Reddit mentions: The best model trains books

I totally agree with what CiderDrinker said. I started out on a 4x6 and got a feel for what I liked, built some models, and really affirmed that I wanted to keep going with the hobby. I started out with Bachmann EZ track and I suggest you do the same. Actually I would recommend using Kato's version of EZ track, called Unitrack. I hear better things about the quality, etc... But the "plug and play" aspect will let you focus on the basics of setting up a layout without getting bogged down in things like electrics, feeder wires, etc.

My advice to you... Plan plan PLAN! Download one of the track planning softwares on the sidebar. I have the free version of AnyRail which is more than plenty. It has every track library possible including Kato and Bachmann. If you really want, get a basic layout going but don't lay down anything permanent. Then you can see things hooked up and working which is pretty satisfying. But in the meantime, plan out a more permanent layout with one of those track planners. I've made some mistakes in planning by just setting things up without really planning out how everything will work, and to be honest I'm kind of losing interest because I don't have a ton of things to "do" on my layout right now.

You'll hear this in any FB group or subreddit, so I'll just start the conversation. Buy a copy of Realistic Track Planning... I haven't read it yet but I have a copy and I need to get into it. Everyone tells me it's a great book to have around. Pick up a couple more of those books too. Maybe one on trackwork, one on realistic operation, one on scenery... whatever looks interesting to you :) . The moral of the story is, have patience and know that it might suck to wait so long but the end result will be far more fulfilling than just winging it and hoping it works out!

The best part about this hobby is all the learning and information. You will make mistakes and come across things you like and don't like, and can adapt from there

Model railroading is such a broad topic that has so many facets to it that you can get advice on. Even within scenery and laying track there is so much to discuss that it is dificult to give general advice. Here goes:

• Plan ahead. You will have a lot more fun running trains if you have a well designed track plan. If you plan even just a few well placed sidings you will have fun rearanging cars. You can get advice here if you draw up some track plans.
  
  
• Lay track well. Nothing will ruin the fun of running trains faster than poorly laid track. Kinks, s-curves and tight radius turns will lead to frequent derailments.
  
  
• Minimums. For HO scale a 4' x 8' layout is a tight minum. With modern equipment it will look unrelistic on tight radius curves and your trains could derail.
  
  
• Train shows and train clubs. Look for some in your area. A great way to meet people and have them give you hands on model train advice.
  
  
• Books. There are lots of great books out there on helping you build your first layout. These books I have and like: The scenery manual. Bench work. Track Planning.
  These books look interesting for a beginer: scenery. Step by step. If the books are out of print then search Amazon for a used copy or find them at a train show.
  
  Tell us about what your plans are. How much space do you have? Do you have track yet? What kind of track? Are you going to model a specific area or road? Do you have a DCC system? If you give us some specifics we can give you better advice on what you will be building.

While it's not the most scholastic source (the owner sometimes writes subjective things on objective topics), AmericanRails is probably the most comprehensive easy-to-navigate free site and is a great way to learn about general North American rail history for free. Wikipedia is hit-or-miss as always, with some very comprehensive articles and some that are just a few lines and a picture, but the fact that it's free makes it worth a look.

You mention the east coast, do you mean the Northeast Corridor specifically or the entire coast? If you mean the NEC, the line was operated for most of its history by the New Haven RR and the Pennsylvania RR, which would later both become Penn Central before Amtrak took over operations of the NEC. If you mean the entire coast, I'll need another comment for that.

Unfortunately this hobby's best information about historic railroading is almost entirely book-based, so to get everything you'll have to invest in some books. Anything by Kalmbach will be accurate, comprehensive, and hopefully not too hard to read, this is a good historical summary. I have this book, and I think it's a good summary; the language isn't difficult and there's plenty of pictures. I've seen people recommend this one, it's less of a history book and more of an encyclopedia of nearly every major North American railroad. These books cover general topics; there's been scores of books written about every railroad that exists/existed. If you can help refine the location/area, we can try to find more specific information.

I've now built (well, it might be more accurate to say, started building) three layouts.

This switching layout is, by far, the project that has given me the most satisfaction - even more so than my larger basement layout. The scope of the project allows me to make real progress, achieve a level of detail that I'm happy with, and still have an end in sight.

Having said that, I've made a number of mistakes that I could have avoided!

The top thing I've learned - make sure you do things right. I don't mean scenery or building structures, those are easy to repaint, repair, or even replace. But mechanically. Don't cut corners. Use high-end materials (even if that slows your progress, remember, it's still cheaper and quicker to do it correct once rather than twice the easy way).

Build solid benchwork, or if you're using the shelf method I've employed - make sure your brackets are level and your layout is well constructed. Make your wiring bulletproof. Ensure smoothly flowing track.

Start by doing your homework. Pick a prototype and era that interest you. Go from there. Post track plans or ideas on an internet forum (my favorite is Big Blue - http://bigbluetrains.com/), and then get to work!

If you want a comprehensive "how to" guide Lance Mindheim's "How to Build a Switching Layout" is a great place to start. It's self-published, and has a rather low production value to it, but don't be fooled - just because it doesn't have high-end graphic design or professional photos doesn't mean Lance's points are not valid. You can get it from Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/How-To-Build-Switching-Layout/dp/1453811346/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409251754&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=lance+mindhiem

I hope that helps!

Not that I know of. I use SCARM, which is free, and it's worked pretty well aside from a bit of a learning curve. I hear a lot of people use Anyrail but I like free :)

I also highly recommend the 101 Track Plans book.

I would highly highly highly recommend picking up the book ["101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders."] (https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Track-Railroaders-Railroad-Handbook/dp/0890245126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503265427&sr=8-1&keywords=101+track+plans) There is essentially a whole chapter dedicated to 4x6 sized layouts, as well as 4x8s, and it is a resource that will pay dividends if future space opens up as well.

It's a great idea book, and with only so much space to work with, a lot of interesting designs have already been created for that space.

Another resource you might consider, especially since you already are using Atlas track, is any of the Atlas HO track planning books. They may not have as much variety as 101 Track Plans, but some of them show you how to build a complete railroad from start to finish, which could be useful.

Hope this helps!

The best answer I can give you is to look at 101 Track Plans for ideas. While most of the layouts featured are based around HO scale, a 4' x 8' HO layout fits fairly comfortably in a 3' x 5' area in N scale, and with a few changes, can often be made to fit a 2' x 4' area.

In a small space, you have to be selective about what you put in. It will likely mean tight turns, so running big steam locomotives and the larger diesels are probably out of the question. Passenger cars and long freight cars are going to look funny on tight curves, and some may not run well at all.

Other ideas for you:

• Mike's Small Trackplans
  
• Carendt.com micro & small layouts

I find HO slightly cheaper and easier to find stuff, but you can definitely pack a lot more N scale into a small space. If you don't have a lot invested in HO yet it might be worth the switch. I was able to find a few model railroading books at my local library to help me out with planning a new layout. https://www.amazon.com/Model-Railroading-Small-Spaces-Railroader/dp/089024295X https://www.amazon.co.uk/Planning-Designing-Making-Railway-Layouts/dp/1847974244/ref=pd_sim_14_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=35KBCK8HZ5YRXGN2AC2S The second one is British so some of the terminology is different than you might be used to, but it still had a lot of knowledge that is applicable regardless of location you are modelling.

Pelle is from Denmark. I agree, his work is a great place to start if you'd like to get a feel for how to model western US scenery. He has written several books that describe in depth how he creates his scenery, I suggest checking them out. They are not too advanced that a beginner couldn't follow along easily.

This book describes how he built the first rendition of his Mojave themed layout:
Mountain to Desert: Building the HO scale Daneville & Donner River

This book shows some new techniques that he employed rebuilding it:
Rebuilding a Layout from A to Z

This book describes the construction of around 4 dioramas that are each set in a different locale. One of them is a western desert themed one:
Essential Model Railroad Scenery Techniques

My condolences - I, too, caught the bug about 6 months ago. :)

Joining flex track is really easy. Simply slide the joiners onto each piece and solder them from the bottom or outside. You might have to remove a few ties and replace them after you're done wiring your power drops.

DCC power requirements are a bit more complex and wholly depend on what scale you're using. These two books were key to helping my understanding.

If it helps to know, my N scale 12x8 layout runs very well on the 2amp NCE PowerCab starter set. In short, it depends on how many locos you want to run simultaneously. I've run 5 locos at once with no problems.

Here's a table from the DCC Guide that really cemented it for me: http://i.imgur.com/JPzkkJq.jpg

[This book] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Airbrush-FineScale-Modeler-Books/dp/0890247064) may be of help :).

When airbrushing 1/72 scale models, you're going to want to get your setup just right before you hit things with paint. You want to have your pressure set to about 10-15psi, and thin you paint down to a milk like consistency. Don't use solvent based paints in airbrushes which use rubber seals.

Now once you have your paint and pressure sorted, use a piece of paper to test your flow - you want even but fine coverage of whatever diameter you're looking for - if the paint runs turns the flow down, if it dry sprays or spits turn the flow up. Make sure your needle is clean and not clogged at all times, this can be a problem especially when using acrylics at low pressure.

Just practice practice practice - you'll find the right setup for each process eventually. Like you might have one for pre-shading panel lines and another for blocking out camo.

Hope that helps :).

I strongly recommend starting with a simple operations plan that covers what trains will do on your layout. You don't need to use prototype rules but if your trains have nothing to do besides go round and round for no reason, you will get bored after a couple weeks. Knowing why your railroad exists will inform your track plan much better than what will fit in your space.

For example, I'm building a railroad which carries supplies to a dam construction site.

Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong is the bible for model railroad track planning.

I also like Byron Henderson's website for learning basics while waiting for the book to arrive from Amazon, and for tips and tricks which the book doesn't cover.

John Armstrong's Track Planning for Realistic Operation is a great book:
https://www.amazon.com/Track-Planning-Realistic-Operation-Railroader/dp/0890242275

I like Lance Mindheim's books for modern operations on smaller layouts too:
http://lancemindheim.com/book-store/

Depending on your scale, and where it is on your layout, you might just consider building the interior with card stock, and just hand drawing on them. That's actually what this book says to do, and it doesn't look half bad. When I get home, I can scan that page for you if you'd like to see it.

I believe this is pretty much required reading around these parts. If nothing else it'll give you some good ideas to build upon.

Also if you are modelling the Old West I suggest to you these books


This layout is my personal favorite, it takes place in the deserts of central AZ near Jerome and Clarkdale. It doesn't have a specific era because he runs everything from an 1870s locomotive to a 1960s diesel but if you want you could make it in any era up until 1960. Here is a look at some of the pictures in the book and a little more background

http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/2013/03/john-olsens-jerome-and-southwestern.html

and the Amazon link

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Ho-Model-Railroad-Personality/dp/0890240426

And also this is fun, its a Colorado Rockies/High Plains layout that takes a whimsical approach.


https://www.amazon.com/Narrow-Gauge-Railroad-You-Build/dp/0890240582

If you want realistic model buildings, you might want to check with model railroading groups. See also kitbashing. Model buildings done by architect firms usually only make what's called presentation models. Its just the basic shape of the building without too much realistic features (like omitting the inside walls and furniture). Though if you do google presentation model, you do get a bunch of building models in great detail.

I'm only a drafter, but in school we made a presentation model of a coffee shop we designed ourselves. Then we printed out the plans and elevations (aka side views) at scale and cut them out of cardboard with xacto knives and glued them together with some clear drying glue. Windows were just overhead transparency.

I highly recommend this book. Even if you aren't set on trying to recreate the prototype, it has a lot of tips on how to make things actually work. For instance, you may not want to build a big yard, but the principles put forth here will allow one of you to run the yard while the other operates trains on the mainline without interfering with each other.

https://www.amazon.com/Track-Planning-Realistic-Operation-Armstrong/dp/0890245045/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502762138&sr=8-2&keywords=track+planning+for+realistic+operation