Cover

All Aboard!

Start With The Basics

Why The Track Is So Important

How Does The Power Supply Work?

Analog and DCC Explained

Layout Options Explained

Locomotives And Rolling Stock

What Should You Start With?

How Do You Create A Good Layout

More On Layouts and LDE

How to Create Realistic Scenery

Explain Weathering Techniques

How To Repair Problems

BONUS SECTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary of Important Terms

Model Railroad Yard Design Explained Step-By-Step

Model Train Layout Track Plans

Garden Railroads

Mastering An Airbrush Step-By-Step

More Model Railroad Resources



How Do Locomotives Work?
Why Are Wheels And Gears So Important?
Buying A Locomotive – Where Do You Start?
Buying A Locomotive – What About The Wheels?
Buying A Locomotive – What About The Motor?
Buying A Locomotive – What About The Weight?
Buying A Locomotive – What About The Flywheels?
What Are The Advantages Of A Shorter Locomotive?
6 Points To Consider When Buying A Locomotive
Quick Guide To Freight Cars And Rolling Stock
Buying Cars or Rolling Stock – Where To Start
Buying Cars or Rolling Stock – Which Wheels To Select
Buying Cars or Rolling Stock – Which Couplers To Select
How Much Should You Spend?
What Should You Spend Money On?

A Locomotive runs by picking up an electrical current from the metal rails through metal wheels that ride on the rails. The electricity is transferred from the wheels to the motor, which causes the motor to run. The motor connects to the wheels through a mechanical drive system. When the electricity turns the motor, the motor turns the gears that turn the wheels and push the locomotive along the tracks. Simple!

Quick Tip:

The contact point where your locomotive wheel meets the rail is extremely small. That's why; it doesn't take much in the way of dirt, dust, or debris to obstruct the wheel-to-rail contact. Dirt can build up, so it is important that you keep the wheels clean and free of accumulated dirt. If the wheels of your locomotive become dirty, they may not make good contact with the metal rails, and your train will stall. Remember, plastic wheels don’t conduct electricity.

Why Are Wheels And Gears So Important?

As you've probably gathered by now, a good locomotive needs lots of wheels and lots of gears. The electricity flows through the wheels transferring the electricity to the motor that turns the gears that turn the wheels. This all needs to work efficiently for best results. A poor performing locomotive is often because of the gears and/or the wheels. Although in saying that, some locomotives with only a few wheels work surprisingly well... although it is considered to be unusual, rather than the norm.



Buying A Locomotive – Where Do You Start?

You can buy train accessories over the net, but there are advantages in buying from your local hobby shop. Many shops have a model track set up for you to test out locomotives etc. If they do, then without exception, try the locomotive out in the store before buying.

A good-quality model diesel locomotive will pick up electrical power from all eight or 12 wheels and will be geared on all wheel-sets, or “trucks,” for the best pulling power.

If you’re buying a steam locomotive, make sure it picks up power from as many wheels and drivers as possible. The best option is for the tender to assist in power pickup (if it has a tender).

Quick Tip:

No one wants a locomotive that you have to push to get it going. You don't want one that suddenly speeds up and falls off the tracks. If you want your train to run well, be prepared to pay good money for a good quality locomotive. Buy the best locomotive you can afford. Buy a high-performing workhorse and it will pay for itself in no time with the pleasure it gives you over many years.

Buying A Locomotive – What About The Wheels?

Check out the wheels. If the wheels are not connected to a gear, then they'll move easily when you push them with your finger. If the wheels move just a little and then go stiff, they’re connected to a gear. That’s a good sign. If the locomotive is slow to start, then consider buying something a bit better. A good locomotive is worth the investment!

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Buying A Locomotive – What About The Motor?

The motor is also important and needs to be of good quality, to turn smoothly, using the least amount of electricity.

Buying A Locomotive – What About The Weight?

The weight of a locomotive is crucial to ensure that the wheels connect with the tracks. This is achieved through solid metal frames.

Buying A Locomotive – What About The Flywheels?

Flywheels are solid-metal cylinders mounted in line with the motor. Flywheels at one or both ends of the motor ensure a smooth take-off by slowing down the initial rotation of the motor. Flywheels help achieve a smoother stop when the electricity is turned off. They also help the locomotive operate more smoothly and negotiate dirty track better.

Quick Tip:

Diesel locomotives should have all-wheel electrical pickup and at least eight-wheel drive. Steam locomotives should pick up electricity from the drivers and the tender wheels.

What Are The Advantages Of A Shorter Locomotive?

Diesel locomotives are generally shorter than steam locomotives. As a rule, shorter locomotives are less prone to derailments, especially when going around a curve. If you are just starting out, or if the train set is going to be used by a child, buying a short locomotive could be the best option. The same point applies when choosing rolling stock.

Quick Tip:

Avoid traction tires as these contribute little to performance. They're little rings of rubber around some locomotive drivers and wheels and are intended to overcome poor adhesion. However, traction tires can contribute to an irritating wobbling and also can’t pick up electricity. The cure can be worse than the problem.

6 Points To Consider When Buying A Locomotive:

1. Choose a locomotive that has a good quality motor

2. Choose one with plenty of metal wheels

3. Choose one with plenty of gears connected to the wheels

4. Choose a locomotive with a heavy metal frame

5. Choose one with flywheels

6. Buy a locomotive that will meet your requirements now and in the future. A low price may result in poor performance and quality.

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Quick Guide To Freight Cars And Rolling Stock

Autorack
An autorack is used to haul road vehicles by rail. There are three main types all of which are tall and long: double level, triple level, and Automax. The most common type would be the double level Autorack Cars. The articulated version of a double level autorack is called an Automax car.

Box Car
Can be used to ship in a variety of cargo...from boxes, dry goods, food to auto parts... in fact, almost anything that doesn't require refrigeration.
They come in many different sizes, from 40 to 86 feet and were once the most common freight car around. More and more the general cargo is being put into special sized containers made for specific cargos and placed on flat cars.

Caboose
Cabooses were used to house the engineers and other workers on the trains. The Caboose was especially useful on long trips, giving crew a place to sleep and relax when they were not working. From the Caboose, crew members could inspect the train by looking out the coupola windows. They could also watch the air pressure gauge inside. Cabooses are not seen as often these days as the End-of-Train device is more commonly used. Cabooses are still used on sidings and shortlines where reverse moves are made.

Centerbeam
These are used to transport sheets of wood or drywall on either side of a center beam.

Coiled Steel Car
These cars are specially designed to haul coiled steel. They often have covers on to keep water off the steel.

Flat Car
If the cargo didn't fit in a box car, the goods usually went on a flat car. Flat cars can be used for many different things from hauling boats, helicopters, to army tanks. They are commonly used for carrying the trailers that Semi-trucks pull on the road. A flat car with a trailer on it is called piggyback. This method of transporting trailers was introduced in the U.S. around 1950.
There are many different types of flat cars with the bigger ones having as many as 16 axles. Some flat cars are specially designed to carry weighty loads and some have depressed centers.

Gondola
Gondolas transport a variety of things. Some have low sides and transport discarded tie plates, cross ties, sections of pre-built track, thick sheets of steal, scrap metal and debris. High sided gondolas were also used to transport cargos of wood chips and sawdust secured by heavy netting.

Gunderson Wells
Gunderson well cars haul one container on top of another and are also known as double stack cars. Gunderson well cars are articulated and come in one, three, or five sections.

Hoppers
Uncovered open hoppers are used for non perishable cargos like ballast and coal. Covered hoppers are used for grains, bone meal, sand, and other things that need protection from the weather.

Hoppers are loaded from the top and can differ in the number of bays they have. A small hopper could have only two bays, whereas a large hopper could have 3 to 6 bays.

Some have chutes that use use gravity to empty themselves. Modern hopper cars are simply rotated upside-down to dump.

Refrigerator Car
In 1868, William Davis of Detroit, received a patent for an "icebox on wheels", a refridgerator car he uses to ship fruit and fish by rail.
Before 'reefers' were equipped with gas-powered coolers, trains had to make "ice stops" to load cars with ice. Refridgerated cars are not a common sight these days.

Roadrailer
Roadrailers first appeared on American railroads in the 1950s. They are specialized truck trailers suspended by wheel bogies and coupler mates. The advantage of using roadrailers is that due to their construction, the trailers can be pulled directly behind other freight (or passenger) trains without the use of trailer flatcars.

The trailers were built with integrated railroad wheelsets that were lowered into position when the trailer was pulled behind a train. More recently manufactured roadrailers don't use integrated railroad wheels, instead they ride on specially-manufactured bogies. These bogies perform a double purpose serving as articulation points between multiple trailers in a train.

Spine Car
Spine cars are used to carry truck trailers and can be seen in articulated sets of more than one.

Stock Car
Stck Cars are not seen much these days. They were similar to box cars but have slatted sides and used to carry live stock by rail.

Tank Car
These cars are used to transport bulk liquids such as oil, acids, tallow... even liquefied petroleum gas and granular solids. Tank cars for lighter than air gasses (eg. heilium) have a loaded weight less than their light weight.

Tank cars come in a variety of sizes. A small tank cars might hold the capacity of a few thousand gallons. Large tank cars with eight or emore axles are known to carry extremely heavy loads.

Buying Cars or Rolling Stock – Where To Start

The cars that come with many starter train sets are not highly detailed. You get what you pay for and the starter sets are lower in price to get you started.

When purchasing the cars separately, look for the most realistic and reliable cars that fit with your budget. You can buy cars and rolling stock over the internet if you know exactly what you are looking for and what you are getting. There is however an advantage in buying through a local hobby store. You can pick up the cars and have a good hands-on inspection before buying.

Interesting Fact:

The American Flyer Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1907, and made windup and electric wide gauge (the competitor to Lionel's Standard gauge) trains. The A. C. Gilbert Co. bought the firm in 1937 and offered O and HO trains. After World War II, Gilbert switched from O to S gauge. Lionel purchased the rights to produce American Flyer trains after Gilbert went out of business in 1966.

Buying Cars or Rolling Stock – Which Wheels To Select

Examine the wheels first. See how well they spin. Avoid wheels that only turn once and then stop. Avoid wheels that wobble, because that’s not a good sign.

Wheels can be made of either plastic or metal; the important thing is that they have a metal axle. For the wheels to sit on the rails correctly they must be the same distance apart on the axle. Plastic wheels can sometimes be adjusted to the correct distance apart on the axle.

Buying Cars or Rolling Stock – Which Couplers To Select

Most starter train set cars come with truck-mounted “horn-hook” couplers. At some stage you might want to replace the “horn-hook” couplers with more realistic looking and better-operating knuckle couplers. Knuckle couplers are less likely to unhook. Your local hobby shop can show you some inexpensive replacements and how to easy it is to install them.

Click The Link Below To View The

All About Couplers
Step-By-Step Photo Tutorial


http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/couplers-members-only-page.html



Interesting Fact:

Marx offered affordable trains for the masses since the time its founder, Louis Marx, began making inexpensive windup and electric trains in the early 1930s. The Marx brand remained strong well into the 1960s and was popular with consumers looking to purchase inexpensive yet attractive metal or plastic toy trains. Although the original company went out of being in 1975, a new Marx Trains Inc. was established to make Marx trains under license.


How Much Should You Spend?

Model railroading can provide an enormous amount of pleasure, so for that reason it is hard to put a value on how much someone should invest. It is really up to the individual and what you want from a train set. Some people are happy to just stick with a basic layout, whilst many enthusiasts spend thousands of dollars a year and derive thousands of hours of pleasure and satisfaction in return.

Quick Tip:

Many model train passenger cars that are being retailed don't have interiors. As a result when you look inside them they look like a toy train. One simple solution is to buy some commercial window tinting film from a hobby, hardware, or car accessory store. A small strip of the tinting film can be attached to the inside of the clear plastic that makes up the windows of most passenger cars. The tinting film can look like polarized glass which is very difficult to look through.

What Should You Spend Money On?

How much you invest and what you purchase will also depend on your personality. If you are someone who prefers more realism, then it is likely you'll have different goals and different needs to someone who focuses mainly on maintaining and operating the trains. Both people could invest just as much money (and time), but on different things. So, there are no hard and fast rules… we're all different!


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© 2006 Robert Anderson, Market Leaders Ebooks, all rights reserved