Your First Railroad Part 6.

With the track laid and hopfully operating, it is time to start building the structures.  Structures give a railroad a reason for being, for instance, my CNW layout has a gravel plant that serves a gravel pit. The gravel plant needs to be served by the railroad because it produces more gravel than trucks can carry.  In return, the plant produces ballast for the railway.  Both need each other to exist, and it makes for good operation for a model railroad.  Besides the gravel plant, a grain elevator gets a lot of attention on the layout.  It was put on a spur that was shorter than three car lengths.  This allows the switcher to continually switch around cars to increase operation.

After figuring out what structures to have on the railroad, it is time to get them.  There are three ways to getting structures on the layout. 

Built and ready structures;
These structures are already complete for the modeler.  This is good for a person that is not good at assembling models or doesn't have time to make structures.  The main draw back of built and ready structures is the cost is much more than what structures could be with the other two methods.

Kit structures;
Kits are very popular among modelers. They are cheaper than built-and-ready structures and only require a little glue and some paint.  When assembling a kit, it is best to make sure that all of the parts are there and fit properly. then, assemble the kit according to the instructions.  Kits are fun to assemble and give a modeler a sense of wholeness when the structures are complete.

Scratch building;
instead of telling scratch building is best shown.

Assembled from 1/8 inch plywood and styrene, the elevator stands 58 scale feet high

Although wood isn't yellow, this color makes a good primer.  Paint with the grain.

.

Real roofs have trim around the sides to keep moisture from going up into the structure.  Adding these add a new level of realism.

Weathered steel roofs can be modeled by painting brown, orange, red, and a little yellow on top of the steel gray. 

The finished wood structure should look worn with browns and grays.  Add styrene to the outside so that the structure looks wood cribbed.  Adding the grain loading chute completes the elevator. 

If there are any questions, please let me know in the comments. It is best to check out a book on the subject for a step by step how to, because I do it differently.

Your First Model Railroad Part 5.

Let's look back to see what's been done so far.  The railroad has been planned including what's going to be on it and the track plan.  The bench work has been laid out and put up, and lights are shinning down on the future railway.  This project is coming along well so far, but there is still a great deal of work to go to ''complete" the layout.  But now the railway needs some iron on it, so bring in the track laying equipment.
Track laying is almost an art inside of an art, from plastic roadbed to hand laid masterpieces, track laying puts the railroad in model railroading. However there are three methods to laying track.
Sectional track 
The first method and the best for beginners uses sectional track.  this method is the simplest because most modern sectional track uses plastic roadbed.  Personally, I prefer to use track with out the roadbed because ballast looks better when it is not a mold, however I do think that Sectional track with roadbed is a good method for a first time railroader.  Good manufacturers of sectional track with roadbed include;

•  Atlas with N, HO scales Super Snap track
• Bachmann with N, HO, On30 scales E-Z Track
• Life Like with HO scale Power Loc track
• Lionel with O scale Fastrack
• MTH with O scale Realtrax

When laying track that already has roadbed on it, glue the track down to the table-top on the ridges on the bottom, after the glue dries, add cinders and other materials in the right-of-way to make the track realistic. For road Crossings, build up plaster to the tops of the rails to form a gentle ramp (leave room on the inside of rails for wheel flanges).  When wiring, just attach connection at one place on the layout and at: switch backs, sidings, yards, and at the end of ALL spurs.  This will keep electricity in the rails of all of the track.
Flex Track Method;
This is probably the most economical way of laying track, but you still must ballast.  For this method, you will need some sort of material to raise the track off the table top. road bed from several manufacturers is available to use and it is cheap.  To install flex track, first draw the center line of the track on the layout surface so that all of the switches and spurs are exactly where they should be like on the track plan.  After this is complete, glue down the roadbed making sure that it is centered on the line. after that take the first piece of flex track and glue it down on a straight section of roadbed, this acts like an anchor for curves. continue this until you come to your first switch or curve.  For a switch, glue it down before the connecting piece of track, avoid gluing the points and switch throws to the layout (if that happens, good luck getting the switch to throw).  Then cut the connecting piece of track to length and place it in its spot on the layout.  When you approach a curve, bend the piece to match the roadbed, then cut the rails even. after that glue down the piece of cut flex track and tack down the flex track to keep it from moving.  another way to make a curve is to use sectional track that has no roadbed (Atlas is the best manufacturer of sectional track without roadbed) and connect the pieces to form a curve.  This works for anything under 24" radius.  Other wise just use Flex track.
Hand laid method;
This method gives the most realism, but hard work is what keeps most from using this method.  The biggest challenge when hand laying track is keeping the gauge consistent.  I would recommend using a preformed tie every few inches.  After the track has been nailed to the track, the plastic tie can be removed.  To get more info, one should find a friend that knows how to lay hand built track, it is just one of those things that is easier to learn from watching rather than reading.

The next step in track laying is ballasting. real railroads use ballast to keep the track from being submerged in water, ballast also distributes the weight of the train to the right-of-way.  this means that ballast is important to railroads.  however ballast differs in time and era.  During the steam age, railroads often used cinders from the ash pits of locomotives as ballast on spurs and secondary lines, however, main lines still needed something denser to hold the track in place due to higher speeds.  On the CNW, a gravel pit in Rock Springs, Wisconsin supplied Pink Lady Quartz gravel to use on all of the main lines.  After the CNW got bought out, the gravel plant stayed open, supplying gravel to the former CNW lines because the Quartz would grind up new ballast because Quartz is one of the densest rocks on the planet.  Because of the ballast, the future of the CNW line through Rock Springs was changed.  So is ballast important to a railroad? Yes!!!

So now that the importance of ballast has been stated and explained, let's see how to apply it correctly to model track.
To apply ballast, paste glue on to the surface of steep hills sides and cliffs that ballast will not stick too.  After that, take a small cup and pour ballast between the rails, then take a ruler or other flat object, stand it on edge, and level the ballast to the rails.  After doing that, take a brush and sweep the ballast between the rails, uncovering the ties and the insides of the rails.  This allows the Ballast to roll down slops naturally, like in the real world.  refer to the picture below;

Now that the ballast has been put on the track, it is time to glue all of the loose rocks to the ground. to do this, mix glue and water at a 1:3 ratio and dribble over the track, trying to avoid the tops of the rails and switch points.  It is best to practice this on a few pieces that are not going to be used heavily first because if not done correctly and too much glue is on rails will inhibit electrical flow and is a pain to get off once on.  After the glue dries, take a screw driver ad rasp at the inside of the rails to get any rocks away from where the flanges will run on the track.  lastly, take a track eraser and wipe the rails clean, then test the Track with a variety of rolling stock and locomotives.  If all goes well, keep doing this until the railine is ballasted throughout the layout.
Next up, structures.

Your First Railroad Part 4.

After the bench work has been laid, it is time to figure out your power.  Like most things today, electricity powers most appliances and model trains are no exception.  But there are also other ways to power your trains.
Live Steam;
Popular in the garden railroading community.  Live steam literally powers locomotives by steam from a fire, just like in the real world.  However, anything below 1/48 scale gets a little too small for live steam, and so has largely remained in the garden railroading section of the hobby.
Battery:
A form of electricity that is stored in a little package. This has become another favorite in garden railroading because the batteries remain light enough that the motors can pull the battery as well as a train.  However you would never be able to do this in anything less than O scale.
AC electricity;
AC electricity has become the standard method of power to O and S scale trains.  AC is different than DC in that, AC alternates the direction of current a few thousand times every second.  This enables the electricity to flow farther and cleaner than DC.  however, there are draw-backs.  AC motors are a lot noisier than DC motors, and the power pack cannot be used with any other scale.
DC electricity:
DC electricity is by far the most popular method of powering trains.  The motors are quiet, LED lights can be used, boosters can beef up the amperes.  used in every scale except O and S, DC electricity dominates the market, but there is one more method of power that might just take the thrown.
DCC:
DCC in recent years has increasingly become more popular along with the knuckle couplers. DCC works by transmitting signals on DC current to specific locomotives on the track.  These signals are read by a decoder which relays the signal into functions that control light, sound, speed, direction, and even radio crackling.  This system has become popular because it allows engines within the same block to operate independently, something that could never be done with AC or DC power.  this is also the recommended choice for anyone who wants either, A; cool functions that make operation realistic. or B; want independent control of different locomotives. Or you can have both A and B on your layout.  for On30, HO, and N scale, locomotives are available that are already equipped for DCC.  The manufacturer of these locomotives is Bachmann, however, Athern and Atlas are starting the same thing.  You can even use old locomotives, just put in a decoder and it is ready to go.
My favorite DCC system that you can use go as following;
NCE power cab; MRSP: $189

NCE has recently produced a very nice starter system.  Many locomotives can be at your control, and with plug sockets and a three Amp booster, you can easily expand to include up to three other throttles.
Digitrax Zephyr; MRSP: $199

Digitrax was one of the first to explore starter systems for DCC.  Their basic set may not look like much however throttles and boosters are available so that it can be upgraded to something similar to Digitrax larger sets.
Bachmann E-Z Command; MRSP: $120

Although a good set it does have its limits. E-Z Command can only support ten locomotives in its memory and can only have one more throttle.  but it is cheap and a great way to start if you are sceptical about DCC.  But just so that I am not knocking Bachmann, they did create the Dynamis which is one of the best starter systems for wireless throttles on the market to date.
Easy DCC's BSS: MRSP: $280

The Easy DCC BSS is a good system that makes your layout look professional.  It includes a double throttle command station with buttons to control loco addresses and functions.  This system is highly expand able to include both tethered and wireless throttles, Boosters are available, however the BSS already has a large 5 Amps of power, much more than most starter systems.
For more info on DCC systems, buy the Nov.08 issue of Model Railroader Magazine.

Those people that run O scale also have two similar systems to choose from that will allow the railroad to operate like DCC.
Lionel Legacy Control; MRSP: $350.00

by far, Lionel is one of the best known train Manufacturers in history.  Lionel is almost a household name.  So it is natural that the best creates the best wireless control systems. And that is just what Lionel did, Lionel created the Legacy system to upgrade from their famous TMCC which dominated the market of the 1990's and early 2000's.  Is it better than its rivals? Depends on what side your on.
MTH DCS:  MRSP $299.99

MTH, better known as Mike's Train house, has created a very good rival to the legacy control.  This system allows for four DCS tracks or two DCS tracks and two analog tracks.  This means that an operator can control non-DCS equipped locomotives to run with out modification, something that has a few troubles when operating Legacy Control.

So which system is better?  the answer depends on who you ask, a classic O scale Operator will likely want Legacy, however, if you ask a young club or new operator DCS will be the system of choice.  in order to decide for yourself, it is best to try out both at a club or hobby shop.

After power has been selected, time to buy the track and get to track laying.  But be sure to read part 5.

Your First Railroad Part 3.

Now that every thing as been planned out, right down to track placement, it is time to get the room ready.
To have the proper environment, one should make sure that very good lighting is in place so that viewers can see the layout well. The best way to do this is to bring the lighting in front of the layout so that everything that faces the audience is illuminated.  Doing this also keeps unwanted shadows off the layout.  As to what kind of light, fluorescent lighting is best because of the fact that it is cleaner, brings a cooler atmosphere to the layout, and that it does not produce as much heat as regular light bulbs.  Carpeting on a floor is a very welcome comfort that many forget about.  Walls that have been painted white or light blue help to reflect the light back towards the layout. painting the walls black can do a whole lot too, focusing the eye toward the layout.

The second step to any model railroad is building the benchwork.  Benchwork is the foundation that gives the layout its height and support.  When building benchwork it is wise to have a three point support system.  By this I mean that the legs should be supported in three places.  However there are different ways to support a train layout.  Shelf layouts are used when a modeler doesn't want legs. Basically, a shelf layout is a string of shelves that raps around the walls of a room to form the layout surface.

The table top has many methods to supporting scenery, from the classic table top to the innovative, L-girder style.  A good idea is to look at a how to book on specifically benchwork to get an idea as to what the various methods are.  On my layout, I used a door that was later covered in two inches of foam board (the railroader's secret weapon).

For garden Railroads, the equivalent would be taking dirt and filling in all of the railroad's foot print.  When doing this it is important to build a retaining wall.  But this is for another day.

When building benchwork, it is important to keep a few things in mind:

• If joints are necessary, use screws instead of nails.  Screws pull the would together to stay in while nails act like a wedge to stay in.  This means that the nails will work their way out.
• Keep legs away from the outside edges.  Just like a table, legs on the edge of the bench-work will be in the way and greatly increase the chance of tripping.
• Keep weight in mind.  My very first train layout was built as a 4x5 n scale railroad modeling the southwest, but it was in excess of 160lbs!  This was largely due to the fact that the layout was built from 3/4'' ply-wood and plaster that was in some places 3" deep.
• ALWAYS, provide space for wiring and control.  My first few layouts never had a place on the edges to put a controller or any fancy wiring.  My point here is to have lumber along the edge to support these things.
• Make duck-unders high.  A duck-under is a place where people can go below the railroad tracks to get to the center of the layout.  But as people get older, their backs get tighter and cannot bend as far. so keep the bottom of the layout a minimum of about 48" in the area where people need to cross, but higher is better.  This could be accomplished through helixes or a grade rising up to that height.
• leave isles wide enough for two people to pass.  Anyplace where a layout comes out from a wall, an isle is formed between the resulting peninsula and another peninsula or wall.  The isle should be a minimum of 42" across in low traffic areas and 48" in high traffic areas.  Some yard areas may need even more if you have many operators.
• Make the overall height better for your audience to see or put chairs and steps for those who cannot see above the layout.  So I wouldn't put Tomas the tank engine on a layout that is 56" high, and don't run the City Of New Orleans on 30" benches. With these things in mind, start designing bench-work that will be great for you and/or those that will see your masterpiece.

Your First Railroad Part 2.

After deciding what you want in your model railroad, it is time to plan where exactly the trains will go and to double check that the space will work.  First measure out the space that you selected in part 1.  From here you can design the track plan of the layout. Modelers use track plans to determine where the track on the layout will run its course.  The track plan itself is a simple diagram showing the overall view of the layout and the track parts needed to build the plan.  There are two ways that modelers usually create track plans to build their layout.
The first method is my favorite, free hand draw where you want the track to go.  This is what experienced modelers use and I recommend any individual to at least try to create their own plan.  All you have to do is take a pen and paper and draw out a line representing the track.  See my post about track-planing at: http://jjwtrains.blogspot.com/2011/02/art-of-track-planning.html . There are a few things that anyone should know before attempting to draw:

• Reverse loops and Wye's: 

If you are designing a three rail O scale layout you can have these with little trouble, Scale modelers for 2 rail track need to watch for these things.  Basically a reverse loop is used to turn a whole train around.  Although it works in real life, your train will short out because the tracks deliver power to the train, one rail is +, while the other is -, so when the two rails meet, the electricity shorts out because + meets-.  Picture a reverse loop like this: apiece of flex track is bent to form a lobe that connects to the diverging routes of a switch.

• Spurs in same direction:

In this picture the switch is pointing "away" from the front of the train making it easier to switch cars.

This photo shows the front of the train "facing" the switch.  in order for cars to be switched, the engine will have to  run around to the other end somehow.

The one thing that a lot of people forget is that spurs that the train can simply back into are not nearly as challenging as a spur that the locomotive must run around the train in order to back cars into the spur. So try to make spurs go in opposite directions. note; Most plans that you get in books have this problem. However, if you like the look of one of those plans, just switch the direction of a few of the spurs (roughly half).

• Clearance: 

This problem may not be so big because you can see it easily on the train layout during construction.  If you run into this problem, just move the obstruction a 1/2 inch or so. if a train is hitting a bridge as it is coming out of a curve, try to add a short straight section between the curve and the bridge.
if a bridge is too low and the train is hitting it as the train travels under the bridge, try to make the grade leading to the bridge a LITTLE steeper.  This makes the bridge higher and will allow the train under.  and don't worry about the grade, anything under 5% should be negotiable to most engines.

• The track plan is only a reference:

Too many people get stuck into making the plan exact,  little changes will not hurt future plans in any way.

The second way to get a track plan is to look at one on the web or in a book. 101 track plans is great as well as magazines such as Model Railroader, and Classic Toy Trains. being aware of the same things as above, select a track plan and try to fit it as closely as possible into your given space. this is a very good option if one isn't good with paper.

After getting a plan made, be sure that it fits into the selected space.  make sure that the layout is not wider than three feet up against a wall and make sure that it is not wider that six on a peninsula.  Just make sure that  EVERY place on the layout is accessible. A train will eventually stop or derail in any place you can't reach.

So now that everything has been planned out, it is time to start building.

Your First Railroad Part 1.

After experiencing the taste that model railroading gives many, some may want to start their own train layout.  The first step, though, is not building the layout, but rather planning (like a major home project).
Within planning, there are several factors to take into consideration.
Space:

Space is probably the main limiting factor that a modeler faces.  Because of this, it is important to know how big of a space you have altogether.  You may only have a 1X4 window sill to place a layout, or you may have a two car garage which isn't being used.  Try, if you can, to get the largest space possible.  You can even run your trains outside with the top three largest scales, 7/8", G, and O.

Materials:

It is a good idea to know what you need for your railroad.  Foam, Lumber, Wire, Track, Buildings, scenery are all important materials to a completed railroad.  This also includes tools, so you will want at the least, a screw driver, small saw, and a pair of pliers.  Also, see my list of tools for building and maintaining a railroad.

Skills:
Are you handy with a saw and drill?  If not, perhaps a layout kit is necessary to start a model railroad.  Mod-u-rail is a good choice for that, or you can get an NMRA layout kit.

Scale:
Although the above choices influence what scale you want to model, eyesight and dexterity also needs to go into consideration. Anything from Z to G is plausible at the beginning, but later it might be only N or HO that you can use to model.   The most common scales you will find in the U.S. are from largest to smallest: 7/8" (1:13.5), G (1:22), O (1:48), S (1:64), On30 (1:48), HO (1:87.1), N (1:160), Z (1:220), T (1:450) and  and the Lego is roughly 1:32 Scale (Yes people do "model" in Lego).  In order to decide which scale you want to model, I suggest going to a club or train show and experiencing first hand most of the scales out there.  This will allow a person to get a good feeling for the scale spectrum as well as an idea as to the space a scale train takes up.  The majority of railroaders now-a-days choose N or HO scale for  two reasons:

• Both scales can have dramatic scenery which dwarfs the trains, all in a smallish area.
• Both scales are on the low cost side, making them affordable to virtually everyone. 

The next step that I do when building a railroad, is I go online and look for places to model or find a prototype on Google Maps.  Here are the coordinates to a few of my favorite places (just copy and paste onto the search box in Google Maps):

710 N 2nd St

Minneapolis, MN 55401  This is the site of the Washburn A mill, or the Mill City Museum.  It at one point had 32 tracks!

416 Omaha St

Rapid City, SD 57701  Here is my local grain elevator.  Around the elevator, there are plenty of other modeling opportunities.

Museum Rd

North Freedom, WI 53951  And this is the railroad museum at Rock Springs, WI. There are plenty of tracks to model.

When you find the tracks, keep looking around and you will be surprised as to what you find!

You can also go to museums or sites that are of railroad importance.  here I am sure anyone looking for a model railroad will find a prototype.

In part two we will decide the track plan and make sure everything is ready before building begins.

Garden Railroading, The Best of Two Worlds!

Besides having indoor railways, many people who don't have the space necessary for large trains indoors, create a different world in miniature, outside!
 It all started with a German toy company called Lehmann Gross-Bhan or LGB.  This company produced large trains that were about the size of 1:24 scale.  However, these trains were very different from other trains such as Lionel and American Flyer, these trains were made from UV resistant plastic compared to the die-cast steel that other companies made.  for those who don't know, sunlight produces UV wavelengths that can bleach-out most paint that is on plastic and turn the plastic back to its base color.  And because of that major difference from Lionel trains, LGB trains were able to be outside in any weather.  these trains also had track that could stay outdoors with massive .332 code rails made from solid brass and aluminum.
After a time other companies like, USA trains and Bachmann began to make their own large scale trains.  these companies all made their trains to different scales, Bachmann is 1:22.5, USA trains varies between 1:32 and 1:24 scale.  However, despite the lack of a uniform scale, anything between 1:32 and 1:22 is now under one letter scale, G, which is the largest that the letter scale spectrum for trains go to. T-G and in between, from small to large goes; Z, N, TT, HO, S, O.  Plus all of the scales that represent narrow gauge which would look like this; HOn30 or HO scale narrow gauge, 30 inches.  This is another unique thing about these outdoor giants is the fact that they don't often include the narrow gauge format but rather state the scale.
So now in present day, Garden railroading is becoming very popular with families because it combines gardening, a traditional favorite pastime, and Model Railroading, the most popular hobby of the 20th century, and mixing it all with the excitement and tranquility of the outdoors.  Another reason why it is so popular is because you don't have to set aside a spare bedroom or any shelf space to run large trains,  All that is required is at least a 5ft by 9ft piece of property that is unused in the backyard.  this can include a steep grade that doesn't allow for children play or even for grass to grow, flat shady land that looks barren, or any other piece of real estate that looks like an eyesore.  And to drive that point home, I have a couple photos of my garden railway from a few years ago:

complete with a mill pond and a small yard in the center, the West Side Lumber Railway was an attractive site that other kids loved to look at and play in.  Notice the railroad tie bench in the fore ground and the deck in the back.

the view from the deck reveals the overall track plan of the railroad.

The plan looks simple, it was very fun to operate and it was built on the north side of the house where the grass doesn't grow as well.  Also worth mentioning is that it was built on a slope.

So go ahead and try it there are many sources avalible to those who are starting out.  A great investment would be to buy Jack Verduccui's book, "How to Design and Build Your Garden Railroad."

Another reference is the Peckforton Railroad blog.  Dedicated to garden railroading, it is more established and is full of articles such as this one.  Go to this site: http://riksrailway.blogspot.com

My Current Train Layout

Currently, I have one main train layout that is HO scale and models Rock Springs Wisconsin.  I built it right before my family and I moved.  It was built on a scrap door that was 32" wide by 80" long and has been wired so that it can accommodate DDC, though, as I am writing this article, I have no such system yet.  I have updated my train layout and have created another post about it it is in the February 2011 section of my archive. So here are some pictures of trains preforming their rounds;

my little hustler switching engine pulling out of the spur where an oil depot will be stationed.  Notice the switch tower in the background.  some of you viewers may recongize it from atlas.

the same hustler engine working at the gravel plant, pushing an empty hopper into the lead switch (to the right of where the picture is).

the engine pulling the now loaded hopper out of the gravel plant and into Rock Springs, while a train spotter sits in his car waiting for his chance to catch the little engine.