Posts Tagged ‘railroad’
Drive In Theatre PART 1 HO Scale Model Railroad Update
Just showing an update on one of my Models. This Drive In Theatre is supposed to fit up against a wall or backdrop but I’m adding a lot more detail to it. I’m putting in the actual parking spots for the vehicles, I’m building a concession stand/Projector room. I added a person to the ticket booth and I also put a light in it. I’ll be adding landscape lights and street lights all around the model’s “Property”. I’ll be heavily landscaping it with Trees, bushes, and the driveways will be gravel to make this model look very realistic. I’m about 50% done. The next video will show it completely done.
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Let’s Take A Look At The N Model Railroad Scale
Many people think that the N model railroad scale is smaller than they can deal with. N is a small train, only 1:160 the size of a life size engine, and half as small as the more popular HO scale.
It’s true that this size shouldn’t be used by children under 5 at any time, and from 5-12, under adult supervision. It is a harder unit to deal with for people with large hands, poor eyesight, and arthritis, but other than that, anyone else can easily handle this scale.
There are many advantages with N scale trains. The first thing right away is that many of these models run on batteries, with no need to have them plugged in.
While these don’t perform as well as electric models, you have less to worry about. Because these trains are small and lightweight, they are ideal for people who like to run long strings of passenger or freight cars.
One of the biggest advantages of N scale size is that hobbyists who don’t have a lot of space, or like to take their trains and display them at shows, can have at it with this scale. It is perfect for small spaces, since many layouts can be set up on tables less than 8′x4,’ and in fact can be fully set up on spaces quite smaller.
These can easily be transported from one show to another, without having to take them apart all the time. You can store them in smaller spaces, and pack up nice and neatly.
Anyone who says there aren’t very many accessories hasn’t had very much experience with this scale. It’s true that you may only find a limited amount when going to a local retailer, but there are many basic sets available, even at these outlets.
You can also find this scale at toys stores, and mass-marketing retailers. You will find an abundance of websites, dedicated to these trains, and track styles, but also for scenery, trees, shrubs, and figurines.
There are whole sets of accessories offered, from landscaping, buildings, and figurines, all just right proportions to the size of the locomotive and cars.
The holidays bring lots of excitement, and with these trains, the holidays are king. There are many sets just made for Christmas time, with buildings that play music, real working lights and even festive locomotives and trains.
Some of these steam replicas even emit real puffs of smoke and have festive bells and whistle sounds, all operated on batteries, or easily plugged into any outlet. Some of these festive sets are even offered for under $100, and in some cases, just around fifty.
A simple web search will reveal lists of thousands of pictures and video of sample layouts, from actual train enthusiasts. You can plan your track strategies from these, or sit back and think of you own imaginative layout designs.
There will be no trouble finding locomotives, cars of all descriptions, and enough scenery to last a lifetime. It won’t take long before you are up and running, commanding your trains to your heart’s desire.
Clint Spille is a model trains enthusiast who enjoys blogging about the World’s Greatest Hobby. Stop by his blog where you can read his many articles on the model railroading hobby or watch the videos he provides on topics such as model railroad track plans, model train scale and much more!
Model Train Scenery Kits – How To Use Scenery Kits In Your Model Railroad Track Plans
Model railroad track plans are not complete without scenery. “But wait”, you say, “I got into this hobby for the cool locomotives and the history. I am not an artist, and I don’t have time to spend hours and hours on scenery.” So what do you do? Well short of hiring your own craftsman or relegating your layout to the incomplete category, you can take advantage of an entire industry that serves this hobby, namely kits for model train scenery.
While there are some drawbacks to kits, like high cost, not being able to find what you want in the scale you want, or having scenes from different manufacturers not matching in color or scale, there are also quite a few advantages. First, they are quick. You pay for the kit, take it out of the box, and set it in your layout. Done. Second, there are lots of choices. Companies like Woodland Sciences sell everything from individual pieces to complete scenes and everything in between. Most items also have video online so you can learn the techniques for painting or using them in your model railroad track plans.
One thing to be careful of when you look for your scenery kit and that is the scale. Descriptions do not always make it clear which scale you are ordering, so make sure you search out that information before making your order. You don’t want to end up with a 3 inch tall G scale character in your H0 scale layout where it should be ¾ of an inch tall.
If you want to save some money, consider an economy pack of figures instead of buying individuals. For instance, you can get 100 figures in a similar theme (e.g. farmers) for about $1 each. If you buy individuals or say a set of 5, you could pay up to twice that much. The disadvantage is that you are not able to select which figures you get. Another way to save money is to go to an auction site like Ebay and search for what you want. You will be surprised at the array of choices. Model train swap meets are another place where you may find what you are looking for at a low price, or even be able to swap something you have, for something you need with no money changing hands at all! Be careful of trying to save money by going to your local hobby shop and buying scenery that was not designed for model railroad track plans. These kits may look nice and be less expensive, but they are probably not the exact scale you need to make your layout accurate.
Also consider how much finishing you want to do if you order a kit. Complete, ready to go kits are available which, as explained above, you can just take out of the box and set up. Others will require some finishing like painting or weathering. Decide what fits into your budget, what your interests and skills are, and choose accordingly.
The typical model train enthusiast enjoys making their layout look realistic. In order to do this, you must have accurate, quality scenery. You can spend hours making that scenery yourself and even developing techniques to teach others. If that is what you love, there is no reason not to, but if you are more interested in other aspects of the hobby, include scenery kits in your model railway trains plan. Follow the guidelines here to ensure this aspect of the hobby doesn’t derail your Model Train Layout!
Henry Michael is a model train enthusiast who enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others to help them get the most out of this exciting hobby.? For more model railway trains information, visit my website at http://www.modeltrainenthusiast.com/ and learn how easy it is for you to get involved with model railroading.? It will help you to avoid mistakes that most beginners make.? If you are more experienced, it will give you a different perspective on things you maybe doing or would like to do.
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Model Railroad Track Plan – Model Train Help
Have you always wanted to have your own train set? If it is your first time to have your own train set, it helps to have the right kind of model railroad track plan. In this manner, you will be able to have a better view of what you want to accomplish, what you are doing about it, and what are all the other things that you will need to do.
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Having the right kind of model railroad track plan does not necessarily mean having the most expensive train set with the most complex tracks. You simply need to have something that works. More often than not, if you aim for something complicated, you end up having sharp curves that model trains can no longer follow.
You can try to visit a model railroad club so you can have a good idea of how tracks should look like and how you can make them work. You might also find the kind of inspiration you need while you are in the club. You can either recreate tracks made by other hobbyists or build your own layout based on what you have seen. The key is for you to be able to draft something so you do not need to keep on revising your track plan.
Your track plan should also include the number of tracks that you will need, the amount of space you can potentially consume, and plans for expansion. You will eventually have to add more tracks and features so it would help a lot if you already plan for them.
Having the right kind of model railroad track plan will keep you from wasting your time and energy on something that simply does not work. So make it a point that you have one before you even think about purchasing your first or next train set.
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This author writes about Model Train Help and Building A Model Train Layout.
