil refinery and a electric company using N series. The electric company came along so easy..... because he realized after we completed that there was HO series in an N box! :D

crossbro · « **Reply #13 on:** August 05, 2014, 02:08:30 AM »

To each his own, but with all the railroad software out there I don't see the popularity growing into the future.

I have several train simulators. I get tired of them after a couple hours and put them away for months at a time.

If you like trains and simulators, one I would recommend is "Cities in Motion 2" available on STEAM for $19.99. You build bus, trolley, tram, metro, and ferry lines. Not a city builder like SimCity- but pretty cool.

If you provide bad service to comuters, they will make you pay, make you pay big time !

Petertherock · « **Reply #14 on:** August 05, 2014, 07:39:04 AM »

Quote from: crossbro

To each his own, but with all the railroad software out there I don't see the popularity growing into the future.

I have several train simulators. I get tired of them after a couple hours and put them away for months at a time.

If you like trains and simulators, one I would recommend is "Cities in Motion 2" available on STEAM for $19.99. You build bus, trolley, tram, metro, and ferry lines. Not a city builder like SimCity- but pretty cool.

If you provide bad service to comuters, they will make you pay, make you pay big time !

I am not really into computer simulators and having a model railroad is nothing like any computer simulator. I do have a train simulator and it's boring after a while. With model railroading you get to do a lot of work with your hands. I have just set up my layout and I have already spent a couple hours wiring up the switches and soldering the connections. I still have more things to get like wire and connectors as well as controllers for the switches.

Here's a pic of the work in progress...eventually when I get some paint and my creative juices flowing those cans are going to be oil tanks and I am thinking of a coal plant for the other side of the layout.

With DCC the loco's are a lot more realistic with authentic sounds and everything. Here's a video I took of my new Pan Am Railways loco...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/embed/tVPbtAkOZdY?list=UUYldaZixZqGQ38jjWXvlx7Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube]

Here is an example of the wiring that is involved...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/embed/PPHHZ9rmIZ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube]

So yeah, it's a lot more hands on then a computer simulator...that's why it's called the world's greatest hobby!