(Part 2) Best products from r/modeltrains

> Hey thanks for answering!

No prob!

> I had no idea DC trains shouldn’t run on DCC, TIL!

Yah. The DCC signal more resembles AC than it does DC. Square wave, not sine wave, and the frequency weeble-wobbles all over the place to transmit the data. It's a bit of an oddball signal, really, because it's trying to pass data along and pass actual power along at the same time. There's also a rather surprising amount of current on tap, moreso than the typical DC pack will provide. My command station puts out ~1.3 amps but I can fit boosters to it that go up to 8 amps each.

> How should I clean the tracks?

Ask a thousand modellers, get a thousand responses. I've had excellent luck rescuing filthy tracks with a lint-free shop cloth and this stuff. I'll spray it onto the cloth, then wipe that along the railheads. Dose a snazzy job of gettin' the schmoo off and dries super quick so no slippery residue is left behind. You might also want to look into a bright boy, given how long your tracks have sat, because while the cleaner I use is great at getting dirt off the railheads it won't really touch actual corrosion. For that, an abrasive will be necessary.

> And what exactly are fish plates? It is mostly peco track.

Fishplates...rail joiners...fiddly little bastards that stab the fuck out of your fingers as you work on your track...they have many names, but they're all pretty cheap and it won't hurt to replace them. Make sure you grab a pair that have wires attached if you already have a pair like that, those'll need replacing too for the same reason.

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!

The three most popular scales in the US are N, HO, and O.

Basically N is small, HO is medium, and O is large size.

The best thing to do is see if there is a local store that specializes in trains. That way you can see the size differences and decide on what size you want to get.

To answer your questions:

1. Amazon for N or HO scale, ebay for anything, and modeltrainstuff.com for anything.
   
   
2. A good quality basic train set runs from $150ish to $450ish depending on scale.
   
   
3. If $300 is the absolute max I would recommend N or HO scale. An O scale set will set you back more like $400 if you want something of good quality.
   
   If you plan on getting a starter set these are my recommendations.
   
   N Scale- Kato
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Kato-USA-Model-Train-Products/dp/B005NMH1FM
   
   HO scale- Athearn
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Athearn-Iron-Horse-Train-BNSF/dp/B00LMJO7E8/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1415991149&sr=1-4&keywords=Athearn
   
   O scale - MTH
   
   http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/MTH-Rail-King-O-SD70ACe-Train-Set-p/mth-30-4231-1.htm

You definitely want to get a soldering station. So something that can control the temperature of the of the iron. The reason being is the ones that just plug into the wall usually fluctuate between extremely hot and very hot which can become if you’re trying to solder next to very delicate transistors on the pcb.


I know people say you can get away with the cheapest everything but that’s usually not the case at all and sometimes dangerous to your health.


Getting good solder, tip tinner, brass sponge, flux pen, and a fan with a carbon filter will do you great things.


The fan is extremely important when your desoldering as that will give off a tonne of chemicals.


This is what I personally have


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BSW69LI/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B074J6R1KQ/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001W2XZOS/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FZPGDLA/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NS4J6BY/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1


The soldering iron is overkill if you’re just using it for trains

Could you use Amazon. Im not a steam person so I dont know exactly what your looking for or what "cheap" is for you but I found some if you wanna check them out.

Bachmann Trains - Chattanooga Ready To Run 155 Piece Electric Train Set - HO Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000ISI1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IObkDbAAW8W6E

Bachmann Trains - Durango & Silverton Ready To Run Electric Train Set - HO Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NHEQWY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yPbkDb778QMPP

Bachmann Trains - Pacific Flyer Ready To Run Electric Train Set - HO Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001RG0LLE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uQbkDbMTKK635

Bachmann Trains - The General Ready To Run Electric Train Set - HO Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUA2RA8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pRbkDbBBZ0K1P

Bachmann Trains - Overland Limited Ready To Run Electric Train Set - HO Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006KQGF2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HTbkDbGYCDSFV

Okay, I've never tried this but I would recommend trying to use 1206 SMD LEDs, they're about 1/8x1/16 of an inch. The one I linked makes a red-orange when lit and runs about $10 for 100 LEDs. Since you need it to look like trailer lights I'd connect them with hard steel, like a paperclip bent/cut how you need it. 1206 is pretty big for SMD LEDs, but in case you can't solder it you can use electrically conductive adhesive. Just dip the end of the wire in there and get it to stick to the LED or apply with a toothpick.

This thing isn't cheap, but it's come in handy quite a few times working on locos and electronics. You solution wins major creativity points, though!

Thomas & Friends G-Scale to put around the Christmas tree. It's expensive, but hey....kids love watching them.

http://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Trains-Thomas-Clarabel-Ready/dp/B001RG0NAS


I bought my nephew the HO scale Bachmann Thomas & Friends set for his 3rd birthday. Everyone thought I was crazy going with HO scale, but he manages to run his set just fine.

I wouldn't mess around with any other brands until your son realizes that scale trains are delicate. The last thing you want is to plop 300 bucks down on an engine and have them play destruction derby with it.

I used 1/8" masking tape cut into fairly short bits and repeatedly overlaid them with tweezers until it formed a fairly swooping curve. There is a small ridge built into the model making it easy enough to follow. After it was all taped up I just ran my finger along the edge pushing whatever hung past the ridge back. Masking the whole rest of the model with the larger masking tape might have been overkill but I figured it was worth just being safe.

Edit: if you didn't see thelink I posted above too you can see what it looked like masked off.

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.

If you're looking for a more accurate model Bachmann offers an amazing model, the only downside is the face isn't as accurate as its Hornby counterpart.

If you're willing to spend some time modding the train, you can take the face off of a wooden Thomas and replace the one on the Bachmann.

Here is the one that I purchased, it's a great model and the track it comes with is really easy for kids to put together.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Trains-Village-Street-Ready/dp/B000EHH3HC

Kitbash for your pleasure.

If you're ok with On30 (That's O scale narrow gauge, running on HO gauge track), Bachmann has a trolley set almost identical to that, but specifically Christmas themed:

http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=487_672&products_id=5213

I highly recommend shopping around. For whatever reason, Bachmann's equipment tends to retail for lower prices than listed on their site. I often see companies selling their equipment at as much as 50% lower without calling it a sale.

For example, here's Amazon with prices ranging from 100-150:

http://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Trains-Village-Street-Ready-/dp/B000EHH3HC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413225292&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Bachmann+Christmas+Streetcar+Set

Bachmann make a trolley that goes back and forth along HO gauge track. The trolley is On30 scale though not HO but it has the auto reversing feature you want and takes up a similar amount of space.

Here it is on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EHH3HC?pc_redir=1405363191&robot_redir=1