Freight Car Friday - TTZX 35442

Centerbeam flatcars have been a common sight on the rails for about thirty years. Used mainly for lumber, plywood, wallboard and similar building products, these cars feature a pair of bulkheads on the ends and a tall open wall down the center to help secure the loads. Often the loads are wrapped in plastic, givng these cars a completely different look. One challenge with this design is that the car must be loaded and unloaded from both sides. This process must be done carefully or the car will tip over.

TTZX 35442
?2010 Ryan C Kunkle, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Trailer Train, now TTX Corporation is one of the largest freight car leasing companies in North America. Known for its intermodal flatcars and equipment, TTX also leases general freight cars including centerbeam, bulkhead and other flatcars. This car was passing through Cleveland, Ohio on Norfolk Southern. Its next load could take it anywhere in the country.

The closest model for this particular prototype was recently introduced in HO scale from Atlas. Walthers and Micro-Trains have made similar models in HO and N scales. For more images of centerbeams loaded and empty, see the Open Loads gallery.

For a larger image of this and other freight cars, see the Freight Car Friday Image Gallery.

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Model Railroading Month

November is Model Railroding Month. All around the world, you'll find more ways to enjoy the hobby, from open houses and clubs and homes to public displays in malls and museums. Of course the hobby begins at home for most of us, and there is no time like the present to get something done on your home layout.

Look for fun tips all month long on this site, and stay tuned for the start of a new special project to come!

Happy Modeling!

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Freight Car Friday - LT 8289

Gondolas are the among the most versatile cars on the rails, carying everything from dirt to steel. For modelers, they provide an excelent opportunity to model interesting open loads

LT 8289
?2010 Ryan C Kunkle, licensed to About.com, Inc.

This car belongs to the Lake Terminal Railroad, but was once owned by the Elgin Joliet and Eastern, one of Chicago's belt lines with a heavy concentration with the steel industry. Built in July of 1969, it has held up well for both owners in this demanding service as it nears its fortieth birthday.

While the car is about as non-descript as they come, the load adds a lot of interest. Modeling a pipe load like this would not be difficult. Some plastic tubing or even drinking straws will simulate the pipe. The most important part is adding the wood bracing and cable ties that secure the load in transit.

For a larger image of this and other freight cars, see the Freight Car Friday Image Gallery.

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Model Trains Information

The popularity of model trains is something which has never faded; this hobby has a seemingly eternal appeal to people of all ages. Certainly, collecting and running a model railroad offers many opportunities to use your creativity. Hobbyists often enjoy building the scenery for their model trains to travel through just as much as they enjoy the trains themselves.

If you’re new to this hobby, one of the first things you’ll need to learn are the concepts of scales and gauges. Don’t panic; it’s actually pretty simple. Scale denotes the ratio of the size of a model train in relation to the full size train it represents. The most common model train scales are G, HO, O and N scales. G scale trains are in a 1:22 ration, HO (meaning half O) scale trains are 1:87, O scale trains are 1:48 and N scale trains are 1:160, about half the size of HO scale trains.

Some less commonly seen scales are TT, Z and S scale model trains, with ratios of 1:120, 1:220 and 1:64, respectively. Each scale has its own pros and cons and is better suited to particular uses; and each has its own dedicated following, even the more obscure scales.

Gauge is the other important concept in the hobby of collecting model trains. When you hear a hobbyist talk about gauge, they mean the size of the track, specifically the distance between the rails. Since model trains and tracks are produced by many different companies, industry standard sizes were developed in order to make trains and tracks compatible with each other. Standard and narrow gauge track are the sizes you’ll see the most often.

Scenery is one of the most important things to model train enthusiasts. Hobbyists spend a lot of time and put a lot of effort into creating landscapes for their trains to travel through. You can make your layouts in any way that suits you. As long as you can lay your tracks on it, the only limit to what you can do with your layout is your creativity.

You may see model train layouts with features including hills and mountains, forests, farms, towns and even water features such as waterfalls and rivers. Some hobbyists get very creative with their layouts, even putting together entire miniature cities for their model trains to navigate through.

You can lay your track in your landscape any way you like. You’ll probably want to make your track a loop so that your trains will run continuously around your landscapes, but other than that, it’s up to you. You could use an oval, a layout with several loops or any shape you like. You should avoid making sharp turns though; just like a real train, model trains are not designed for sharp turns and can derail.

Building layouts for your model trains and collecting these models is a fascinating hobby which provides entertainment and a great creative outlet for people of all ages. It’s a hobby which is great for the entire family to do together and offers a wonderful opportunity for parents or grandparents and children to bond.

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HO Model Train Layout

If you are looking for HO model train layout designs, there is an abundance of resources and information. You can find many different examples in photos and video online, and there are many different books with not only layout designs, but also complete instructions, parts lists, and other tips to help you build the perfect track layout. These books can be a wealth of knowledge, not only for the beginner, but even more experienced hobbyists, who want to add to their own skills.

If you are new to HO model train layout designs, there are some things to take into consideration. One of them is the size of the layout. Even simple designs can take up a decent amount of space, and you should think about where you are going to put your model train. You can pick from two different kinds of bases, one that is permanent or portable workbenches.

Portable ones are a good way to be able to move your layout around, especially if you need to move it somewhere out of the way. Many train road professionals use these to move their layouts when they want to display them for the public. You see them around the holidays, at community centers, and other places like your local library.

If you are going to set up a more permanent HO model train layout, then you can find many helpful tips. You want to think about the kind of layout you want to do, and then plan accordingly. One of the things you want to consider is weight of the layout, and so you will want to make you work base out of two by fours, and the top should be at least ½” thick plywood, so it is thick enough for putting in screws. You will also want to have some kind of storage area underneath, to put extra parts and accessories, as well as being able to hide all of the wiring.

Make sure that any HO model train layout that you choose comes complete with a list of all the materials you will need, like how many tracks, switches, and turnouts. If you are going with you own ideas about scenery, you should sit down and figure out what you will need, and look online to get an idea of what is available. You should stick with the same scale for all of you models and scenery, that way you don’t come out with inconsistent layout designs. You can find everything you need at the same website or dealer as you buy your tracks.

When you get you supplies, you may want to just jump in and start putting things together. Even if you have planned your HO model train layout, don’t just start putting things together. You need to start with the track layout first. This is especially important if you are using a portable base, because you will want to place the track ends where the base separates. Even if you are using a permanent base, you should put the track down first. Make sure that you run your engine around before permanently attaching it, to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

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O Gauge Trains

One of the most popular styles of model trains is the O gauge trains. These trains are larger than some of the other products available, but are sometimes the best. One of the reasons this scale is great is that it is easy to handle by beginners. Small children, as well as older adults who may have limited mobility in their hands, or poor eyesight will also find this size is much better to deal with.

O gauge trains have been around for a long time and started around 1900 by Marklin, a German toy manufacturer. These early models were just toys, and not purchased by real hobbyists until much later. O scale trains originally started out with three rails for extra support of this large size. Now just like other scales of model trains, there are different scales depending on where you live which is important to know. In America, O scale is 1:48 the size of a real train, but in England, this is 1:43:5, and in other parts of Europe it is 1:45. So when you are ordering your O scale train, make sure that you are using the right scale for where you live, or your train won’t run.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3491221/

Being larger than other scales,  they will cost you more than smaller sizes, but these are still quite reasonable. The most expensive part of buying this scale is the price of the scenery and buildings. However, just like with other model trains, you don’t necessarily have to buy a whole bunch of things just to start your layout. You can start small with basic sets and build from there.

One of the more popular O gauge trains you can start out with is the Lionel 0-Gauge B&O Ready-To-Run Train set. This set is heirloom quality and comes with a die cast metal 4-4-0 steam locomotive, that has realistic looking puffing smoke, as well as a working headlamp. It also includes the tinder car, Lionel Lines boxcar, and gondola car with cable reels, and of course a classical red caboose. As an added bonus, you also get an additional ‘Sentinel’ boxcar as well. You also get a small extension bridge, ten telephone poles, as well as enough FasTrack to put together a 40?x60? oval. You get the PowerMax transformer, which controls movement in both forward and reverse. All of these can fit into a reusable box that it comes in and lists for just under $200.

If you are interested in becoming a model train hobbyist and want to start out with the O scale, there are many different websites where you can find an abundance of sets, individual cars and tracks, as well as a large assortment of scenery and buildings. It may be a good idea to check with your local hobby shops first, in order to see a variety of different offerings all in one location.

This is also a good way for beginners to be able to have any questions about trains answered right away. There are many really good books that have many layout plans, including all the materials you will need to make your hobby the best it can be. They will also have other tips and information any train lover will enjoy.

View the original article here

O Gauge Trains

One of the most popular styles of model trains is the O gauge trains. These trains are larger than some of the other products available, but are sometimes the best. One of the reasons this scale is great is that it is easy to handle by beginners. Small children, as well as older adults who may have limited mobility in their hands, or poor eyesight will also find this size is much better to deal with.

O gauge trains have been around for a long time and started around 1900 by Marklin, a German toy manufacturer. These early models were just toys, and not purchased by real hobbyists until much later. O scale trains originally started out with three rails for extra support of this large size. Now just like other scales of model trains, there are different scales depending on where you live which is important to know. In America, O scale is 1:48 the size of a real train, but in England, this is 1:43:5, and in other parts of Europe it is 1:45. So when you are ordering your O scale train, make sure that you are using the right scale for where you live, or your train won’t run.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3491221/

Being larger than other scales,  they will cost you more than smaller sizes, but these are still quite reasonable. The most expensive part of buying this scale is the price of the scenery and buildings. However, just like with other model trains, you don’t necessarily have to buy a whole bunch of things just to start your layout. You can start small with basic sets and build from there.

One of the more popular O gauge trains you can start out with is the Lionel 0-Gauge B&O Ready-To-Run Train set. This set is heirloom quality and comes with a die cast metal 4-4-0 steam locomotive, that has realistic looking puffing smoke, as well as a working headlamp. It also includes the tinder car, Lionel Lines boxcar, and gondola car with cable reels, and of course a classical red caboose. As an added bonus, you also get an additional ‘Sentinel’ boxcar as well. You also get a small extension bridge, ten telephone poles, as well as enough FasTrack to put together a 40?x60? oval. You get the PowerMax transformer, which controls movement in both forward and reverse. All of these can fit into a reusable box that it comes in and lists for just under $200.

If you are interested in becoming a model train hobbyist and want to start out with the O scale, there are many different websites where you can find an abundance of sets, individual cars and tracks, as well as a large assortment of scenery and buildings. It may be a good idea to check with your local hobby shops first, in order to see a variety of different offerings all in one location.

This is also a good way for beginners to be able to have any questions about trains answered right away. There are many really good books that have many layout plans, including all the materials you will need to make your hobby the best it can be. They will also have other tips and information any train lover will enjoy.

View the original article here