Hobbies Trains

Do you think it would be a good idea to bring the joy and challenge of Radio Controlled Cars and exhibits to kids in hospitals and special needs camps? So does Art Roper.  He has set up a non-profit organization to gather funding for such a project and has qualified with the Pepsi Refresh Project.  If he receives enough votes, he will receive funding for this project.

To learn more about this or for the link to vote for this project, (CLICK HERE).

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – This annual event organized by the Mainline Model Railroaders Fellowship, an umbrella group for the Edmonton region’s many train clubs, gives modellers a chance to show off their collections and learn new tricks about how to make and run tiny trains.  (Click Here) for more info.

Mentor, Ohio – The Western Reserve Model Railroad Museum has lost much of its funding and is appealing to the general public for donations to keep its 18,000 square foot facility open.

The museum is the largest of its kind in the world. It features 26 different scales of trains. The smallest train will fit in the palm of your hand. The largest is available for children to ride in.
For more information (CLICK HERE)

Though it will not be officially verified by officials of the Guinness World Record Board for a few months yet, model railroaders have built a model railroad train that measured over 925 feet and ran under its own power for over 750 feet.  This beats the record held by Miniatur Wunderland of Hamberg, Germany with a train measuring over 892 feet that traveled 630 feet.

Railroads or their predecessors have been around for hundreds of years. Click on the train picture for fun facts for kids about railroads.

This is quite spectacular! It shows you what you can do if you are really dedicated to Model Railroading.

Twin brothers in Germany, Frederick and Gerrit Braun, 41, began work on the ‘Miniature Wunderland’ in 2000.  This train set covers 12,380 square feet and models multiple  geographic regions including America, Switzerland, Scandinavia and the Austrian Alps.  The American landscape includes models of the Rocky Mountains, the Everglades, the Grand Canyon and even Mount Rushmore.  Talk about a world tour on a table top.  The Swiss area has a mini-Matterhorn and the Scandinavian area includes a 4 foot long passenger ship floating in a “fjord.”

The entire layout is expected to be completed in 2014 and will include models of areas in France, Italy and the UK.

There are more than 700 trains with 10,000 carriages and wagons.  The longest train is 46 ft long.  The scenery includes 900 signals, 2,800 buildings and 4,000 cars.  It even has over 160,000 individually designed figures.

There are over 250,000 lights in the system and the whole layout is tied to a control system that mimics night and day.

As you might imagine the entire system is controlled from a massive high tech nerve center which reminds ones of a real life railroad control room but this controls more things than just the railroad.

Each hobby has its own unique tool needs. Today I’ll share with you several tools to make your hobby projects more enjoyable.

A Track Cutter for Model Railroaders

First is one that is a must have for those who find building model railroad layouts a great and relaxing pastime. As with a real railroad, the track which the trains run on is a critically important component. So the model railroader needs a track cutter that is effortless to use and delivers a precise cut each and every time. Xuron’s 2175M Track Cutter does both.

A Bead Stringer’s Tool Kit

If your hobby includes stringing beads together, Xuron also has a tool kit suitable for you. The TK2400 Bead Stringer’s Tool Kit features three tools that are essential for stringing jewelry beads on to flexible stranded bead wire, cord, monofilament and thread. Packaged in a handy canvas pouch with pockets, these ergonomic tools have soft Xuro-Rubber™ hand grips and a Light-Touch™ return spring for cutting, holding, forming and looping tasks.

The tools in Xuron’s TK2400 Bead Stringer’s Tool Kit include the Model 410 Micro-Shear® Flush Cutter for soft wire up to 18 AWG, flexible stranded bead wire, craft wire, cord & monofilament; the Model 450 Tweezernose™ Pliers for bending and forming and holding jump rings, split rings and small beads; and Model 488 Round Nose Pliers for looping and forming wire.

Tools for Cutting Carbon Fiber

If you’re into building RC projects, you’re probably aware that some of the composite materials being used today are lighter and stronger than previously used materials, and that this creates some some challenges when cutting and shaping them. Carbon fiber, for example, is lightweight and very strong, yet is difficult to cut with conventional tools. Not anymore; Xuron answers the challenge with tools for cutting carbon fiber materials.

Their model 9180 Scissor is for cutting strip between .019” and .034” thick and the Model 2193 Shear will cut rod from .20”-.80” diameter and .060” ID tube. These tools create a square cut on strip and rod, but it is recommended users insert a properly sized wire inside the tube before cutting to prevent the thin walls from crushing.

Featuring one serrated edge, the Xuron Model 9180 grips the carbon material for faster and easier cutting. Xuron’s Model 2193 is a full by-pass shear designed specifically for cutting hard materials. Standard features for both tools include ergonomic handles, cushioned Xuro-Rubber™ grips, return springs and precision ground high carbon steel blades.

The right tool for the job makes the project more enjoyable. Visit your local hobby shop for these and other specialized hobby tools from Xuron today.

HO Scale Trains refers to the size and scale of model train that is the most popular in most of the world. The scale used is 3.5 mm to one foot or one to eighty-seven. The name comes from the fact that the scale is half that of 0 scale which in turn comes from the day when there were 0, 1, 2, and 3 scale model trains. HO scale trains have all but replaced these older scales.

HO scale trains run on a small scale railroad track powered by electricity. On most sets, the power is controlled through the use of a transformer, so that applying more or less electricity controls the speed of the train, and reversing the polarity of the current changes directions. On larger, more complicated HO scale train setups, there may be multiple power supplies which control different blocks of the track.

People can control the layout and complexity of the track used by HO scale trains by putting together the pieces of tracks, which usually snap together, in straight and curved pieces, along with intersections and switched forks. These tracks can create a simple oval table top layout, to massive, complicated designs which can fill a room. It is also traditional to decorate the scenery around the track with scale buildings, scenery, and other model pieces to create the look of a real railroad track.

HO scale trains are a great hobby for kids and adults alike, and can spark an interest that lasts a lifetime.

Related Posts: Getting Started in Model Railroading

Photo Credit: James_Buck on flickr

On street trackage for model train layouts, sharp curves, embedded rail and turnouts, not to mention vehicular traffic, are all construction, maintenance and/or operational challenges. That’s why many lines decided to build track on a center median or side-of-the-road easement.

While electric interurban lines built many of these, mainline railroads built plenty too, or took over track from interurbans. Modeling them is as easy as building your street parallel and very close to the track. Ten scale feet between the road’s edge and the track centerline is typical. If your street is in a village or city, add a curb along the edge of your road surface using a scale 6 x 6″ styrene strip painted a concrete color. If the track is between two lanes of traffic, make sure to add appropriate grade crossings and signs where streets cross. Rural lines seldom have curbs. Instead they have a strip of tall grass or a small weedy drainage ditch—easily modeled using appropriate ground cover.

This tip provided courtesy of Walthers

Ten dollars doesn’t buy you much these days, but it will get you into one of the most rewarding exhibitions you will ever see. Trainfest 2008 turned out avid model railroaders from every age group, and every size model train layout. The blogging is still going on! If you’ve never heard of Trainfest, let me “clue you in!” There’s quite a bit to know for next year.

So Many Model Train Layouts

Every model train layout intricately portrays almost every scene you can think of. This wonderland of imagination takes you back in time to drive in theaters and logging displays, completely detailing every scene. You can watch a model train set rumble through the mountains and mining communities, or turn another direction and watch a complete cityscape or rural pumpkin grove, displayed with little-bitty people!

Trainfest has been held every year since 1971 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This weekend event started out in a little VFW hall, and has grown to accommodate upwards of 20,000 people at the Wisconsin Exposition Center. This past November 8 & 9 was the 37th Annual Trainfest Exhibition, featuring every imaginable model train scale and model train layout on display for the whole family. That’s right, the whole family can afford to go when 14 and under get in free with an adult!

All Train Scales Represented

Besides the magical, miniature life brought to animation in everything from Z to G scale, it’s fascinating to me how modelers of all ages demonstrate the “crafting” side to the displays. They were on hand to show you how to make trees, watering holes, Styrofoam scenery, and so much more.

You can purchase a model train set right there, when your inspiration grabs you! Every vendor having anything to do with model train scale turns out for this event. All the realistic audio equipment is there, layout kits, building designs; all the latest technology. Over 50 hobby dealers, hobby clubs, and organizations, and over 60 manufacturers are available for presentations and information. Yeah, you don’t want to miss this next year.

It doesn’t matter what stage of the game you’re in. If you are just becoming enamored with this educational hobby, or if you are a long time enthusiast out to build a better mousetrap, take the family for an awe-inspiring journey into fantasyland and don’t miss Trainfest 2009!