Search results

For anyone in the Northern Ohio area that has enough clout and camera equipment, a golden opportunity to get some great shots of steam in action... TRAINS Magazine: Age of Steam Roundhouse, Trains Magazine offer exclusive photo event May 20...

I laid some brand new track this weekend, and tested it using a little 0-6-0 Tank Forward switcher. This little engine that could... just couldn't. It looks as though the engine is losing electrical connection to the rails. I cleaned the rails off, but they seemed to be pretty clean already. I...

Well, I started a different thread after deciding I wanted to add a small switching area and improve accessibility to parts of my layout. That thread is here: https://modelrailroadforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/questions-about-switching-area.34327/ Since the switching area design is pretty...

It's been quite a while since I've posted (original build post here: OG Layout Post ) and I realized that I kept going with the layout and never updated that thread. Well, I've gotten to a point where I want to change things a bit and so I've started down that road. Here is what I started with...

For the life of me, I can't figure out what's going on here. This locomotive is only a few years old, most of which was spent in a box. I took it out recently and it's not running smoothly. I took apart both trucks, cleaned and greased, did my best to clean the motor shafts without removing the...

I have a section of track that goes into a tunnel where there's some hidden staging. The mainline that heads into the tunnel is on cork roadbed. Here's my idea... The hidden staging can be built "off-site" and then simply put in place. Since it's hidden, there's no need to worry about aesthetic...

So I've been looking at building my own DCC controller using an Arduino. Using an Arduino interests me with it's low cost, but mostly my engineering DIY nature flares out of control thinking that I can do this myself. So far, here are my thoughts... Most of the instruction I find online use a...

I'm not sure this is the right forum, but I feel like I'm just showing off a build of mine. If the admins feel it should be moved, just let me know and I'll do it. I recently built a new bench with cubbies in the mudroom and had some MDF and beadboard left over. In under an hour, I ripped down...

Hello everyone! I've been gone for just about 6 years now. I know this because when my son was born, time just fell into a wasteland and the previous layout was disassembled so we could sell the old house and move. Now that he's old enough to LOVE trains, my wife (of all people) suggested we use...

Anyone ever travel to Japan and ride the Shinkansen (bullet train)? I have, and its awesome. It helps a person realize exactly how far behind the US is when it comes to public transit. Anyhow... now you can have a scale model of the train. And the system that makes it work! It's in Japanese...

Using air at ultrasonic speeds to clear snow. I need one of these for my driveway... http://gizmodo.com/a-supersonic-hair-dryer-blasts-ice-and-snow-off-train-t-1700964555 Fair warning - turn down the volume when you watch the video.

If there's anyone that can help, I would surely appreciate it. My plan is to scratch build a coal mine since my area is a little small and most kits either won't fit or just simply don't please me. I know it's a large undertaking, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm trying to plan it...

So I have a small bridge that carries a track that leads up to a coal mine. Originally, I wanted to hand lay this entire line and really put the time and effort into it, but decided that my skill level at this point is not quite where I would want it to be. Not that I couldn't do it, but I would...

While sorting through a google image search, I found this in the mix. Never seen one before. Anyone else know of one being used, prototype or model? Instead having three sets of points, the rails leading up move side to side to point the train at whatever line it is to follow. I just thought...

As I'm sure is the case with a lot of you, my layout is in the basement. Well, it's not a "real" basement, as I live in a split level home and so the lower floor is only half underground, not as deep as a normal home. In any case, it still gets pretty cool down there. Not so much that I can't...

I was going through some of my old stuff tonight and found the set below. When I was young, my uncle (married in) who never had any kids of his own, gave me this set. I think it belonged to his father who modeled mid-1800's era HO. He knew that I had a layout and so gave me a giant box of stuff...

So I'm modeling a coal mine that runs up the side of a mountain to the mine in a switchback design. The story in the layout is that the coal mine is the oldest part of the town, and the railroads were built basically to serve it. That being said, the rail line leading up to the mine should be...

So this happened yesterday... I was at my LHS looking through the used stuff (as I always do) and found this prodigy system. The sticker says "will not program". And the price tag said $60. The new one on the shelf above it is $207 (not the cheapest place to shop). So I asked about it. They...

I've gotten to the point where I will be covering one my tracks in a tunnel. To build the bracing for scenery, I thought to install a bracket that comes up to support a foam layer on top. However, the bracing seems to be close to the track. It is on a curve, and the brace is clear of the gauge I...

I'm in the process of preparing to lay my siding tracks on the new layout. Part of this was to put the buildings in place and make sure everything laid out the way I wanted it to. I have a brewery built specifically for this layout, so that was fairly easy. Of course, that wasn't enough. So took...