Rick Cartwright and Empire Builder Railroad Designs will break the current Guinness world record for running THE WORLDS LONGEST MODEL TRAIN. This record breaking run will occur April 26, 2008 at 2:00 PM. Some of the biggest names in Garden Railroading, USA Trains, Kadee, Locolinc, Large Scale Online (LSOL) and Eagle Wings Ironcraft have supplied equipment for and will be participating in this event.
Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) April 15, 2008 -- At this time, the current world record for running THE WORLDS LONGEST MODEL TRAIN is held by Miniature Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany in HO Scale (1:87.1) at 361 ft 10 in (5.969 scale miles). The big difference between that record and this one is the SCALE of model railroad. This attempt will be made in G-Scale (1:24), will require 47 Locomotives, 540 pieces of rolling stock, on 1,252 Linear Feet of track at 6.91 Scale Miles. In essence beating the current record by almost 1 scale mile.
Take Your Place in the History of Model Railroading
The hobby of Model Railroading (any scale) in this country is comprised of hundreds of thousands of people covering all walks of life including children ages 6 - 96. Empire Builder Railroad Designs is bringing this record home to the United States in order to bring greater attention to this hobby and hopefully bring a greater appreciation of how the Railroads contributed to building this great nation
The history of railroading in this country is rich, romantic and at least in our opinion deserves to be remembered and celebrated. This is our attempt at beginning that celebration.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Railroad Modelers Create ‘Own Little World'
Tyler Szulkowski, 3, of Waynesboro, left, and his friend Adam Brumbaugh, 3, of Fishersville, react as they watch a model train go by them on Sunday during the Model Train and Railroading Show at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds.
HARRISONBURG - Browsing through the displays at the Model Train and Railroading Show on Sunday, Michael Strawderman looked for something that would fit into the project he's working on at home.
Strawderman, 40, is building a scale model railroad community in his basement. The Harrisonburg resident was among the people indulging their hobby at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds.
Different Stage
Strawderman said his interest in railroading took a different turn after working with building miniatures for drama productions.
The drama teacher at Thomas Harrison Middle School began creating a miniature community to compliment his model train track.
The model railroad community is a work in progress, but he has already derived satisfaction from the project that includes buildings with detailed interiors.
"It's fun to have people come over and peer inside the building and see the people in there and the detail," he said.
Fun Outing
Strawderman visited the show, sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad Club and the local chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society, because it offers a chance to find additions for his model community without driving far from the city.
Strawderman's sons, Andrew, 11, and Benjamin, 8, found lots of items that interested them.
Andrew's modeling interest is a little different than his father's. He focused his attention on the model cars and how different they are from each other.
Benjamin found model layouts the most interesting, including a train that sprouted smoke.
"It's really fun," he said.
Long Run
The club has been running the event for about 20 years, said Jim Suter, 67, who lives just west of Harrisonburg.
A member of the board of directors of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad Club, Suter's interest in railroading is real trains.
The vast majority of people who come are those who want to buy something for their model train layout, said Suter, who is retired from Walker Manufacturing.
"We do the show mostly to promote interest in trains and modeling," he said.
Attendance figures for Sunday's event was not available, but Suter said 48 dealers bought 140 tables for the show.
"We really don't know until the end of the show what affect the price of gasoline had on attendance," Suter said.
Railroad Life
Club member Paul Graham, 72, of Bridgewater, has the same interest in railroading as Suter.
He worked around railroads most of his life beginning in 1956 when he took a job with the old Erie Railroad. He continued to work with the company's successors over 22 years.
Graham then went to work for the federal Interstate Commerce Commission. His job was making sure railroad companies complied with federal regulations.
Standing behind a table covered with train magazines and calendars he was selling, Graham said last year's event drew about 1,000 people, including dealers and about 230 children, who got in free.
"We like to promote the youngsters," he said.
‘Own Little World'
Building scale models is just one of the interests of people who attend the club's meetings, said club president Randall Reichenbach.
Some of them like watching trains and others like riding them, he said.
Reichenbach's interest includes scale models, even though he has never constructed a layout.
But that hasn't stopped the 64-year-old Harrisonburg resident from collecting rolling stock, buildings and other pieces for layouts over the past 40 years.
"I haven't had the time or situation to set up a layout," said Reichenbach, who is in the insurance business.
The layouts provide a chance to "make your own little world," he said.
Personal Touch
The world that Strawderman is creating is full of personal touches.
He paints and personalizes model kits he buys.
The theater in his model community is named after one that he once worked with.
The level of detail for the grocery he is working on includes shopping carts, he said.
Model shows like Sunday's event are places for him to explore. "You never know what is out there," he said.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
HARRISONBURG - Browsing through the displays at the Model Train and Railroading Show on Sunday, Michael Strawderman looked for something that would fit into the project he's working on at home.
Strawderman, 40, is building a scale model railroad community in his basement. The Harrisonburg resident was among the people indulging their hobby at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds.
Different Stage
Strawderman said his interest in railroading took a different turn after working with building miniatures for drama productions.
The drama teacher at Thomas Harrison Middle School began creating a miniature community to compliment his model train track.
The model railroad community is a work in progress, but he has already derived satisfaction from the project that includes buildings with detailed interiors.
"It's fun to have people come over and peer inside the building and see the people in there and the detail," he said.
Fun Outing
Strawderman visited the show, sponsored by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad Club and the local chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society, because it offers a chance to find additions for his model community without driving far from the city.
Strawderman's sons, Andrew, 11, and Benjamin, 8, found lots of items that interested them.
Andrew's modeling interest is a little different than his father's. He focused his attention on the model cars and how different they are from each other.
Benjamin found model layouts the most interesting, including a train that sprouted smoke.
"It's really fun," he said.
Long Run
The club has been running the event for about 20 years, said Jim Suter, 67, who lives just west of Harrisonburg.
A member of the board of directors of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad Club, Suter's interest in railroading is real trains.
The vast majority of people who come are those who want to buy something for their model train layout, said Suter, who is retired from Walker Manufacturing.
"We do the show mostly to promote interest in trains and modeling," he said.
Attendance figures for Sunday's event was not available, but Suter said 48 dealers bought 140 tables for the show.
"We really don't know until the end of the show what affect the price of gasoline had on attendance," Suter said.
Railroad Life
Club member Paul Graham, 72, of Bridgewater, has the same interest in railroading as Suter.
He worked around railroads most of his life beginning in 1956 when he took a job with the old Erie Railroad. He continued to work with the company's successors over 22 years.
Graham then went to work for the federal Interstate Commerce Commission. His job was making sure railroad companies complied with federal regulations.
Standing behind a table covered with train magazines and calendars he was selling, Graham said last year's event drew about 1,000 people, including dealers and about 230 children, who got in free.
"We like to promote the youngsters," he said.
‘Own Little World'
Building scale models is just one of the interests of people who attend the club's meetings, said club president Randall Reichenbach.
Some of them like watching trains and others like riding them, he said.
Reichenbach's interest includes scale models, even though he has never constructed a layout.
But that hasn't stopped the 64-year-old Harrisonburg resident from collecting rolling stock, buildings and other pieces for layouts over the past 40 years.
"I haven't had the time or situation to set up a layout," said Reichenbach, who is in the insurance business.
The layouts provide a chance to "make your own little world," he said.
Personal Touch
The world that Strawderman is creating is full of personal touches.
He paints and personalizes model kits he buys.
The theater in his model community is named after one that he once worked with.
The level of detail for the grocery he is working on includes shopping carts, he said.
Model shows like Sunday's event are places for him to explore. "You never know what is out there," he said.
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
Scale-model train fans plan free Hemet show
When Wally Clark, of Hemet, sees trains, he sees the intricate wheels, unique colors and a piece of American history.
The 87-year-old is a member of the Hemet-San Jacinto Railroad Club. It is a chapter of the National Model Railroad Association, but includes all hobbies related to railroading such as like collectibles and train watching.
Clark's interest in model trains started in 1937 when he was in 11th grade. Though he didn't have the time or money in his younger years to explore this interest, Clark became a railroad enthusiast after he retired. He said he has spent about $10,000 on the hobby.
Wally Clark, left, and Ralph Hill, members of the Hemet-San Jacinto Railroad Club, stand in front of the model train layout at Dynamic Hobbies in Hemet. The club plans a model train show this weekend.
"They are not toys," he said. "They are actual models of the real thing you would see running on the tracks. Each train tells you a bit about the era it was made in."
Operation Scale Model Railroading--2008, a show of model trains that Clark and other club members put together every year, is set to open today and will continue through Sunday.
The group will be operating their HO- and N-scale trains from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at the Whispering Palms Clubhouse in Hemet. There is no admission fee and visitors are invited to stay for as long as they like.
In previous shows, trains ran on winding tracks, over bridges, under tunnels and through towns. The layouts were so detailed visitors could see the faces of the passengers on the model trains.
The Hemet-San Jacinto Railroad Club was formed in 1987. About 40 people showed up at its first meeting. Jerry Davenport, one of the club's earliest members, commented in a club newsletter at the time that the town was "absolutely full of closet modelers."
At the club's peak, there were about 82 members, said Ralph Hill, 67, of Valle Vista, club member and past president. Now the club has 12 members.
Clark said that the club's membership is reflective of the dwindling of model railroading as a hobby. He said the half-dozen H0 and N-scale model train stores in the San Jacinto Valley have closed throughout the years and now there's only one left in Hemet.
Bob Parcell, 59, of Hemet, owns the store Dynamic Hobbies. It has a 45-foot long train layout that Parcell said draws everyone's attention. But most of the sales come from the radio-controlled cars and airplanes he also sells.
"The glory of the steam age is still in the older generation's mind, but younger people just can't relate to that anymore," he said. "There are so many other cool things kids can be into now and trains are just not one of them."
But Hill thinks that model railroading has caught up with technology and time. For example, he said in the last decade, Digital Command Control has allowed locomotives on the same electrical section of the track be independently controlled. The features on the model trains are also refined compared to their earlier versions.
Club members hope that shows like the one this weekend will introduce the hobby to those who don't know much about it. Hill said the best way to get started is to join the club and ask lots of questions.
Operation Scale Model Railroading -- 2008
When: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday.
Where: Whispering Palms Clubhouse in Hemet. Head south on South Palm Avenue, cross Thorton Avenue, and the entrance to Whispering Palms is the first driveway on the left.
Admission: Free
Information about the club: 951-658-4243.
The 87-year-old is a member of the Hemet-San Jacinto Railroad Club. It is a chapter of the National Model Railroad Association, but includes all hobbies related to railroading such as like collectibles and train watching.
Clark's interest in model trains started in 1937 when he was in 11th grade. Though he didn't have the time or money in his younger years to explore this interest, Clark became a railroad enthusiast after he retired. He said he has spent about $10,000 on the hobby.
Wally Clark, left, and Ralph Hill, members of the Hemet-San Jacinto Railroad Club, stand in front of the model train layout at Dynamic Hobbies in Hemet. The club plans a model train show this weekend.
"They are not toys," he said. "They are actual models of the real thing you would see running on the tracks. Each train tells you a bit about the era it was made in."
Operation Scale Model Railroading--2008, a show of model trains that Clark and other club members put together every year, is set to open today and will continue through Sunday.
The group will be operating their HO- and N-scale trains from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at the Whispering Palms Clubhouse in Hemet. There is no admission fee and visitors are invited to stay for as long as they like.
In previous shows, trains ran on winding tracks, over bridges, under tunnels and through towns. The layouts were so detailed visitors could see the faces of the passengers on the model trains.
The Hemet-San Jacinto Railroad Club was formed in 1987. About 40 people showed up at its first meeting. Jerry Davenport, one of the club's earliest members, commented in a club newsletter at the time that the town was "absolutely full of closet modelers."
At the club's peak, there were about 82 members, said Ralph Hill, 67, of Valle Vista, club member and past president. Now the club has 12 members.
Clark said that the club's membership is reflective of the dwindling of model railroading as a hobby. He said the half-dozen H0 and N-scale model train stores in the San Jacinto Valley have closed throughout the years and now there's only one left in Hemet.
Bob Parcell, 59, of Hemet, owns the store Dynamic Hobbies. It has a 45-foot long train layout that Parcell said draws everyone's attention. But most of the sales come from the radio-controlled cars and airplanes he also sells.
"The glory of the steam age is still in the older generation's mind, but younger people just can't relate to that anymore," he said. "There are so many other cool things kids can be into now and trains are just not one of them."
But Hill thinks that model railroading has caught up with technology and time. For example, he said in the last decade, Digital Command Control has allowed locomotives on the same electrical section of the track be independently controlled. The features on the model trains are also refined compared to their earlier versions.
Club members hope that shows like the one this weekend will introduce the hobby to those who don't know much about it. Hill said the best way to get started is to join the club and ask lots of questions.
Operation Scale Model Railroading -- 2008
When: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday.
Where: Whispering Palms Clubhouse in Hemet. Head south on South Palm Avenue, cross Thorton Avenue, and the entrance to Whispering Palms is the first driveway on the left.
Admission: Free
Information about the club: 951-658-4243.
National Garden Railway Convention comes to AC
Arizona City youngster Jaden Perez, 6, looks on in amazement at the model railroading layout at the home of Jerry McKenzie during last week’s visit by members of the 2008 National Garden Railway Convention.
If you have a model railroading layout, if you've ever wanted a layout, if you love looking at layouts, if you like model trains or full-size trains, if you just want to know more about the hobby, then the 2008 National Garden Railway Convention (which ran from April 29 to May 4), was the place for you to come look, listen, learn, talk and enjoy.
Though it was headquartered in downtown Chandler, this year's National Garden Railway Convention, featured tours of layouts in both the greater Phoenix area and the greater Tucson areas, concentrating on one area per tour day. One of the stops on the tour was right here in Arizona City at the home of reknowned train enthusiast Jerry McKenzie. With his entire backyard as one huge layout, visiting convention goers likely didn't have enough time to take it all in. A total of eight bus loads of visitors came through Arizona City to see McKenzie's amazing layout. Last Friday's tour was made up of visitors from scores of other states and even several different countries.
The 2008 National Garden Railway Convention was jointly sponsored by The Arizona Big Train Operators, a G-scale group encompassing the Valley of the Sun - Greater Phoenix metro area and The Tucson Garden Railway Society, a G-scale group that includes members in the greater Tucson area.
McKenzie is a member of the Arizona Big Train Operators (ABTO), one of the largest Garden Railroad Clubs in Arizona with over 90 members. The club is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of large-scale model railroading in Arizona. Through the camaraderie of its membership, ABTO members discuss and share ideas, assist one another in model railroading projects and provide each other with the opportunity to operate large scale trains.
The forming group got together in the mid 1990s. At that time, it was just a group of people interested in "G" scale trains. However in 1996, the Arizona Big Train Operators became an organized club. By-laws were written and a Board of Directors was elected.
In the early years, ABTO had a module layout to promote the hobby which consisted of privately owned sections made of wood and Styrofoam and contained one track. The modules were under constant repair and were eventually discarded. A new 30-foot by 60-foot steel module loop was built in 2002 by Dan Hoag of EagleWings Iron Craft. This design was superior to the first layout because it contained two mainlines and four large passing tracks. Eventually, four more sidings were added to the center to store trains which would alternate on the outer loops.
In 2003, Rich Hull thought ABTO was a large enough organization, with plenty of train experience in the membership to be able to sponsor a National Garden Railroad Convention in Arizona. Joining forces with The Tucson Garden Railroad Society, the idea was proposed at that time. The Convention Committee's hard work helped make the 2008 National Garden Railway Convention the best ever.
In 2004, ABTO contacted Phoenix Children's Hospital to suggest building a layout for the children. It was constructed by many ABTO volunteers and is maintained under Jerry McKenzie's guidance. The railroad provides enjoyment for patients, families, medical staff, and doctors.
Phoenix Children's Hospital Garden Railroad
The ABTO Club was chosen to head up a train layout project at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The project was started by the passing of Bert Smith who upon his death had willed all of his trains and equipment to the Phoenix Children's Hospital. Former ABTO President Ed Dunshie along with the help of Rick Cartwright, Ennis Thompson and John Meyers got the project started. Volunteers are also needed along with donations of money to support the on-going layout maintenance. If you would like to help or just make a donation please contact Jerry McKenzie, who also serves as the ABTO Maintenance Director, at abtomaster@msn.com.
Jerry's Eggliners
Jerry's Trains was a creation by Jerry McKenzie for the 2006 National Convention (held in Santa Clara, California), with entertainment especially geared towards little ones. Following a huge layout they made for the 2001 convention, ABTO member Ennis Thompson and McKenzie decided they wanted to do something for the kids. Jerry developed tentative plans and took them to Dan Hoag; he brought the layout to life. At that time they found that what they had planned did not work. Realizing that they needed to interact more on the kids level, the railroading enthusiasts referred back to their Cub Scouting days of acting foolish while having fun with the kids-hence the Chicken Man and the Spider Man characters were born. McKenzie is a ham at heart, and he continues to take the fun to the next level. Most important to him, and the other members of ABTO, is seeing the faces of young future railroaders having fun right along with us. Children who participated were allowed to go hands-on, running "Eggliners" to get their engineer's license.
If you have a model railroading layout, if you've ever wanted a layout, if you love looking at layouts, if you like model trains or full-size trains, if you just want to know more about the hobby, then the 2008 National Garden Railway Convention (which ran from April 29 to May 4), was the place for you to come look, listen, learn, talk and enjoy.
Though it was headquartered in downtown Chandler, this year's National Garden Railway Convention, featured tours of layouts in both the greater Phoenix area and the greater Tucson areas, concentrating on one area per tour day. One of the stops on the tour was right here in Arizona City at the home of reknowned train enthusiast Jerry McKenzie. With his entire backyard as one huge layout, visiting convention goers likely didn't have enough time to take it all in. A total of eight bus loads of visitors came through Arizona City to see McKenzie's amazing layout. Last Friday's tour was made up of visitors from scores of other states and even several different countries.
The 2008 National Garden Railway Convention was jointly sponsored by The Arizona Big Train Operators, a G-scale group encompassing the Valley of the Sun - Greater Phoenix metro area and The Tucson Garden Railway Society, a G-scale group that includes members in the greater Tucson area.
McKenzie is a member of the Arizona Big Train Operators (ABTO), one of the largest Garden Railroad Clubs in Arizona with over 90 members. The club is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of large-scale model railroading in Arizona. Through the camaraderie of its membership, ABTO members discuss and share ideas, assist one another in model railroading projects and provide each other with the opportunity to operate large scale trains.
The forming group got together in the mid 1990s. At that time, it was just a group of people interested in "G" scale trains. However in 1996, the Arizona Big Train Operators became an organized club. By-laws were written and a Board of Directors was elected.
In the early years, ABTO had a module layout to promote the hobby which consisted of privately owned sections made of wood and Styrofoam and contained one track. The modules were under constant repair and were eventually discarded. A new 30-foot by 60-foot steel module loop was built in 2002 by Dan Hoag of EagleWings Iron Craft. This design was superior to the first layout because it contained two mainlines and four large passing tracks. Eventually, four more sidings were added to the center to store trains which would alternate on the outer loops.
In 2003, Rich Hull thought ABTO was a large enough organization, with plenty of train experience in the membership to be able to sponsor a National Garden Railroad Convention in Arizona. Joining forces with The Tucson Garden Railroad Society, the idea was proposed at that time. The Convention Committee's hard work helped make the 2008 National Garden Railway Convention the best ever.
In 2004, ABTO contacted Phoenix Children's Hospital to suggest building a layout for the children. It was constructed by many ABTO volunteers and is maintained under Jerry McKenzie's guidance. The railroad provides enjoyment for patients, families, medical staff, and doctors.
Phoenix Children's Hospital Garden Railroad
The ABTO Club was chosen to head up a train layout project at Phoenix Children's Hospital. The project was started by the passing of Bert Smith who upon his death had willed all of his trains and equipment to the Phoenix Children's Hospital. Former ABTO President Ed Dunshie along with the help of Rick Cartwright, Ennis Thompson and John Meyers got the project started. Volunteers are also needed along with donations of money to support the on-going layout maintenance. If you would like to help or just make a donation please contact Jerry McKenzie, who also serves as the ABTO Maintenance Director, at abtomaster@msn.com.
Jerry's Eggliners
Jerry's Trains was a creation by Jerry McKenzie for the 2006 National Convention (held in Santa Clara, California), with entertainment especially geared towards little ones. Following a huge layout they made for the 2001 convention, ABTO member Ennis Thompson and McKenzie decided they wanted to do something for the kids. Jerry developed tentative plans and took them to Dan Hoag; he brought the layout to life. At that time they found that what they had planned did not work. Realizing that they needed to interact more on the kids level, the railroading enthusiasts referred back to their Cub Scouting days of acting foolish while having fun with the kids-hence the Chicken Man and the Spider Man characters were born. McKenzie is a ham at heart, and he continues to take the fun to the next level. Most important to him, and the other members of ABTO, is seeing the faces of young future railroaders having fun right along with us. Children who participated were allowed to go hands-on, running "Eggliners" to get their engineer's license.
Railroad Layouts N Scale
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Model Train Secrets and Help for Model Railroads
Veteran model railroaders reveal secrets to build, maintain and repair model train sets. Model railroad tips and model train techniques explained step-by-step.
Model Railroad Books
Huge selection of books for the model railroader. DCC, track planning, model railroad wiring, scenery, benchwork, and much more.
Albuquerque Carnuel & Tijeras R.R.
New Layout
Rating: [6.63] Votes: [19] Hits: [18769]
All Aboard N Scale Trains
A site with my layout as well as useful links and a discussion list.
Rating: [4.83] Votes: [12] Hits: [23125]
All American Nscale
Clairville and Eldoria Railroad
Rating: [0.00] Votes: [0] Hits: [730]
Alligator Lines "The Eclectic Line of the South"
A 3 x 6 N Scale model railroad located in South Florida
Rating: [9.33] Votes: [3] Hits: [608]
American N-scale Modelrailroad
Fantasy layout starting at Plains in the Canadian prairie through Flagstaff/Arizona to Waterville/NY.
Rating: [7.75] Votes: [8] Hits: [15737]
Bill Denton's N Scale Kingsbury Branch
N-Scale model railroad of The Milwaukee Road's Kingsbury Branch in Chicago.
Rating: [9.59] Votes: [12] Hits: [12992]
Bill's Railroad Empire
Features Bill's Circus, U.S. Army Military, Downtown, Along the Highway Scenes. Short Tutorials, Brief History of N Scale.
Rating: [6.67] Votes: [6] Hits: [6821]
BNSF Horsethief Bridge Subdivision
BNSF and UP in the scenic Northwest of America.
Rating: [10.00] Votes: [1] Hits: [780]
C&NW Tap Creek Branch
A free-lanced N scale shelf layout, loosely based on the Chicago & North Western.
Rating: [6.86] Votes: [14] Hits: [8719]
C&O New River Sub
A site about modeling the C&O in the New River Gorge of WV. Prototype information and all scales of modeling are covered.
Rating: [6.83] Votes: [6] Hits: [5243]
Chartiers Branch of the PRR
36" by 80" n scale layout based on the Chartiers Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Rating: [8.29] Votes: [7] Hits: [1555]
D&RGW Eagle Pass
.....watch a custom N scale coffee table layout being built!
Rating: [7.50] Votes: [6] Hits: [8544]
D&RGW layout in So. CO
My first model train layout. Based on the fictional town of Holman CO. in the late 50's. A very basic layout with only one main line.
Rating: [9.67] Votes: [3] Hits: [6281]
Evert's Model Railroad Page
This site documents the construction of my N and HO scale layout. It contains several cadrail track plans and lots of pictures of the layout in progress.
Rating: [5.00] Votes: [2] Hits: [5456]
Experience IT !
This site was born primary to have a place where display and share my personal "experience" and was created as a labour of love, combining my favourite hobbies: Model Railroading and Ferrari Red Passion
Rating: [8.25] Votes: [4] Hits: [1846]
Flaxengate Model Railway
Flaxengate Model Railway is an N gauge 6' by 1.5' layout currently under construction. It's based in the present day and the location is fictional, but is based on a industrial town in a valley.
Rating: [9.00] Votes: [5] Hits: [2715]
Free Model Train Tours
N-scale apartment model railroad. Goes around the perimeter of my apartment.
Rating: [9.01] Votes: [19] Hits: [7758]
Jersey Central RR in California
My N Scale Model of the CNJ and EL Railroads.
Rating: [8.40] Votes: [5] Hits: [4732]
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Model Train Secrets and Help for Model Railroads
Veteran model railroaders reveal secrets to build, maintain and repair model train sets. Model railroad tips and model train techniques explained step-by-step.
Model Railroad Books
Huge selection of books for the model railroader. DCC, track planning, model railroad wiring, scenery, benchwork, and much more.
Albuquerque Carnuel & Tijeras R.R.
New Layout
Rating: [6.63] Votes: [19] Hits: [18769]
All Aboard N Scale Trains
A site with my layout as well as useful links and a discussion list.
Rating: [4.83] Votes: [12] Hits: [23125]
All American Nscale
Clairville and Eldoria Railroad
Rating: [0.00] Votes: [0] Hits: [730]
Alligator Lines "The Eclectic Line of the South"
A 3 x 6 N Scale model railroad located in South Florida
Rating: [9.33] Votes: [3] Hits: [608]
American N-scale Modelrailroad
Fantasy layout starting at Plains in the Canadian prairie through Flagstaff/Arizona to Waterville/NY.
Rating: [7.75] Votes: [8] Hits: [15737]
Bill Denton's N Scale Kingsbury Branch
N-Scale model railroad of The Milwaukee Road's Kingsbury Branch in Chicago.
Rating: [9.59] Votes: [12] Hits: [12992]
Bill's Railroad Empire
Features Bill's Circus, U.S. Army Military, Downtown, Along the Highway Scenes. Short Tutorials, Brief History of N Scale.
Rating: [6.67] Votes: [6] Hits: [6821]
BNSF Horsethief Bridge Subdivision
BNSF and UP in the scenic Northwest of America.
Rating: [10.00] Votes: [1] Hits: [780]
C&NW Tap Creek Branch
A free-lanced N scale shelf layout, loosely based on the Chicago & North Western.
Rating: [6.86] Votes: [14] Hits: [8719]
C&O New River Sub
A site about modeling the C&O in the New River Gorge of WV. Prototype information and all scales of modeling are covered.
Rating: [6.83] Votes: [6] Hits: [5243]
Chartiers Branch of the PRR
36" by 80" n scale layout based on the Chartiers Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Rating: [8.29] Votes: [7] Hits: [1555]
D&RGW Eagle Pass
.....watch a custom N scale coffee table layout being built!
Rating: [7.50] Votes: [6] Hits: [8544]
D&RGW layout in So. CO
My first model train layout. Based on the fictional town of Holman CO. in the late 50's. A very basic layout with only one main line.
Rating: [9.67] Votes: [3] Hits: [6281]
Evert's Model Railroad Page
This site documents the construction of my N and HO scale layout. It contains several cadrail track plans and lots of pictures of the layout in progress.
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Experience IT !
This site was born primary to have a place where display and share my personal "experience" and was created as a labour of love, combining my favourite hobbies: Model Railroading and Ferrari Red Passion
Rating: [8.25] Votes: [4] Hits: [1846]
Flaxengate Model Railway
Flaxengate Model Railway is an N gauge 6' by 1.5' layout currently under construction. It's based in the present day and the location is fictional, but is based on a industrial town in a valley.
Rating: [9.00] Votes: [5] Hits: [2715]
Free Model Train Tours
N-scale apartment model railroad. Goes around the perimeter of my apartment.
Rating: [9.01] Votes: [19] Hits: [7758]
Jersey Central RR in California
My N Scale Model of the CNJ and EL Railroads.
Rating: [8.40] Votes: [5] Hits: [4732]
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converter
This converter requires the use of Javascript enabled and capable browsers. This script creates a converted table of represented distances, based on the scale fraction, or the type of model railroad, in order to create a more accurate layout. Track distances are the most difficult scale to achieve because of physical space limitations of most layouts. These scales vary somewhat worldwide and from manufacturer to manufacturer; however these are the generally accepted sizes and conversions. Calculations can be made in an automated fashion by selecting the scale of your choice (current, generally standard scales listed only) and clicking on Convert; the default is 87.1 for HO, the most popular scale. The scale fraction will show in the scale fraction box after clicking on Convert. To manually process the conversion, choose Other for the scale; enter the scale fraction of your choice directly in the scale fraction box. If the size scale is 1:50, you should enter the 50 in the box. Then click on Convert. This will work with any scale size relationship. To do any additional calculations, click on Clear Values prior to entering any new values. You might be interested in our Model Railroad Life Size Scale Calculator also.
Typical model railroad scales are (largest to smallest):
1:12 Large Scale
1:13.7 7/8 inch scale
1:20.3 G, Three-Foot Gauge on Gauge 1 Track
1:22.5 LGB and Bachman
1:24 Half scale
1:29 Aristo-Craft, USA Trains, standard gauge on #1 gauge
1:32 I scale
1:48 O scale
1:64 S scale
1:87.1 HO scale
1:120 TT scale
1:160 N scale
1:220 Z scale
Typical model railroad scales are (largest to smallest):
1:12 Large Scale
1:13.7 7/8 inch scale
1:20.3 G, Three-Foot Gauge on Gauge 1 Track
1:22.5 LGB and Bachman
1:24 Half scale
1:29 Aristo-Craft, USA Trains, standard gauge on #1 gauge
1:32 I scale
1:48 O scale
1:64 S scale
1:87.1 HO scale
1:120 TT scale
1:160 N scale
1:220 Z scale
Introducing the Spring Creek Railroad
The Spring Creek Railroad is a project that has been five years in the
making and has many years left to go
I first became aware of this hobby from a live steaming web site in 1999.
Through a series of very fortunate events, I found myself hooked up with Lee Wright and Mark Gregor, both hobby veterans. In 2000, I began learning metalworking as an apprentice to Lee Wright building a pair of Trinity gondolas. I also was spending summers at the Western Illinois Railroad learning about track work and MOW from Mark Gregor.
In 2002, having become immersed in the hobby, we sold our city house, purchased some property and begin building a new railroad-centric home in the country.
August 2002
March 2003
A part of the new railroad's master plan was to have a depot/workshop/storage shed that was dedicated to the railroad. A large out-building was completed to serve as railroad central and provide heated storage of rolling stock in the winter months.
September 2003
We purchased a pile of CCA lumber on closeout and proceeded to
built a track panel jig table.
In order to build the switches and fabricate many of the necessary parts, we purchased a Bridgeport Series I from an estate sale in Chicago. A friend of the seller owned a machinery moving company and agreed to deliver the mill here in the Peoria-area for a very reasonable fee. He didn't plan on having to move the mill on dirt (he assumed and so did I), so we built a sloppy deck out of 2x6s to support the fork truck. Everything was going well until while lowering the mill towards the ground, the mill accidentally touched the ground, which released the tension on the nylon strap, and allowed the mill to roll over on its face.
Aw crap...
Warning: This photo could cause Tool Makers
to spontaneously combust.
** In all fairness, this fellow is a competent machine mover and a heck of a nice guy. He was at an extreme disadvantage due to
the screwy conditions of my construction site.
Well, using two tractors and a bunch of chain, we were able to right the mill and quickly move it into its now home in the workshop. (Yes, it needed a little repair and some replacement parts, but works just fine now)
The workshop is now complete. Time to start building stuff...
Finally started laying track in mid-August 2004.
Here Mark Gregor, Lee Wright and an incompetent foreman install the first track panel at SCRR. The skid steer drops the first bucket of CA-6 ballast on the very first track panel.
Here I am 150' later grading the right of way as the main line approaches the driveway crossing. Time to cut up some more ties - that job is never complete.
Here the track works its way across the driveway, across the front of the yard the then turns north heading towards the playground area. This is where progress stopped in early November 2004 due to the weather.
Work on the railroad resumed in early April 2005 with an unexpected snap of warm weather. Luckily, we had prepared 28 track panels and three switches that were just waiting to be installed. We wasted no time in completing a number of projects in the depot area including laying the loading track and the passing siding.
The retaining wall was completed previously in 2004 and includes a recessed sitting area (or BS corral ). There is a 7' wide loading platform along the side of the depot/workshop.
The custom hanging lantern posts were quite an involved project as all the lantern fixtures had to be disassembled and rewired. They don't provide a lot of light, but certainly help set the tone for this vignette.
APRIL 10, 2005
The list of railroad-related projects has grown to about 750 items and we're currently working on number 6. With about 600' of track installed (as of 4/10/05) and 1400' remaining to complete the phase-1 loop, this should be quite a busy railroad season.
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making and has many years left to go
I first became aware of this hobby from a live steaming web site in 1999.
Through a series of very fortunate events, I found myself hooked up with Lee Wright and Mark Gregor, both hobby veterans. In 2000, I began learning metalworking as an apprentice to Lee Wright building a pair of Trinity gondolas. I also was spending summers at the Western Illinois Railroad learning about track work and MOW from Mark Gregor.
In 2002, having become immersed in the hobby, we sold our city house, purchased some property and begin building a new railroad-centric home in the country.
August 2002
March 2003
A part of the new railroad's master plan was to have a depot/workshop/storage shed that was dedicated to the railroad. A large out-building was completed to serve as railroad central and provide heated storage of rolling stock in the winter months.
September 2003
We purchased a pile of CCA lumber on closeout and proceeded to
built a track panel jig table.
In order to build the switches and fabricate many of the necessary parts, we purchased a Bridgeport Series I from an estate sale in Chicago. A friend of the seller owned a machinery moving company and agreed to deliver the mill here in the Peoria-area for a very reasonable fee. He didn't plan on having to move the mill on dirt (he assumed and so did I), so we built a sloppy deck out of 2x6s to support the fork truck. Everything was going well until while lowering the mill towards the ground, the mill accidentally touched the ground, which released the tension on the nylon strap, and allowed the mill to roll over on its face.
Aw crap...
Warning: This photo could cause Tool Makers
to spontaneously combust.
** In all fairness, this fellow is a competent machine mover and a heck of a nice guy. He was at an extreme disadvantage due to
the screwy conditions of my construction site.
Well, using two tractors and a bunch of chain, we were able to right the mill and quickly move it into its now home in the workshop. (Yes, it needed a little repair and some replacement parts, but works just fine now)
The workshop is now complete. Time to start building stuff...
Finally started laying track in mid-August 2004.
Here Mark Gregor, Lee Wright and an incompetent foreman install the first track panel at SCRR. The skid steer drops the first bucket of CA-6 ballast on the very first track panel.
Here I am 150' later grading the right of way as the main line approaches the driveway crossing. Time to cut up some more ties - that job is never complete.
Here the track works its way across the driveway, across the front of the yard the then turns north heading towards the playground area. This is where progress stopped in early November 2004 due to the weather.
Work on the railroad resumed in early April 2005 with an unexpected snap of warm weather. Luckily, we had prepared 28 track panels and three switches that were just waiting to be installed. We wasted no time in completing a number of projects in the depot area including laying the loading track and the passing siding.
The retaining wall was completed previously in 2004 and includes a recessed sitting area (or BS corral ). There is a 7' wide loading platform along the side of the depot/workshop.
The custom hanging lantern posts were quite an involved project as all the lantern fixtures had to be disassembled and rewired. They don't provide a lot of light, but certainly help set the tone for this vignette.
APRIL 10, 2005
The list of railroad-related projects has grown to about 750 items and we're currently working on number 6. With about 600' of track installed (as of 4/10/05) and 1400' remaining to complete the phase-1 loop, this should be quite a busy railroad season.
Return to Articles Menu
Repowering the SD-6060
Repowering the SD-6060
Installing the E-tek and Sevcon Controller
A few years back we started installing the E-tek motor and Sevcon controllers in our locomotives. The SD-60 Number 6060 was the last of five units to get the treatment. There are a couple articles on this site that show the conversion of two of the locomotives.
These photos show the set up that we have been using for several years with out a single problem. Mark ran his SD-60 for 9 years before his was converted.
The reasons we made the switch to the E-tek set up are as follows.
The DART controller was only rated at 60 amps. The DART controller was real sensitive to reverse current, say switching to reverse while still traveling forward. That would basically destroy the controller.
There were some safety things that I built into the circuit to help protect the controller. However, it was not 100 percent effective.
One still had to make sure you stopped before trying to reverse the motors.
Reason number two is space. The Sevcon takes up about 1/3 of the space. All the solenoids are built into the Sevcon. The Sevcon is rated at 300 amps and no problem reversing. Although I had an emergency stop built into my electrical system, it was an all or nothing. The Sevcon can be set to apply the brakes by percent thus stopping but not so fast as to throw someone off or damage the equipment.
This photo shows the two motors connected together end to end. Together they would put out 2-1/2 electrical H.P. It was enough to spin the wheels on the 1,000 pound locomotive. Those are 36 volt motors rated at about 30 amps.
These photos show all that time and hard work designing and building the system all gone. Stripped down to the bone.
Here you can see that two of the up right motor brackets had to be removed also. Lots of sawing and grinding for that job.
Below, I have the new motor bracket install and now locating the placement of the new parts. Important nothing hits the body or is impossible to get to. Note that the controller is mounted on an aluminum plate. The plate is about 3/4" off the channel and heat sink caulk is used between the controller and the plate. Same with the 36 to 12 volt converter.
Next, the layout is coming together. It is basically one big circle.
The first battery plus is connected to the contactor. From the the contactor to the controller. Battery negative from the controller continues on to the front two batteries and then all the way to the back battery negative to complete the loop.
Photos 11 and 13 show the motor pulley set up. Since we have more than tripled the H.P. I re-geared it to run a little faster. Well… a lot faster. Steam engine guys look out. I will be tail gating you. Well…not really, I would not tail gate as it is unsafe.
Now we see the cab and all the wires to run the number boards, head lights, class lights, deck lights and ground lights.
Plus the ditch light flasher board. Oh yes, the sound card was up there also. There were seven circuit boards. I didn't even remember what two or three of them were for.. Bummer they were all removed.
Sixteen and seventeen show the control console. I added the gauges and back lit them. I drew them up on AutoCAD and printed them on my printer. They are real little and hard to print. They do look cool at night though.
I had the engine out and gave it a test run. It runs great and sounds great with the new Phoenix sound card.
Return to Articles Menu
Installing the E-tek and Sevcon Controller
A few years back we started installing the E-tek motor and Sevcon controllers in our locomotives. The SD-60 Number 6060 was the last of five units to get the treatment. There are a couple articles on this site that show the conversion of two of the locomotives.
These photos show the set up that we have been using for several years with out a single problem. Mark ran his SD-60 for 9 years before his was converted.
The reasons we made the switch to the E-tek set up are as follows.
The DART controller was only rated at 60 amps. The DART controller was real sensitive to reverse current, say switching to reverse while still traveling forward. That would basically destroy the controller.
There were some safety things that I built into the circuit to help protect the controller. However, it was not 100 percent effective.
One still had to make sure you stopped before trying to reverse the motors.
Reason number two is space. The Sevcon takes up about 1/3 of the space. All the solenoids are built into the Sevcon. The Sevcon is rated at 300 amps and no problem reversing. Although I had an emergency stop built into my electrical system, it was an all or nothing. The Sevcon can be set to apply the brakes by percent thus stopping but not so fast as to throw someone off or damage the equipment.
This photo shows the two motors connected together end to end. Together they would put out 2-1/2 electrical H.P. It was enough to spin the wheels on the 1,000 pound locomotive. Those are 36 volt motors rated at about 30 amps.
These photos show all that time and hard work designing and building the system all gone. Stripped down to the bone.
Here you can see that two of the up right motor brackets had to be removed also. Lots of sawing and grinding for that job.
Below, I have the new motor bracket install and now locating the placement of the new parts. Important nothing hits the body or is impossible to get to. Note that the controller is mounted on an aluminum plate. The plate is about 3/4" off the channel and heat sink caulk is used between the controller and the plate. Same with the 36 to 12 volt converter.
Next, the layout is coming together. It is basically one big circle.
The first battery plus is connected to the contactor. From the the contactor to the controller. Battery negative from the controller continues on to the front two batteries and then all the way to the back battery negative to complete the loop.
Photos 11 and 13 show the motor pulley set up. Since we have more than tripled the H.P. I re-geared it to run a little faster. Well… a lot faster. Steam engine guys look out. I will be tail gating you. Well…not really, I would not tail gate as it is unsafe.
Now we see the cab and all the wires to run the number boards, head lights, class lights, deck lights and ground lights.
Plus the ditch light flasher board. Oh yes, the sound card was up there also. There were seven circuit boards. I didn't even remember what two or three of them were for.. Bummer they were all removed.
Sixteen and seventeen show the control console. I added the gauges and back lit them. I drew them up on AutoCAD and printed them on my printer. They are real little and hard to print. They do look cool at night though.
I had the engine out and gave it a test run. It runs great and sounds great with the new Phoenix sound card.
Return to Articles Menu
Model railway club's tribute to lifelong member
One of the model railway club exhibits
« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryADVERTISEMENTModel railway enthusiast John Lewis will be remembered when Burgess Hill Model Railway Club holds its annual exhibition on Saturday.
John, who died in December 2006, was a lifelong club member who lived in Burgess Hill and built many railway models and layouts.
His last "OO" gauge layout, Orestone Quay, is owned by the club which will be displaying it for the first time.
Based on a fictitious south coast harbour scene during the period 1935 to 1947, its trains approach the harbour through narrow streets lined with seaside shops and businesses to reach the main quayside where boats and a ship are loaded and unloaded.
Rolling stock for fish, meat, bananas, fruit and parcels can be seen as well as Southern Railway locomotives plus visitors from other areas.
Also making its public debut will be Bishops Nympton, an "O" gauge Great Western Railway-style layout, illustrating a typical branch line in pre-nationalisation days. There will also be a model of the Kingsway Tram Subway set in 1951.
Other exhibits at the show at Burgess Hill School for Girls will be Ceriog Light Railway, Beaulieu and Wellbridge while Burgess Hill's club will be showing its Bash St. Goods layout.
For further information visit the club's website or telephone the secretary on 01444 455215.
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The full article contains 231 words and appears in n/a newspaper.Page 1 of 1
Last Updated: 12 May 2008 11:13 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Mid Sussex
« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »View GalleryADVERTISEMENTModel railway enthusiast John Lewis will be remembered when Burgess Hill Model Railway Club holds its annual exhibition on Saturday.
John, who died in December 2006, was a lifelong club member who lived in Burgess Hill and built many railway models and layouts.
His last "OO" gauge layout, Orestone Quay, is owned by the club which will be displaying it for the first time.
Based on a fictitious south coast harbour scene during the period 1935 to 1947, its trains approach the harbour through narrow streets lined with seaside shops and businesses to reach the main quayside where boats and a ship are loaded and unloaded.
Rolling stock for fish, meat, bananas, fruit and parcels can be seen as well as Southern Railway locomotives plus visitors from other areas.
Also making its public debut will be Bishops Nympton, an "O" gauge Great Western Railway-style layout, illustrating a typical branch line in pre-nationalisation days. There will also be a model of the Kingsway Tram Subway set in 1951.
Other exhibits at the show at Burgess Hill School for Girls will be Ceriog Light Railway, Beaulieu and Wellbridge while Burgess Hill's club will be showing its Bash St. Goods layout.
For further information visit the club's website or telephone the secretary on 01444 455215.
Sign up below to add your comments on this story
The full article contains 231 words and appears in n/a newspaper.Page 1 of 1
Last Updated: 12 May 2008 11:13 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Mid Sussex
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Rail buffs make tracks to train show
There might be more trains at Antioch’s Fulton Shipyard than there are in all of Contra Costa County – except those at the shipyard aren’t leaving town anytime soon.An assortment of steam and diesel model trains operated by kids of all ages were on display last weekend at the Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club’s clubhouse at the shipyards. Busy circling miniature mountains, bridging rivers and steaming through the Northern California flatlands, the trains were a big hit at the club’s annual show.Club member and Oakley resident Jerome Omoletski watched with fascination as the trains worked their way around the maze of tracks, bridges, tunnels and roundhouses. His son, Josh, 11, was in the middle of the maze, setting up trains and connecting cars to assemble a long freight line.“I always had an interest in model railroads,” said Omoletski. “We came to one of the shows a couple of years ago and became members.”Despite their diminutive appearance, these trains are not your run-of-the-mill toys, and the hobby is not for the faint-of-wallet. An H-O gauge steam engine costs $150 and up. But for these enthusiasts, it’s money and time well spent.“It can be expensive,” Omoletski admitted. “We buy used stuff, swap, go online. We also spend a lot of time here. Sometimes we’ve come in on Friday night and left at 2 a.m. Saturday.”While you can get a basic set of locomotives, cars and a power source, who wants to stop there when there are bridges, roundhouses, turntables, replicas of famous engines, towns, water tanks and an endless array of accessories to accumulate?The trains are authentic replicas. In H-O gauge, one foot of real coal burning pufferbelly is equal to slightly less than .14 inch on the model. There are several gauges or train widths in model railroading, H-O being the most popular, but not the smallest. One now-retired county prosecutor collected models so small that he could run them on his desktop at work.Omoletski regards the hobby as both recreation and education. “My boys have made friends. I have made friends,” he said. “You learn history, and this is not just about model trains. It’s also carpentry, patience, logistics, electrical work and teamwork.Antioch resident Tom Gilles said his two sons grew up working with the trains. Now one of them is an engineer working for Union Pacific.The club was almost derailed in 1985 when it was forced to move out of the County Fairgrounds. As a result, part of its layout was abandoned because it couldn’t be transported, costing the club members almost $5,000 and countless lost man-hours.Now it’s chugging energetically along, meeting normally from 7 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday at 425 Fulton Shipyard Road. For more information, call 779-1964 or visit www.blackdiamondlines.org.
Rod Stewart falls for new model -- model trains
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer Rod Stewart once wanted to know if you thought he was sexy, but he is showing a less raunchy side of himself these days -- going public with a model railroad cityscape that took him 12 years to build.
Far from his hard-rocking, late-prowling early years on the road, Stewart, 62, has spent many nights tinkering with miniature buildings and other city fixtures to design a model-train layout that is 120 feet long and 24 feet wide.
The singer's creation, called Grand Street & Three Rivers RR, is featured in a Model RailRoader magazine's December issue that hits newsstands on November 6, along with an interview of Stewart.
"I'm proud to be a railway modeller. It means more to me to be on the cover of Model Railroader than to be on the cover of a music magazine," Stewart was quoted as saying. "I pity a man who doesn't have a hobby like this one -- it's just the most supreme relaxation."
Stewart's link to the magazine began when its publisher, Terry Thompson, received a letter from the singer saying he had been an avid reader and model railroader for 20 years and suggesting the magazine might be interested in photos of his layout.
The magazine's senior editor, Carl Swanson, visited Stewart at his Beverley Hills home to inspect the miniature railroad setting, which is reminiscent of 1940s Manhattan and takes up almost the entire third floor of Stewart's home.
"It is truly an extraordinary model, one of the best I have seen, with startling level of detail, a world in miniature," Swanson told Reuters.
"He is really seriously involved in this hobby that requires a lot of skill and has nothing to do with making money," Swanson said. "He just does it for the joy of it."
Stewart has worked on the model steadily for 12 years, taking seven large cases of model kits and tools with him when he was on the road to set up a workshop in his hotel suite.
The singer traces his interest in trains back to his wartime childhood in London, when bombs rained down on the city. He never had a train set, but British Rail operated not far from the shop his parents ran.
Stewart is not the only celebrity to love trains.
Frank Sinatra was an enthusiastic rail modeller and actor-singer Mandy Patinkin has a large train layout in the loft of his barn in rural New York state.
Singer Neil Young has been a minority owner of model train maker Lionel LLC for years.
"I know there is a stereotype that train modellers are geeky, but it is an unfair stereotype. To be a modeller at this level is quite a statement of craftsmanship and I certainly don't find it geeky," Swanson said.
Far from his hard-rocking, late-prowling early years on the road, Stewart, 62, has spent many nights tinkering with miniature buildings and other city fixtures to design a model-train layout that is 120 feet long and 24 feet wide.
The singer's creation, called Grand Street & Three Rivers RR, is featured in a Model RailRoader magazine's December issue that hits newsstands on November 6, along with an interview of Stewart.
"I'm proud to be a railway modeller. It means more to me to be on the cover of Model Railroader than to be on the cover of a music magazine," Stewart was quoted as saying. "I pity a man who doesn't have a hobby like this one -- it's just the most supreme relaxation."
Stewart's link to the magazine began when its publisher, Terry Thompson, received a letter from the singer saying he had been an avid reader and model railroader for 20 years and suggesting the magazine might be interested in photos of his layout.
The magazine's senior editor, Carl Swanson, visited Stewart at his Beverley Hills home to inspect the miniature railroad setting, which is reminiscent of 1940s Manhattan and takes up almost the entire third floor of Stewart's home.
"It is truly an extraordinary model, one of the best I have seen, with startling level of detail, a world in miniature," Swanson told Reuters.
"He is really seriously involved in this hobby that requires a lot of skill and has nothing to do with making money," Swanson said. "He just does it for the joy of it."
Stewart has worked on the model steadily for 12 years, taking seven large cases of model kits and tools with him when he was on the road to set up a workshop in his hotel suite.
The singer traces his interest in trains back to his wartime childhood in London, when bombs rained down on the city. He never had a train set, but British Rail operated not far from the shop his parents ran.
Stewart is not the only celebrity to love trains.
Frank Sinatra was an enthusiastic rail modeller and actor-singer Mandy Patinkin has a large train layout in the loft of his barn in rural New York state.
Singer Neil Young has been a minority owner of model train maker Lionel LLC for years.
"I know there is a stereotype that train modellers are geeky, but it is an unfair stereotype. To be a modeller at this level is quite a statement of craftsmanship and I certainly don't find it geeky," Swanson said.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Model Railroad Scenery
Electronic Model Railroad Scenery: Make Your Railroad Complete
Written by EditorsChoice
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Anybody that has a model railroad will know just how exciting it can be to actually maintain it and use it. However, without one thing, the railroad would not be half as much fun! The scenery that is placed around the train tracks is often quite simply breathtaking, especially if it is highly detailed and very lifelike. Of course then you have your electronic model railroad scenery, which just takes it to the next level.
Electronic model railroad scenery is extremely popular with the railroad modelling fanatics. Of course, the trains and the tracks are both electronic but the electronic model railroad scenery simply blows the trains out of the water! There are model figures, tunnels and buildings for individuals to use at their own discretion to enhance the trains and tracks immensely as well as give you the feeling that you really are there with them! Obviously, all of the electronic model railroad scenery is scaled down to size, although they are made to represent all full sized features accurately. This is a practice well honed by architects, movie directors and other similar individuals that want to create an accurate representation of what their eventual structures would look like.
Model railroading became popular in the 1960s, but back then it was literally just the trains and tracks. Electronic model railroad scenery was not as popular then and would rarely be found on an enthusiast's track! However, as it was gradually introduced later, it caught the imagination of children and adults alike because it made the tracks look more realistic and sent their imaginations running wild! It is till extremely popular now, all these years on, as a result of the electronic model railroad scenery. As a result of technological innovations, it just keeps getting better and better.
Electronic model railroad scenery can be bought for all shapes and sizes of track, from the minute to the quite realistic and an eight life sizes ones that you find in major toy stores. The latter is the biggest you can possibly get and is commonly called the G scale amongst enthusiasts. No matter what size your particular model railroad, I guarantee that there is electronic model railroad scenery out there for you! It can work out expensive though if you buy it all at once and fail to effectively shop around first!. For more info see http://www.modelrailroadshelp.com on Model Rail Road.
Electronic model railroad scenery has captured the hearts and minds of many individuals over the years and will continue to do so well into the future. The models are simply gorgeous, whatever scale you have them on. You can let your imagination run riot and really experience the railroad, which is what it is all about!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/autos-articles/electronic-model-railroad-scenery-make-your-railroad-complete-219946.html
Written by EditorsChoice
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Anybody that has a model railroad will know just how exciting it can be to actually maintain it and use it. However, without one thing, the railroad would not be half as much fun! The scenery that is placed around the train tracks is often quite simply breathtaking, especially if it is highly detailed and very lifelike. Of course then you have your electronic model railroad scenery, which just takes it to the next level.
Electronic model railroad scenery is extremely popular with the railroad modelling fanatics. Of course, the trains and the tracks are both electronic but the electronic model railroad scenery simply blows the trains out of the water! There are model figures, tunnels and buildings for individuals to use at their own discretion to enhance the trains and tracks immensely as well as give you the feeling that you really are there with them! Obviously, all of the electronic model railroad scenery is scaled down to size, although they are made to represent all full sized features accurately. This is a practice well honed by architects, movie directors and other similar individuals that want to create an accurate representation of what their eventual structures would look like.
Model railroading became popular in the 1960s, but back then it was literally just the trains and tracks. Electronic model railroad scenery was not as popular then and would rarely be found on an enthusiast's track! However, as it was gradually introduced later, it caught the imagination of children and adults alike because it made the tracks look more realistic and sent their imaginations running wild! It is till extremely popular now, all these years on, as a result of the electronic model railroad scenery. As a result of technological innovations, it just keeps getting better and better.
Electronic model railroad scenery can be bought for all shapes and sizes of track, from the minute to the quite realistic and an eight life sizes ones that you find in major toy stores. The latter is the biggest you can possibly get and is commonly called the G scale amongst enthusiasts. No matter what size your particular model railroad, I guarantee that there is electronic model railroad scenery out there for you! It can work out expensive though if you buy it all at once and fail to effectively shop around first!. For more info see http://www.modelrailroadshelp.com on Model Rail Road.
Electronic model railroad scenery has captured the hearts and minds of many individuals over the years and will continue to do so well into the future. The models are simply gorgeous, whatever scale you have them on. You can let your imagination run riot and really experience the railroad, which is what it is all about!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/autos-articles/electronic-model-railroad-scenery-make-your-railroad-complete-219946.html
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Java Model Railroad Interface
This video shows the operation of a custom program that I wrote using JMRI (Java Model Railroad Interface). I wrote this program in Java ... all » rather than Jython in order to take advantage of the Eclipse development system. The program identifies potential non-interfering train movements that can be done in parallel and executes these movements. Train positions are recorded in file so the program knows where the trains were after each session.
There are two staging yards and a station in the middle. Track is all single line. Currently, the program arranges meets between trains at the station. One could therefore imagine that this station is on a busy single line section
There are two staging yards and a station in the middle. Track is all single line. Currently, the program arranges meets between trains at the station. One could therefore imagine that this station is on a busy single line section
Monday, April 30, 2007
Lionel train maker's emergence from bankruptcy stalled
NEW YORK -- Lionel LLC won approval Wednesday to pay lawyers and financial advisers who are working to bring the model train maker out of bankruptcy protection.
Lionel -- maker of its iconic miniature trains, tracks and accouterments since 1900 -- also pushed back a status conference about when it must submit a plan to emerge from court protection. Its plan filing has been put on hold by a trade secrets lawsuit, brought by rival Mike's Train House Inc., which must first be settled in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Chesterfield.-based Lionel asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Burton Lifland to approve $675,808.72 in fees. The company's bankruptcy attorneys, from the firm Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, were paid $95,977.50 in fees and $2,145.46 in expenses for work done from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of last year.
The company entered bankruptcy court protection on Nov. 15, 2004.
Lionel has sold more than 50 million trains since it was founded, according to the company's Web site.
Lionel -- maker of its iconic miniature trains, tracks and accouterments since 1900 -- also pushed back a status conference about when it must submit a plan to emerge from court protection. Its plan filing has been put on hold by a trade secrets lawsuit, brought by rival Mike's Train House Inc., which must first be settled in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Chesterfield.-based Lionel asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Burton Lifland to approve $675,808.72 in fees. The company's bankruptcy attorneys, from the firm Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, were paid $95,977.50 in fees and $2,145.46 in expenses for work done from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of last year.
The company entered bankruptcy court protection on Nov. 15, 2004.
Lionel has sold more than 50 million trains since it was founded, according to the company's Web site.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Amazing model train layout
The "Scenic Model Railroad" at Smoky Mountain Trains located in Bryson, NC. If you love model trains, this one will make you drool!
N-scale model railroad
Rolling stock deliberately represents different eras of German railroad history
Volunteers recreate 1900s railroad display
Kristina Serafini
Staff Writer
Thursday, March 29, 2007
All aboard ... for a trip back in time.
Construction is chugging along for a new model railroad, which will be on permanent exhibit at Old Economy Village beginning next month.
"All Aboard for Economy" depicts the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie railroad, owned and invested in by the Har-mony Society, in the early 1900s, although the original idea was to create one that depicted more of the 1800s.
"It was an interesting challenge," Roberta Sunstein, museum education supervisor at Old Economy Village, said of the great amount of difficulty in finding many items they needed for the railroad design.
"It's pretty much unheard of now to build a railroad from scratch," she said. Many of the model railroads built now are strictly from kits and because of that, many individual pieces, like ones needed for this project, are no longer being produced.
"This has been a very time-consuming job," she said, of locating pieces, often from out-of-state hobby shops.
"It's a huge endeavor."
But one well worth it.
The idea for the railroad, Sunstein said, stemmed from a lot of different sources, but mostly began while she was researching another project. In a book about the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, she came across a business card for H.G. Allyn, president of the railroad, and through re-search, found out he was from Sewickley.
Sunstein got in contact with Allyn and was invited to his home where he shared stories of the railroad.
It was after that meeting that she started working with curators at Old Economy to begin setting the idea of this exhibit in motion. They collectively agreed this project would be of great value and importance to Old Economy since they really hadn't taken an in-depth look at the industrial side of the Harmonists' history.
All the research for the exhibit was done by researchers and curators like Sarah Buffington.
Buffington said the hardest part about the project for her, so far, was condensing all the information into a viable exhibit.
"It was also a challenge for me to learn about the railroads," she said.
"The railroad is not my specialty."
According to Buffington, many religious communities only did things to support themselves, but the Har-monists were very active in going out in the marketplace.
They were on top of technology all of the time and very early on saw the necessity of using the railroad to transport goods.
At the time, the Pennsylvania Railroad "monopolized east-west rail traffic to and from Pittsburgh" but since there were such high tariffs for that particular railroad, they, with other investors, wanted to build their own.
The Harmony Society initially controlled three rail lines, including the Darlington Cannel Coal Railroad, the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad and the best known Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad.
When finished, the model railroad will be reminiscent of what the Pitts-burgh & Lake Erie Railroad would have looked like in the early 1900s.
The design for the model railroad began in the basement of the Ohio Valley Lines model railroad association headquarters. Since then, several club members have been involved in the ongoing project, as well as about 25 other volunteers from varied backgrounds who have offered countless hours of their time.
"Volunteers pop up when we need them," Sunstein said.
Many come to work whenever they have free time and several also take pieces home with them to complete. Volunteers are asked to keep track of their hours because grants are based on those hours.
However, there were no grants awarded for this particular project.
Sunstein said many of the items needed for the display have been donated. They've received support from local companies and from various mom-and-pop hobby shops spanning all across the Pittsburgh area.
The state-of-the-art railroad will be animated with buttons visitors can push for sounds and computer generated commands that will control the locomotives.
"This represents the very best in model railroading today and that in itself is worth an exhibit," Peter Stein, volunteer, said.
Old Economy Village will hold a grand opening for "All Aboard for Economy" on April 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., featuring activities for the family.
The model railroad will be displayed in conjunction with the "Tracks, Trestles and Trustees" exhibit, which opened last summer.
The exhibit will run through Dec. 30, but when it's over, instead of being taken down, the railroad will be moved to a different site at Old Economy.
"So much work has been put into this and we still want to show the Harmonists and P&LE connection," Buffington said.
Staff Writer
Thursday, March 29, 2007
All aboard ... for a trip back in time.
Construction is chugging along for a new model railroad, which will be on permanent exhibit at Old Economy Village beginning next month.
"All Aboard for Economy" depicts the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie railroad, owned and invested in by the Har-mony Society, in the early 1900s, although the original idea was to create one that depicted more of the 1800s.
"It was an interesting challenge," Roberta Sunstein, museum education supervisor at Old Economy Village, said of the great amount of difficulty in finding many items they needed for the railroad design.
"It's pretty much unheard of now to build a railroad from scratch," she said. Many of the model railroads built now are strictly from kits and because of that, many individual pieces, like ones needed for this project, are no longer being produced.
"This has been a very time-consuming job," she said, of locating pieces, often from out-of-state hobby shops.
"It's a huge endeavor."
But one well worth it.
The idea for the railroad, Sunstein said, stemmed from a lot of different sources, but mostly began while she was researching another project. In a book about the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, she came across a business card for H.G. Allyn, president of the railroad, and through re-search, found out he was from Sewickley.
Sunstein got in contact with Allyn and was invited to his home where he shared stories of the railroad.
It was after that meeting that she started working with curators at Old Economy to begin setting the idea of this exhibit in motion. They collectively agreed this project would be of great value and importance to Old Economy since they really hadn't taken an in-depth look at the industrial side of the Harmonists' history.
All the research for the exhibit was done by researchers and curators like Sarah Buffington.
Buffington said the hardest part about the project for her, so far, was condensing all the information into a viable exhibit.
"It was also a challenge for me to learn about the railroads," she said.
"The railroad is not my specialty."
According to Buffington, many religious communities only did things to support themselves, but the Har-monists were very active in going out in the marketplace.
They were on top of technology all of the time and very early on saw the necessity of using the railroad to transport goods.
At the time, the Pennsylvania Railroad "monopolized east-west rail traffic to and from Pittsburgh" but since there were such high tariffs for that particular railroad, they, with other investors, wanted to build their own.
The Harmony Society initially controlled three rail lines, including the Darlington Cannel Coal Railroad, the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad and the best known Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad.
When finished, the model railroad will be reminiscent of what the Pitts-burgh & Lake Erie Railroad would have looked like in the early 1900s.
The design for the model railroad began in the basement of the Ohio Valley Lines model railroad association headquarters. Since then, several club members have been involved in the ongoing project, as well as about 25 other volunteers from varied backgrounds who have offered countless hours of their time.
"Volunteers pop up when we need them," Sunstein said.
Many come to work whenever they have free time and several also take pieces home with them to complete. Volunteers are asked to keep track of their hours because grants are based on those hours.
However, there were no grants awarded for this particular project.
Sunstein said many of the items needed for the display have been donated. They've received support from local companies and from various mom-and-pop hobby shops spanning all across the Pittsburgh area.
The state-of-the-art railroad will be animated with buttons visitors can push for sounds and computer generated commands that will control the locomotives.
"This represents the very best in model railroading today and that in itself is worth an exhibit," Peter Stein, volunteer, said.
Old Economy Village will hold a grand opening for "All Aboard for Economy" on April 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., featuring activities for the family.
The model railroad will be displayed in conjunction with the "Tracks, Trestles and Trustees" exhibit, which opened last summer.
The exhibit will run through Dec. 30, but when it's over, instead of being taken down, the railroad will be moved to a different site at Old Economy.
"So much work has been put into this and we still want to show the Harmonists and P&LE connection," Buffington said.
The train gang
Group began as way for enthusiasts to meet, socialize By Joan Leotta
The joy of watching toy-sized trains complete their rounds on elaborate track layouts is a timeless pleasure whose fans are increasing in number in Brunswick County.
Last year, Brunswick Plantation residents Eric Lindquist and Don Woodwell founded the Intracoastal Model Railroad Club for area train enthusiasts to meet and spread the love of the hobby.
The club has a serious side, too. Both men have given safety talks at local Boy Scout meetings where they also help the scouts obtain railroad badges, and they promote safety at intersections where trains and cars share the road.
The group has set up model train layouts for local charities and other events. Last Christmas, they raised funds for the Grissetown firehouse, and each year they set up a model train layout for the enjoyment of the children at the Brunswick Plantation employees' party.
Members include train lovers from many Brunswick County's communities, including Ocean Ridge, Carolina Shores and Saltair. The group of 8 to 10 meets on an irregular basis, about once a month, in each other's homes.
Creating layouts is a time-consuming but fun part of the hobby, involving carpentry, electrical wiring knowledge and a good deal of artistic ability. Lindquist also restores old trains; Woodwell is an authority on automating layouts, writes for train magazines and has written a book, Automating a Model Train Layout, available for sale at train shows.
The two men's layouts are very different. "Our objectives are different," Woodwell said.
His layout re-creates a particular place and time - to scale, with O-gauge trains. He displays a fictional place in the North Carolina foothills in the so-called "transition period" when trains were shifting from steam to diesel, largely in the 1950s. Rows of trees add to the realistic effect of the hills. At the flip of one switch, a group of tiny railroad employees is gathered around a fire that seems to come to life in a trash barrel. One of the men strums a guitar and a sound system pumps out O Susannah while the guitar player warms himself.
The Lilliputian world in Lindquist's train room is a more eclectic display.
His primary objective is to have a setup his grandchildren can play with when they visit. As well as using both O-guage and Lionel Standard Gauge, Lindquist mixes eras, restored and new trains, restored set pieces and new. His layout includes a mass transit train complete with an audio feature that warns passengers that "Doors are now closing."
One of the several trains that circle and criss-cross the platform is a restored Blue Comet. In the center of the layout is a building that replicates a hardware store where electric trains might have been sold. Inside, miniature shoppers watch four ultra-tiny trains go through their paces as if demonstrating toy trains for sale.
Lindquist's collection includes many trains he has restored, including an old service train complete with traveling work/search lights and many models of the Blue Comet, a train that ran in the 1930s and 1940s.
Woodwell's collection emphasizes trains and memorabilia from the Chesapeake and Ohio Line.
"We (the club members) are looking for a place to meet where we can have a club layout, up all the time," Woodwell said.
He cited the Wilmington club's use of the Train Museum and the Fayetteville club's space in a shopping center as good examples.
"The trains attract people to the shopping center so it is good for club members and good for the local businesses, too," he said.
Lindquist said, "In the 50s when we were growing up, these trains were mostly seen as toys."
He said only a few adults collected them at that time. Now the hobby has attracted many adults who loved trains as children. Many of the members in the club, like Woodwell and Lindquist, still have their first trains, often a Lionel.
"My love of trains began with the first train I received at around age five - a wind-up Hefner," Lindquist said.
A few years later he received his first electric train, a Lionel - which he still owns. Woodwell also has his first train and the one that first belonged to his older brother.
The joy of watching toy-sized trains complete their rounds on elaborate track layouts is a timeless pleasure whose fans are increasing in number in Brunswick County.
Last year, Brunswick Plantation residents Eric Lindquist and Don Woodwell founded the Intracoastal Model Railroad Club for area train enthusiasts to meet and spread the love of the hobby.
The club has a serious side, too. Both men have given safety talks at local Boy Scout meetings where they also help the scouts obtain railroad badges, and they promote safety at intersections where trains and cars share the road.
The group has set up model train layouts for local charities and other events. Last Christmas, they raised funds for the Grissetown firehouse, and each year they set up a model train layout for the enjoyment of the children at the Brunswick Plantation employees' party.
Members include train lovers from many Brunswick County's communities, including Ocean Ridge, Carolina Shores and Saltair. The group of 8 to 10 meets on an irregular basis, about once a month, in each other's homes.
Creating layouts is a time-consuming but fun part of the hobby, involving carpentry, electrical wiring knowledge and a good deal of artistic ability. Lindquist also restores old trains; Woodwell is an authority on automating layouts, writes for train magazines and has written a book, Automating a Model Train Layout, available for sale at train shows.
The two men's layouts are very different. "Our objectives are different," Woodwell said.
His layout re-creates a particular place and time - to scale, with O-gauge trains. He displays a fictional place in the North Carolina foothills in the so-called "transition period" when trains were shifting from steam to diesel, largely in the 1950s. Rows of trees add to the realistic effect of the hills. At the flip of one switch, a group of tiny railroad employees is gathered around a fire that seems to come to life in a trash barrel. One of the men strums a guitar and a sound system pumps out O Susannah while the guitar player warms himself.
The Lilliputian world in Lindquist's train room is a more eclectic display.
His primary objective is to have a setup his grandchildren can play with when they visit. As well as using both O-guage and Lionel Standard Gauge, Lindquist mixes eras, restored and new trains, restored set pieces and new. His layout includes a mass transit train complete with an audio feature that warns passengers that "Doors are now closing."
One of the several trains that circle and criss-cross the platform is a restored Blue Comet. In the center of the layout is a building that replicates a hardware store where electric trains might have been sold. Inside, miniature shoppers watch four ultra-tiny trains go through their paces as if demonstrating toy trains for sale.
Lindquist's collection includes many trains he has restored, including an old service train complete with traveling work/search lights and many models of the Blue Comet, a train that ran in the 1930s and 1940s.
Woodwell's collection emphasizes trains and memorabilia from the Chesapeake and Ohio Line.
"We (the club members) are looking for a place to meet where we can have a club layout, up all the time," Woodwell said.
He cited the Wilmington club's use of the Train Museum and the Fayetteville club's space in a shopping center as good examples.
"The trains attract people to the shopping center so it is good for club members and good for the local businesses, too," he said.
Lindquist said, "In the 50s when we were growing up, these trains were mostly seen as toys."
He said only a few adults collected them at that time. Now the hobby has attracted many adults who loved trains as children. Many of the members in the club, like Woodwell and Lindquist, still have their first trains, often a Lionel.
"My love of trains began with the first train I received at around age five - a wind-up Hefner," Lindquist said.
A few years later he received his first electric train, a Lionel - which he still owns. Woodwell also has his first train and the one that first belonged to his older brother.
Villager collects trains with Jim Beam decanters inside
MICHAEL FORTUNA, DAILY SUN
THE VILLAGES — These trains carry a special cargo.
Frank Besanceney has collected 15 Jim Beam porcelain train decanters, each hiding a flask filled with a fifth of bourbon. The large cars are on display on a bookshelf in the lanai.
“I enjoy looking at (the collection),” Besanceney said. “It’s a conversation piece. (People) knew what was in them. (They would say,) ‘Why is the cap still on? Let’s do something about it’.”
Finding the caps for the flasks can be an adventure; they are never in the same place on different cars. You have to lift the roof off a yellow Western and Railroad car to find the cap, while the locomotives’ smokestacks hide their caps.
“Every one’s different depending on how (it’s put together),” Besanceney said.
Some of the train cars still have bourbon inside the flasks.
“Once it’s empty, it’s empty,” Besanceney said. “I don’t drink much, so it takes a long time to empty.”
Each car rests on its own piece of railroad track, and each was made by a separate company.
“They cashed in on it,” Besanceney said.
In Besanceney’s previous homes, the trains were displayed in the kitchen and the living room.
“They require a lot of dusting,” his wife, Janet, said, laughing. “One friend asked if he could watch the house so he could get at the bourbon.”
Besanceney, who is president of the Model Railroad Club, always has enjoyed model trains. In 1975, he saw a different kind of train for sale — at a liquor store. So he decided to buy the No. 249 locomotive.
“I thought, ‘Gee, that would be neat’,” Besanceney said. “When I first got them, I didn’t realize they had a whole series. You get locked in. If there’s a new one, I’d say, ‘I got to get that one.’ It’s good marketing. I got as many as I could.”
During the next few years, Besanceney usually found the decanters in liquor stores. He noticed that Jim Beam came out with new cars around the fall.
The locomotives are named JB Turner, General and Grant, while the cars carry such logos as Central Railroad of New Jersey and Jersey & Western Railway.
Each car can be connected to form at least three long trains.
“If (the flasks) were empty, your kids could play with them,” Besanceney said. “But they’re really for display.”
There is a brown tank car featuring the Jim Beam logo, while a log car features a removable log on top that is held in place by tiny chains.
Besanceney said that Jim Beam halted production of the train cars around the mid-1980s, so the collection came to a stop at the station as well. He missed about three of the pieces.
“If I want to pay a premium, I can get it on eBay,” Besanceney said.
Besanceney also collected Ford Model A decanters from Jim Beam, but those are up in Long Island, N.Y.
“I’m kind of partial to the Model A Fords,” Besanceney said. “I rebuilt a 1929 Model A.”
Michael Fortuna is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9234, or michael.fortuna@thevillagesmedia.com.
THE VILLAGES — These trains carry a special cargo.
Frank Besanceney has collected 15 Jim Beam porcelain train decanters, each hiding a flask filled with a fifth of bourbon. The large cars are on display on a bookshelf in the lanai.
“I enjoy looking at (the collection),” Besanceney said. “It’s a conversation piece. (People) knew what was in them. (They would say,) ‘Why is the cap still on? Let’s do something about it’.”
Finding the caps for the flasks can be an adventure; they are never in the same place on different cars. You have to lift the roof off a yellow Western and Railroad car to find the cap, while the locomotives’ smokestacks hide their caps.
“Every one’s different depending on how (it’s put together),” Besanceney said.
Some of the train cars still have bourbon inside the flasks.
“Once it’s empty, it’s empty,” Besanceney said. “I don’t drink much, so it takes a long time to empty.”
Each car rests on its own piece of railroad track, and each was made by a separate company.
“They cashed in on it,” Besanceney said.
In Besanceney’s previous homes, the trains were displayed in the kitchen and the living room.
“They require a lot of dusting,” his wife, Janet, said, laughing. “One friend asked if he could watch the house so he could get at the bourbon.”
Besanceney, who is president of the Model Railroad Club, always has enjoyed model trains. In 1975, he saw a different kind of train for sale — at a liquor store. So he decided to buy the No. 249 locomotive.
“I thought, ‘Gee, that would be neat’,” Besanceney said. “When I first got them, I didn’t realize they had a whole series. You get locked in. If there’s a new one, I’d say, ‘I got to get that one.’ It’s good marketing. I got as many as I could.”
During the next few years, Besanceney usually found the decanters in liquor stores. He noticed that Jim Beam came out with new cars around the fall.
The locomotives are named JB Turner, General and Grant, while the cars carry such logos as Central Railroad of New Jersey and Jersey & Western Railway.
Each car can be connected to form at least three long trains.
“If (the flasks) were empty, your kids could play with them,” Besanceney said. “But they’re really for display.”
There is a brown tank car featuring the Jim Beam logo, while a log car features a removable log on top that is held in place by tiny chains.
Besanceney said that Jim Beam halted production of the train cars around the mid-1980s, so the collection came to a stop at the station as well. He missed about three of the pieces.
“If I want to pay a premium, I can get it on eBay,” Besanceney said.
Besanceney also collected Ford Model A decanters from Jim Beam, but those are up in Long Island, N.Y.
“I’m kind of partial to the Model A Fords,” Besanceney said. “I rebuilt a 1929 Model A.”
Michael Fortuna is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9234, or michael.fortuna@thevillagesmedia.com.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
The Train Set. Hornby and Tri-Ang Model Railway
| James May of Top Gear fame looks at the train set as one of his top toys. Features; Hornby and Triang 0 and 00 Gauge model trains. Interview with Pete Waterman and a look at his barn sized 0 Gauge model railway. | |
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Z Gauge Model Railroad Sunoco Refinery by Dave Miller
| Dave shows us his Z Gauge Module featuring a Sunoco Refinery. The detail and quality of his work is impeccable. This is a great example of the detail that can be achieved in the smallest gauge of model railroading. | |
Friday, July 07, 2006
Rail transport modelling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Model railroad )
Jump to: navigation, search
A US HO scale model railroad
Model railroading (US) or Railway modelling (UK) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modeled at a reduced scale , or ratio . The scale models include rail vehicles (locomotives , rolling stock , streetcars , etc.), tracks , signalling , scenery (roads, buildings, vehicles, model figures , lights, and natural features such as streams, hills, canyons, etc.).
The earliest forms of model railways are the 'Carpet Railways ' which first appeared in the 1840s. Model trains are generally more realistic than toy trains .
Contents [hide
[edit ]
General description
A scale model of Berlin 's Bahnhof Zoo at the LOXX Berlin model railway
Involvement in the hobby can range from the possession of a train set to spending many hours and large sums of money on a large and exactingly executed model of a railroad and the scenery through which it passes, called a "layout". Hobbyists, called "model railroaders" or "railway modellers", may even maintain models large enough to ride (see "Live steam " and "Backyard railroad "). Model railroaders may find enjoyment in collecting model trains, building a miniature landscape for the trains to pass through, or operating their own railroad , albeit in miniature.
Some older scale models reach very high prices.
Layouts vary from the very stylistic (sometimes just a simple circle or oval of track) to the "absolutely realistic", where real places are modelled to scale. One of the largest of these is in the Pendon Museum in Oxfordshire , UK , where an EM gauge (same scale as OO but with a more accurate track gauge) model of the Vale of the White Horse as it appeared in the 1930s is under construction. The museum also houses one of the earliest scenic models ever made - the 'Madder Valley ' layout built by John Ahern. This latter layout was built in the late 1930s to late 1950s and brought in the era of realistic modelling, receiving coverage on both sides of the North Atlantic in the magazines Model Railway News and Model Railroader during the 1940s and 50s. Bekonscot in Buckinghamshire is the oldest model village, and also includes a model railway, dating from the 1930s onward. The world's largest model railroad track in HO scale is Miniatur Wunderland
Model railway clubs exist where model railway enthusiasts meet. Clubs sometimes put on displays of models for the general public. One rather specialist branch of railway modellers concentrates on larger scales and gauges , most commonly using track gauges from 3.5 to 7.5 inches . Models in these scales are usually hand-built and are powered by live steam, or diesel-hydraulic, and the engines are often powerful enough to haul even dozens of full-scale human passengers.
One particularly famous model railway club is the Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC) at MIT , which in the 1950s pioneered the automatic control of track-switching amongst hobbyists by using advanced technology for the time � telephone relays.
The oldest known society is The Model Railway Club
[edit ]
Scales and gauges
Main article: Rail transport modelling scales
Comparison of the sizes of model train scales.
One of the smallest (Z scale , 1:220) placed on the buffer bar of one of the largest (Live steam , 1:8) model locomotives.
The size of the engines depends on the scale being used and can vary from around 700 mm (28") tall for the largest ridable Live steam scales such as 1:8, down to matchbox size for the smallest ones in Z-scale. A typical HO engine is around 50 mm (2") tall, and 100 mm to 300 mm (4" to 12") in length. The four most popular scales used are: G scale , O scale , HO scale (in Britain, the similarly sized OO is used), and N scale , although there is growing interest in Z scale . HO scale is the single most popular scale of model railroad. Other smaller scales include the Hon3 Scale (1:87) and the Nn3 Scale which is equal in size to a narrow gauge N Scale.
The largest common scale is 1:8, with 1:4 sometimes used for park rides. G scale (Garden, 1:24 scale ) is most popular for back yard modelling. It is easier to fit a G scale model into a garden landscape and still keep the scenery proportional to the size of the trains running through. O, HO scale , and N scale are more oftenly used indoors. Lionel trains in O scale (1:48 scale ) are popular children's toys.
The words scale and gauge seem at first to be used interchangeably in model railways, but their meanings are different. Scale is the model's measurement as a proportion to the original, while gauge is the measurement between the two running rails of the track.
At first, model railways were not to scale. Manufacturers and hobbyists soon arrived at de facto standards for interchangeability, such as gauge, but trains were only a rough approximation to the real thing. See NEM and NMRA . Official scales for the various gauges were soon drawn up, but the scales were not at first at all rigidly followed, and were not necessarily correctly proportioned for the rail gauge chosen. O (zero) gauge trains, for instance, operate on track that is too widely spaced, while the British OO standards operate on track that is significantly too narrow. Most of the commercial scales also have standards that include wheel flanges that are too deep, wheel treads that are too wide, and rail tracks that are too large.
Later on, groups of modellers became dissatisfied with these inaccuracies, and developed finescale standards in which everything is correctly scaled. These are used by dedicated modellers but have not generally spread to mass-produced equipment in part because the inaccuracies and overscale properties of the commercial scales are necessary to ensure reliable operation in the hands of consumers as well as experts, and also to allow for shortcuts necessary for cost control.
[edit ]
Landscaping
A panorama of a lanscaped Z scale layout, 85 x 85 cm (34 x 34") in size, using a substructure of plywood and cardboard, latex -based filler on thick aluminum foil for hills, natural lichen for shrubs, colored sawdust and copper wire for trees, commercial plastic kits for buildings and flocked paper for grass. The construction steps in creating this layout are described here
Some modellers pay special attention to landscaping their model layout, creating either a fantasy world, or closely modelling an actual location, often a historic one, which does not exist anymore. Landscaping is also termed "scenery building" or "scenicking."
Constructing scenery generally involves preparing a sub-terrain using screen wire, a lattice of cardboard strips, or carved stacks of expanded polystyrene (styrofoam) sheets. A scenery base is then applied over the sub-terrain; typical scenery base materials include casting plaster, plaster of Paris , hybrid paper-pulp (papier-m�ch� ) or a lightweight foam/fiberglass/bubblewrap composite as in Geodesic Foam Scenery . The scenery base is covered with ground cover, which may be made from ground foam, colored sawdust , natural lichen , or commercial scatter materials for grass and shrubbery. Buildings and structures can be purchased as kits, or hand fabricated ("scratch built") from cardboard, balsa wood , basswood , or polystyrene or other plastic sheet. Trees can be fabricated from natural materials such as Western sagebrush , candytuft , and caspia , to which an adhesive and model foliage are applied. Water can be simulated using polyester casting resin , polyurethane , or rippled glass . Rocks can be cast in plaster or in plastic with a foam backing. Castings can be painted with stains to give realistic coloring and shadows.
[edit ]
Methods of power
The sugar-cube sized electric motor in a Z scale model locomotive. The entire engine is only 50 mm (2") long.
Model railway engines are generally operated by low voltage DC electricity supplied via the tracks, but there are exceptions, such as M�rklin and Lionel Corporation , which use AC .
Most of the early models made for the toy market were powered by clockwork and controlled by stop/go and reverse levers on the locomotive itself. Although this made control crude the models were of large enough scale and robust enough that grabbing the controls as they ran around the track was quite practical. Various manufacturers also introduced slowing and stopping tracks that could trigger levers on the locomotive and allow reliable station stops to be performed. Other locomotives, particularly large models used actual steam. Steam or clockwork driven engines are still sought by collectors.
Early electrical models used a three-rail system with the wheels resting on a metal track with metal sleepers that conducted power and a separate middle rail which provided power to a skid under the locomotive. This at first apparently strange arrangement made sense at the time as the majority of materials used for railway models were metal and conductive. Modern plastics were not yet available and insulation was therefore a significant problem. In addition the notion of accurate models had yet to evolve and toy trains and track were generally crude tinplate representations of generic models.
As model accuracy became more important some model systems adopted two rail power where the wheels were isolated from each other and the two rails carried the positive and negative supply or the two sides of the AC supply. Other model systems such as M�rklin instead used a set of fine metal studs to replace the central rail, allowing existing three rail models to use more realistic track.
Although DC power with the positive and negative charges on the two rails is the most common method of power, M�rklin and Lionel use AC power on the three rail system. American Flyer is another exception, which used AC power on two-rail track.
Early electric trains ran on battery power, because few homes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were wired for electric power. Today, inexpensive train sets running on battery power are once again becoming more common, but these are generally regarded as toys and are seldom used by hobbyists. Battery power is also used by many garden railway and larger scale systems both because of the difficulty in obtaining reliable power supply through the rails when outdoors and because the high power consumption and thus current draw of large scale garden models is more easily and more safely met with lead acid batteries
Engines powered by Live steam are often built in large, outdoor gauges, and are also readily available in G scale, 16 mm scale and can be found in O and HO scale. Hornby Railways produce a live steam locomotive in OO scale , development of work by some very dedicated modellers who hand-built live steam models in HO/OO, OO9 and N, and there is even one in Z in Australia .
Occasionally the topic of gasoline -electric models, patterened after real-life diesel-electric locomotives, comes up among dedicated hobbyists and such locomotives have been sold commercially by companies such as the Pilgrim Locomotive Works. Large scale petrol-mechanical and even petrol-hydraulic models are commercially available but these are unusual and significantly pricier than the more usual electrical power.
[edit ]
Control
Coin-operated model train layout in Germany
The first clockwork (spring-drive) and live steam locomotives simply ran until they ran out of power, with no way for the operator to stop and restart the locomotive or to vary its speed. The advent of electric-powered trains, which first appeared commercially in the 1890s, allowed one to control the train's speed by varying the current, or voltage. As trains began to be powered by transformers and rectifiers more sophisticated throttles appeared, and soon trains powered by AC started containing mechanisms that caused the train to change direction and/or even go into a neutral gear when the operator cycled the power. Trains powered by DC can change direction simply by reversing polarity.
Electric power also permits control by dividing the layout into electrically isolated blocks, where trains can be slowed or stopped by lowering or cutting the power to a block. Dividing a layout into blocks also permitted operators to run more than one train on a layout with much less risk of a fast train catching up with and hitting a slow train. Blocks can also trigger signals or other animated accessories on the layout, adding more realism (or whimsy) to the layout. Three-rail systems will often insulate one of the common rails on a section of track, and use a passing train to complete the circuit and activate an accessory.
Many modern day model railways use digital techniques and are computer controlled. The industry standard command system is called Digital Command Control , or DCC . Some less-common closed proprietary systems also exist.
In the large scales the use of radio control has become popular, particularly for garden railways.
[edit ]
Model railway manufacturers
Exeter Bank: An HO-scale Australian model railway
An O-scale Australian model railway
Accurail Inc.
Airfix
American Flyer
Arnold (models)
Athearn
Atlas Model Railroad
Bachmann Industries
Brawa
Berliner Bahn
Bing
Broadway Limited Imports (BLI)
Dapol
Electrotren
Eureka Models Australia
Exley
Faller
Ferris (obsolete)
Fleischmann
Greenmax
G .& R. Wrenn Ltd
Graham Farish ("Grafar")
Hornby
Jouef
Lima
Herpa
Ibertren
InterMountain
Kawai
Kato
Klein Modellbahn
Lehmann Gross Bahn
Life Like
Liliput
Lima
Lionel
Marx
Mantua , later Tyco
M�rklin
Mehano
Micro Ace
Micro-Trains Line Co.
Modemo (Hasegawa)
MTH Electric Trains
Peco
Piko
Playmobil
Rivarossi
Roco
Rokal
Stewart Hobbies
Tomix
Tillig
Tri-ang Railways
Trix /Minitrix
Trainorama Australia
Varney
Walthers
Woodland Scenics
Worsley Works
Vollmer
Wiking
[edit ]
Famous model railroaders
Famous within the model railroad press
John Allen
John Armstrong
David Barrow
Bruce Chubb
Walt Disney
Frank Ellison
Ollie Johnston
Al Kalmbach
Tony Koester
W. Allen McClelland
David Rose
Cliff Robinson
Whit Towers
Wayne Wesolowski
Linn H. Westcott
Bill Wight
George Sellios
Ward Kimball
Other famous model railroaders
Gary Coleman (N scale modeler and part owner of Caboose Hobbies in Denver, Colorado )
Michael Gross
Sam Posey
Frank Sinatra (Lionel and tinplate collector)
Rod Stewart
Tom Snyder
Neil Young
Fictional model railroaders
Gomez Addams (The Addams Family ) had an American Flyer or Lionel layout. He was noted for setting trains on a collision course, then blowing them up with explosives.
Reverend Timothy Lovejoy (The Simpsons ) has been portrayed in several episodes running model trains in his basement.
John Patterson (For Better or For Worse ) has a garden railroad.
Mr X & his archenemy Glowface {The X's } are model trains fanatics.
[edit ]
See also
Rail transport
Operations
Stations
Trains
Locomotives
Rolling stock
History
Terminology
By country
Disasters
Modelling
This box: view
Gorre & Daphetid
Scale model
List of model railroad clubs
Model railway
Rail transport modelling scales
The Toy Train Depot - A museum dedicated to the history of scale model railroading in Alamagordo, New Mexico
[edit ]
External links
rmweb.co.uk / UK based model railway forum
iRail - UK / Ireland Model Railway & Railway Web Directory
Roadside America
LOXX Berlin
The National Model Railroad Association, USA
The Gauge
R�cr�ations scientifiques: Un petit chemin de fer �lectrique
Railways of Germany
ScaleModel.NET
The Model Railway Club
DCC Wiki
3 mm Society Web Site
Modelljernbaneforeningen i Norge / Model Railway Association of Norway
Layout Design SIG
[edit ]
Model railroading print and media sources
Model Railroader Magazine
Railroad Model Craftsman Magazine
Model Railroading Magazine
Rail Model Journal
Mainline Modeler Magazine
Allen Keller video
Great Layouts video
Model Trains Video
Friday, June 02, 2006
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By Fred Lango
Fred Lango of Queenstown, Md., captured a scene that personifies small-town America. As the milkman makes his daily delivery to the general store in Ogdensburg on a crisp autumn morning, Chessie System SD40 no. 7551 leads a manifest freight through the quiet village. It won't be too much longer before the trailing Baltimore & Ohio SD40 trades in its dark blue for Chessie's bold yellow, orange, and blue scheme. Fred also modeled the HO scale scene.
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Chattanooga Area Model Railroad Club
The Great Train Story replaces the Museum�s 60-year-old model railroad exhibit and boasts a 3,500 square foot layout, which depicts the railroad�s winding journey between Chicago and Seattle, passing through the Midwest, the Plains States, the Rockies, the Cascades, and into the Pacific Northwest. Along the way, trains are involved in industries as diverse as grain commodities, raw materials for manufacturing, consumer goods for import and export, lumber, apples, and tourism.
The Bay State Model Railroad Museum grew from the original Massachusetts Model Railroad Society and the Bay State Society of Model Engineers. Located in Roslindale, Massachusetts since 1968, we now own and meet in the oldest commercial building in scenic Roslindale Village. Our extensive railroad models include HO, HOn3, O and N gauges.
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Golden State Model Railroad Museum
Updated: May 17, 2006
The Golden State Model Railroad Museum (GSMRM) consists of 10,000 square feet of O, HO and N scale model railroading. Inside the Museum, you will find three large model railroads, constructed and operated by the East Bay Model Engineers Society (EBMES).
We're located in Point Richmond, CA, at Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline Park.
The museum is open and trains are running every Sunday from Noon-5pm (April through December). We're also open Wednesdays and Saturdays from Noon-5pm, but there won't be any trains running. Learn more...
The general public is encouraged to visit the museum. Frequent visitors and supporters may wish to join the Museum. Those interested in constructing and operating the model railroads should consider joining the East Bay Model Engineers Society.
2006 Season We are now open for our 2006 Season! Trains will be running every Sunday, but we're also open to view the layouts on Wednesdays and Saturdays [more...
The East Bay Model Engineers Society's 70th Anniversary car is still available! Click here
Work nights: every Friday 7-10 pm. Visitors are always welcome!
Nov 1, 2003: O scale finished the last piece of main line track (only one siding is still missing) with the celebration of the Golden Spike. Electric work is following closely, and soon trains will be running on the high line.
The GSMRM was the Cover Story in the October 1999 issue of Model Railroader Magazine! Copyright 1999 Model Railroader Magazine. Reproduced by permission.
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Summer Camp 2006 All aboard for railroad fun & adventure! Combine fun with learning and relive the "taming of the Wild West", while exploring our gigantic model railroad layouts. Besides arts, crafts, and stories of railroad heroes, campers build models of the first steel rails across the Sierra Nevadas, create their own dream layouts and have a ball on field trips to ride real trains and trollies! (more info)
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Atlas Model HO & N Scale Product Catalog
The Atlas HO & N 2006 Winter/Spring Catalog is now available online for download. Simply right click the links below. Please note that you will need Adobe Acrobat to read the files. If you don't already have Adobe Acrobat Reader, get it here.
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Note: You may renew your membership on-line on the Join or Renew Now
Would you like to try NMRA Membership for only $9.95 and/or need forms for the temporary Railpass program? Then Click here
Trouble finding things? Try our new Site Map/Index
Canadians must remit dues to NMRA Canada using the form at:
Why join the NMRA? Because: You like trains... You have built, are building or would like to build a model railroad. You need information and advice and maybe just a little help. You have information and talents that you would like to share with others who share your interest in trains. click for Member Benefits
Looking for the Schnabel Car HO Drawings? XLS files? Here they are
Now you can shop at the NMRA On-Line Store for those Gauges, Patches, Jackets and Books, CDs, Reprints and Special Run Collectable Cars and more!! Enter Here
The National Model Railroad Association is the largest organization devoted to the development, promotion, and enjoyment of the hobby of model railroading. The NMRA was founded in 1935 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in order to provide a service to the hobby of model railroading!
These web pages will tell you more about the NMRA: the benefits of membership for those interested in the model railroading hobby, how the NMRA is organized, where and when our upcoming conventions will be held, and how you can use the NMRA to further your enjoyment of model railroading.
What's News?
The NMRA Bulletin pages from 2005 to date including the Board of Directors
Election pages and District Map are reproduced here for your information.
(Now with the March 2006 Bulletin pages) Click Here
Now you can read President Roberts' "Voice From The Cab"
monthly column in the NEWS
Since 12/24/2000, the "Introduction To Model Railroading" pages
have welcomed 287,746 visitors. (4/01/06)
Beginner's Page Project
Welcome to the NMRA "Introduction To Model Railroading" web pages. These web pages have been put together by the NMRA to introduce people to model railroading.
Our goal is to help those who are interested in building a model railroad but who have never done it before or to assist those who may have a simple track plan and now wants to learn more.
Since these pages are designed for the novice, we go over the basics of model railroading. We hope that you may enjoy it as much as we do... Click
NMRA Achievement Program
The Achievement Program is one of the more popular activities of the NMRA, with participation running in the thousands. Since the beginning, more than 300 Master Model Railroader certificates have been awarded and countless others have earned a Gold Spike Award or one or more of the achievement certificates.
The AP was instituted to recognize both modeling achievements and service to the hobby and NMRA and is designed to be accessible to all members. Skilled modelers earn awards for model building, volunteers are recognized for service, authors earn a certificate for published contributions, and layout builders can earn certificates for operations and/or sceniced model railroads. The Gold Spike Award was created to recognize those who have built a layout without exhibiting more advanced techniques or skills but have produced well rounded work requiring more skill than simply opening the boxes. Click to visit the AP Section
The first-ever NMRA CD ROM! All NMRA Data Sheets, NMRA Standards and RPs for Trackwork, Wheels, Clearances, Electrical, Turnouts, Car Weighting, Couplers, Wheelsets, and more, NMRA AP Regulations, Forms and Judging Guidelines, Glossary of Model Railroad Terms and the DCC Handbook - Click for more and samples -
Heritage and Living Legend Cars
Attention Car Collectors! There are a number of prior Heritage and Living Legend Cars still available for purchase from HQ. For availability, visit our On-Line Store Click Here.
Railway Track and Maintenance Railway Track and Maintenance" hspace=8 src="nmra_ads/rtm125.jpg" width=110 align=right border=1 The NMRA has reprinted a 512-page hardcover book on railroad maintenance, entitled Railway Track and Maintenance. Originally published in 1897 and designed for railroad engineers, this extraordinary vintage book was rewritten several times as U.S. rail systems were updated. The last edition in 1926 includes detailed information on track design and maintenance, equipment, material... Click for more.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Jeep Technical Information, Lift Kits and Videos
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http://jeepgrandcherokeelimited.blogspot.com/
HOME
SUSPENSION LIFT KITS
OFF ROAD VIDEOS
NEW JEEP MODELS
Popular Jeep Videos
Funny WJ Commercial
Destruction of an old Jeep
Electric Convertable Wrangler
Tumbling Jeep Down a Cliff
Iceland Commander Expedition
Jeep Expedition
Willy' Jeep
http://jeepgrandcherokeelimited.blogspot.com/
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