Showing posts with label Railroad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Railroad. Show all posts

Thursday, 18 November 2010

O Model Railroad

If you want a good beginning model train, the O model railroad is probably the one you should start with. It is a larger scale, 1:48, and is ideal for people who have arthritis, or poor eyesight, and it well suited for children. One of the things you will want to consider when choosing this scale is that it will take up more space and so you will need enough room, no matter where you are planning to set it up. Many may remember toy trains chugging around a track under the Christmas tree, and many of them were the O model.

The O model railroad is very highly detailed, and the engines and cars are really durable. You can find just as many parts and accessories for this scale as you would with the other popular HO scale, and you can even create your own scenery if you plan it right. For example, you can use recycled cans to create water towers, and use cardboard boxes for buildings. Even some small toys around the house can be incorporated into many layouts, and if you have kids, this is a great way for them to be able to contribute to the hobby.

There are different kinds of O model railroad trains available, depending on how in depth you want to go. You can find engines and cars that you have to assemble yourself. With basic skills and tools, and the ability to follow instructions, you can create wonderful trains. There are also ready to run models, which all you have to do is set up the track, plug in the transformer and you are ready to go.

If you are just beginning, or have the family involved, this may be where to start. If you still want to feel that you have made something yourself, there are many accessory kits that have buildings that are prefabricated, and all you have to do is put them together. Many of these will include E-Z track, which has the track and base as one easy to snap together piece and the base is usually very realistic, which adds to the look of the layout.

There are many different places that you can find good basic O model railroad sets. You can look in your local hobby stores; there are some good basic sets at many mass-marketing retailers, as well as an abundance online. As with any hobby, you are looking at some investment, but it is well worth it.

For example, the Lionel O-Gauge B&O Ready To Run train set is an Heirloom quality set that comes with a 4-4-2 die cast metal locomotive, with realistic looking puffing smoke, and a real working headlight. It also includes one boxcar, a gondola car, and a red caboose, as well as enough track for a 40?x60? oval track. You also get a Sentinel boxcar, a bridge, and ten telephone poles. You can purchase this set for just under $200, at many outlets.



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Wednesday, 17 November 2010

O Model Railroad Video

This is video of David’s(slug96) train and other members’ O gauge trains at the AGHR Model Railroad Club.

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Saturday, 13 November 2010

Model Railroad Track Plans

There are many different kinds of model railroad track plans, from simple additions to basic oval and circular layouts, to the most elaborate plans imaginable. If you are just beginning to explore your model train, start small and simple. You should go with E-Z track, which comes with the rails and base in one unit and have easy to snap together ends. They also come with holes already drilled in places, so you can permanently attach them to your workbench.

There are also Flex track available , which are even more convenient than the E-Z track, and these have snap together ends. What makes these better than E-Z track is that it is completely flexible. Regular track has preset curves, and is harder to work with when you have more complicated layouts. With Flex tracks, you can make the curve and turns as loose or tight as you want it, as long as the turn isn’t so tight that the train falls over.

You can also build your own tracks for model railroad track plans, but there are many dangers involved with doing this. One of them is safety issues, you have to make sure that you ground the rails properly, or you could get a nasty electrical shock. Only experts do this, ones who are in model train clubs, and even then, it is usually done with a group of people. The at home train hobbyist should stick to prefabricated tracks.

You can find many different model railroad track plans, and a really good place to start is online. There are many websites with much to offer, and you can find an abundance of photos and videos of many track plans that people have already completed. For example, if you are looking for a track layout for your outdoor set up, there are some really good ones to be found. There are layouts for mountain layouts, and even ones that you can make that have famous landmarks, like Mount Rushmore, or the Eiffel Tower. If you are planning an outdoor design, and are starting from scratch, do the track design first, and then put in your plants and structures around it.

Indoor model railroad track plans are just as abundant, and you have many different resources. There are many different books on the subject, and they have many useful tips and advice to help you get the most out of you layout experience. If you are interested in any of these books, make sure that they include a complete list of all the parts you are going to need for each layout design. That way you are sure you get all the right materials at one time. It will be extremely frustrating to discover that you don’t have enough track, or the right scenery or buildings to put your layout together.

A good place to start looking for model railroad track plans would be at your local hobby store. They will have a wide assortment of books, tracks and accessories in one convenient location, and may even have some examples of track layouts on display. If you have any questions, or need some tips, the sales people will have no problems answering all of them.



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