Trains and collectibles with pictures and logos of MLB baseball teams, only available in the United States. For more info go to www.carosta.com Hurry, some of these collectibles may sell out fast! Here are the MLB teams: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphip Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals. Original music by Carola Rost

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Freelanced RR layout, based on a Rocky Mountain Village.

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• 38″ track circle
• Fast and easy Power-Loc track stays secure
• Authentic hand-decorated locomotive and cars
• U.L. listed power pack with forward and reverse
• Rerailer lines up wheels on track in seconds

Product Description
4-Unit HO Scale Diesel Electric Train Set. 38″ Track Circle Features Life-Likes Exclusive Power-Loc Track System with Molded Roadbed for Fast N Easy Set-Up Even Beginners can Assemble in Minutes. Clicks together, keeps track connected for superior running anywhereeven on carpet. Eliminates rail joiners and produces perfect electrical contactguaranteed. Includes F40PH Diesel locomotive with working headlight, 2-bay hopper, refrigerator car, and matching 8-wheel caboo… More >>

Life Like Life Like Pacific Rails 4 – Unit Ho Scale Diesel Electric Train Set

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Just getting started huh?  Well, it’s most likely a wonderful suggestion to begin fundamental to get going.  It’s great to think of the primary simple track design as one of three possible seeds that you are going to grow into a huge more tangled design.  Choosing one of them gives you a wonderful starting point from which to expand your toy locomotive empire.  So how should you go about it? Here are some tips:

Start by choosing the area your model train will occupy:

Attempt to pick the biggest most open place available for your track.  You simply can’t run your toy train empire out of a shoe box or closet.  Your tracks need their elbow room for turns.  So make the location as huge as possible, so long as it doesn’t develop lots of problems in your house.

What are the fundamental location requirements by size?  

Let’s review the minimum requirements real quickly.  You can never get too huge but you can definitely get too small.  So here they are: If you have the little guys, N gauge trains, you will need at least a 2’ x 4’ space.  4’ x 8’ is the requirement for HO size.  8’ x 16’ for Lionel’s O scale.  Don’t even bother penning up those G sizes inside—they should go out in your back yard with the other wild things.  You’ll only be able to do the most basic designs with these minimums.  This is the amount of space you will need to do the absolute least with your trains.  Think kernal, not fully developed tree or even sapling.

What are the best track layouts for these limited locations? 

There are 3 fundamental designs that work in these areas.   The first and most simple of all is the oval shape.  The circuit simply goes around the edge of the area leaving the inside for a toy city or for a pretend lake perhaps.  I once saw one that circled around a mountain that looked like the Matterhorn at Disneyland.  It worked pretty well.  The second choice is to have a figure 8.  This makes for a more fascinating layout but cuts into the internal space giving only four minimal spaces for you to work with in terms of accessories.  But if you’re mainly into watching the locomotives go round this is a wonderful circuit.  Finally, there is the concentric circles set up where you have two concentric circles for your locomotive to go around.  Most beginners end up making this into a locomotive yard and then expanding outward from this kernal.

What else do I have for you?  

My giant suggestion would be that you use what are called domino tables.  These 2’ x 4’ tables are tipl for a beginner because they can easily be connected together to help expand or reshape your area.  This is a giant help as you start to rethink your track design.  They are also lightweight enough where they can be easily moved out of the way when not in use so you won’t have to have your circuit layout interfering with the other daily routines of your house.  So you’ll still be able to park your car in the garage.

Just remember the usual cliché; a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  A lot of the sorts of dificulties that you might anticipate are easily solved as you get into the process of creating your model railroad. Part of the fun of model training is solving these complications, in fact.  So what are you waiting for? Get going!   

Here is more information on Model Train Track. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.

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I see it’s not a very big location.  But it does match the minimum suggestions for a HO Model Train Layout: it’s 4’ x 8’ and that’s all you really need to get started.  It also has some positive features.  It’s by that sky light where it gets some sun shine. At least its not dirty or crawling with spider webs there. The frig is close by so you won’t have far to trudge for a snack.  So here are some ideas for making it better:

A solid Model Train Table makes a significant difference:  

Having your trains on the ground is a very bad idea. You look proficient with your mits so you could probably design the surface yourself.  If you do, you might want to think about the disadvantages of having a model train surface that is attached to the structure of your dwelling.  If possible we would like to have a independent surface that we can move as when necessary. Perfect hobby tables can be found by just doing a simple search on the web.  These tables are manufactured to connect to each other in such a way that you can fill almost any area as you desire and so that if you have second thoughts about your design later, they are easily changed into new shapes and into new dimensions. These tables also amazingly meld a strong, lightweight and portable construction.  This third feature is particularly helpful for model train fanatics who love to go to model train get togethers. Also, if you would like to show off your Model Train Set up for educational projects or as part of library/museum exhibitions this is the ideal choice.

Don’t reach for more than you can handle:  

Don’t try to do too much with such a limited space. Decide between three basic layouts.  Each has its benefits and drawbacks. If you like crafting model buildings the basic basketball shape leaves you the most options. The focus will rest largely on the craft and artwork involved in your craftwork. A figure 8 leaves you less room for crafting trees and farms and keeps the attention back on your locomotive.  Concentric designs with a connecter between them can really cut into this middle space space although it will still allow you to place some interesting accessories in the donut hole of the track. You could place a round house at the center and pretend this is a rail yard.  You can also add other trains to your roundhouse in the middle to really freshen up this set up. All of these are good for base tracks. The figure 8 is the least conducive to future expansion.

Use the angle of display to conjure a enhanced sense of diemension:

A basic device to design a greater sense of depth is to show off your train at an angle so that the diamond head-on view of your HO model train track creates a more intense sense of depth.  This effect can be further maximized by decorating cardboard or plywood walls extending from the back corner of your display surface with fading mountain ranges and a smattering of clouds.

Finally, use accessories like buildings and uneven terrain to create a greater sense of contrast:  

Another way we can trick the viewer into believing that our display is bigger is to add accessories like tiny bushes and little cliff faces or piles of pebbles so that the train is at times blocked from sight. If you work this effect right you will really maximize the viewing experience.

Don’t think of this first step as the end of your model train experience but just as the first step in the journey.  As you become more accustomed to the joys of model train design, construction and decoration you will find many imaginative unique ways to add to this basic layout.

Here is more information on HO Model Train. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.

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