Technorati Tags: Adding, chips, Computer, Decoders, Model, trains

Even though it requires more work, there are several reasons for building your own wooden train structures.

First, many hobbyists get a great deal of pleasure from the task of building wooden train structures themselves. Hobbyists have even more fun with it by participating in achievement programs and contests. For anyone participating in contests or the achievement program (or even for your Master Builders Structures Certificate) there are various guidelines that must be followed.

Second, hobbyists might not be able to get what they want from pre-packaged kits, leaving them with little choice but to build it themselves.

After making the decision to build custom wooden structures, it is time to get started. The first step is to gather the tools you will need. If you can put a craftsman kit together, this task should be simple. Most of the tools you will probably already have in your possession, items such as a scale ruler, single edge razor blades, Xacto knife (or similar), and a smallish square. Those are the absolute basics, though in the interests of making life easy for yourself it would also be a good idea to go out and invest in such items as a miter box, saw, a steel plate (preferably with a square grid) small biggies filled with side weights (for the purposes of having adjustable weights), aluminum side rails with extra magnets, little clamps, a chopper, a sander and smaller items such as pins, pencils, scissors and glass plates.

After getting the tools, the next step is to draw up (to scale) a plan for the structure. Once you have that, the wood raw materials need to be gathered. Stripwood is a good choice. Commercially available siding is acceptable as a cover.

Prior to starting the assembly comes staining or treating the wood if desired. Variations in the wood can give structures a more realistic appearance. If you want these variations, it will need to be pre-stained prior to assembly.

The final step is assembling the structure. If you want to decorate and see the interior (which is a must if the building will be in the foreground), you must be sure to make the roof removable (cover trusses with boards, then shingle; rafting and cross bracing are recommended to give it both stability and strength). Nail-holes are absolutely essential for clapboard siding. This can be achieved with straight pins for smaller structures or larger pins requiring a pounce wheel. All subassemblies should be assembled prior to attempting to connect them to the building (if you are planning to paint the building, don’t put the subassemblies on until this is done). Use clear plastic or glass for windows.

Once the wooden train structures are completed, they are sure to take your train set to the next level. They will last a lifetime and will work great with Lionel trains or any other brand you select.

Technorati Tags: Adding, Guide, Lionel, Structures, Train, trains, Wooden

It’s the passion and desire for perfection that draws people to building and adding their own wood structures versus incorporating a pre-fabricated kit. There’s a sense of pride in knowing the tiniest details were carefully and painstakingly created by the owner. Whether you’re a seasoned train collector or are just discovering this satisfying pastime, keep reading for a few tips for successfully adding wood structures for your metal or wooden train.

Your first task is to define the project. In your mind, what does the finished project look like? Like the idea of tunnels for your train to travel through? Making your scenery interactive with the working train isn’t as difficult as you might think. You want it to blend seamlessly with the train and the tracks. Other ideas include greenery, mountains and of course, buildings.
Two options to consider include pre-fabricated kits that allow you to build your wooden structures with relative ease using the pre-cut pieces, or as many prefer, you can tackle the project “from scratch”. This method is a bit more time-consuming, but the pride of having finished a project such as this is indescribable.  

If you are considering the “from scratch” option, here are a few basic tools and materials that will help you get started:
•    Crafting knife – also referred to as a hobby knife
•    Exacto knife and blades – we suggest varying angles and curves for your blades which can be found in any hobby or craft store
•    Pencils with erasers
•    Ruler or a traditional tee square
•    Carpenter’s glue
•    Wood strips
•    Durable cardboard or press board to create templates

Remember, if you decide to build your wood structures, you’ll need to first create templates from which to cut the sheets of wood from. Using your template, carefully trace it onto your strip wood. Don’t forget windows and doors if they’re part of your plan. From there, you’ll be able to cut your wood verbatim to your template. One advantage of creating templates is the fact they’re re-useable. Using your wood or carpenter’s glue, secure the panels together to form your buildings. If you creating several buildings with the intent of using them as miniature homes, churches or other buildings, you’ll naturally want them to vary in height and width.

Once your glue has dried, tiny nails gently driven into the seams will serve as additional strength to the structures. Sandpaper smoothes out the rough edges and provides a better foundation for any paint or stains you intend to apply.

It should be noted many avid toy train collectors build their models with roof structures that can be removed to decorate the inner walls. It’s not uncommon to see houses with fireplaces drawn and chimneys extending from the wooden structures.  Again, this is your vision, your metal or wooden train and your project. Be as creative as you wish.

Your trains toys and wooden designs very well can become a part of your legacy as it’s passed down to children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Technorati Tags: Adding, Guide, Metal, Structures, Toys, Train, Wood, Wooden

Something to remember is that the more intricate your layout, the more turns and other pieces, the more places you will need to add power, since those rail joints cause some resistance and the train will tend to slow down as it gets further away from the feeder wires coming from the original power source.

When adding power, always remember the “right-hand rule”. What this means is that, looking from the direction of the power pack, when you push the direction switch to the right, the engine will travel the track counterclockwise.

This rule is important to remember, so that you when you add any additional feeders, you wire them just the same, otherwise it will short-circuit. When following the right-hand rule, the outside rail is positive and the inside negative. Two rail model locos all operate on Direct Current (DC).

The best way to keep track of your wires so that positive and negatives match up is to use color-coded wire. Doorbell wire works well. It normally comes in small coils of 25 to 50 feet and #18 gauge, meaning it can handle the normal draw for a model railroad – telephone wire is too small a gauge, stick with doorbell wire. The insulating jacket on doorbell wire is red or white. You can use the red wire for positive and the white for negative. Then you just have to remember red for the outside rail, white for the inside rail. Remember, the rails are just extensions of the power pack wires, and provide the electricity to the engine.

Next, you will need to connect the wires to the rails in your layout. The best way is to solder on the feeder wire to the outside rail, but since this is your first layout and that can get complicated, it’s probably a good idea to just use a rail joiner purchased from a hobby shop, or at least solder them to a rail joiner if you already have soldering equipment. Soldering to the joiner yourself has the advantage that you can keep the color-coding purchased rail joiners have the same color wire on both sides.

With multiple feeder wires connected to your track to give that power boost so the train doesn’t slow down after getting further from the power pack, you may be tempted to double up the wires on the original terminals of the power pack. But the problem is the power pack vibrates, since it’s running on alternating current (AC). Some people have had problems such as wires coming off, etc. So the best plan is to go with an 8 terminal block and connect the wires to that instead of overloading the terminals in the power pack. You can buy one from a hobby shop or an electronics store – or even an auto parts store.

Now just strip back the insulation on each wire a little bit so you can wire the feeders from the power pack across to the new terminal block. Then, make a loop with the wiring from the first terminal screw of the positive half of the board to the second one and follow up with the negative on the negative side. After that, it’s simple to just connect the feeder wires from the track to the screws opposite the ones already used. And this way, each terminal screw will only have one wire on it. You’ll avoid the vibrations from the power pack and have a lot fewer problems with wires coming loose, etc.

For adding power to your first model railroad layout, that’s about all there is to it. Once you’ve completed this project, you can begin to think about expansions. Most enthusiasts don’t want to stop with their first Lionel train set, but go on to build expansions, which get into some interesting scenarios with adding feeder wires for switches and other more advanced connections.

Technorati Tags: Adding, Lionel, Model, Power, Railroad, Train

The goal for all terrain, tunnels, and landscaping is to achieve a realistic looking design which has the same scale and perspective as your model trains toys. Beyond that, the scenery should complement the look and the era of your train. Within these few parameters, you are only limited by your own imagination and ideas so have some fun.

The first step for trains toys scenery is to give some thought to what you want to achieve. This can be challenging to do on your own, so it is recommended to start looking at photos and layouts of other train hobbyists to help give you ideas. If you happen to live in an area where a train show is coming up, that would be ideal. However, a far easier solution is to go online and start surfing the web.

After you have formed a plan for your scenery, you need to translate the plan into materials and components required to implement that plan. The good news is many of the elements you will need are available to you at no cost because they utilize everyday resources found around the house and even in the yard. You can always supplement your scenery with store bought landscaping and structural components, or you can just buy the raw materials to build your own structures. To help you complete your materials list, the following provides you with some basic information about some of the most popular scenery elements, which include mountains, waterfalls, tunnels and landscaping.

Mountains – An inexpensive method of forming mountains and valleys is to form them with chicken wire, coat it with wet, plaster coated strips of gauze from bottom to top, overlapping. Once dry, it can be painted accordingly. Cliffs and rock walls can be made by wadding up newspaper and holding it down with masking tape; then the same wet strips of plaster covered gauze are put over it, from bottom to top, overlapping. Again, once dry the rocks or cliffs can be painted.

Waterfalls – These are made with sheets of stiff plastic that must be clear, although they can be colored in realistic amounts and colors. The plastic strips must be sealed by an acrylic, high-gloss gel. That same gel is used to coat the rocks along the sides, top, or bottom of the falls. The gloss must be blended together.

Tunnels – One of the most popular components for scenery is tunnels. Tunnels are just plain fun to have in your layout. The easiest way to build a tunnel portal is to cut it from a 1/2 inch thick sheet of beaded Styrofoam, the kind often used as packing material. Cut it in the shape of the opening, always keeping in mind the fact that your train must be able to pass through without touching anything but the rails. Washes are used to paint the Styrofoam, and dark stains can be added to give the appearance of soot. Styrofoam sheets can be used to build the body of the tunnel. Dark construction paper is glued to the inside that is visible.

Landscaping – Trees can be formed from pine cones that have been shucked, until only the core remains. The core is then dipped into thinned glue then dipped into a mixture of dark green turf and Styrofoam. Twigs from your backyard can also be used, if there are enough small branches to pass as a tree. Artificial turf can be used as grass, and extras such as people, signs, and telephone pole can be purchased from many suppliers.

Adding your own creative scenery to scale model trains is a fulfilling way to spend your time and it opens up a miniature world of creative expression and beauty. What began as a set of trains toys can develop into a true work of art.

Technorati Tags: Adding, Model, scale, Scenary, Toys, trains

Winter ground cover generally includes a facsimile of snow. Snow can be created by using virtually any white powder, such as baking soda, flour, dry plaster, or even white marble dust. Sprinkle your white powder around your train set, then mist it with a 1:1 mixture of white glue and water, with a drop or two of dish soap to allow the mixture to flow.

Spring or summer ground covers include grass facsimiles, which are created using ground foam and the same water/glue mixture described above. Ground foam is available from retail stores in various colors, but it can get quite expensive, particularly for detailed train sets.

Luckily, ground foam can be made using ordinary chair padding and acrylic or craft paint (available at any craft store), and an old blender. The chair padding should be cut into small cubes (about 1” around). The blender should be loosely filled with the cubes and turned onto a low speed. You may need to use an old dowel to push the cubes down into the blades. You may also need to add a small amount of water to “lubricate” the blades. When the foam has reached a sufficiently fine state, you can turn the blender onto a higher speed and add a small amount of paint to the mixture. Let the paint mix with the foam for several minutes. If there seems to be too much paint, add a few more foam cubes and allow those to be chopped and blended into the mixture. When you are satisfied with the mixture, spread it out on a sheet of cardboard or heavy paper and allow it to dry overnight.

Fall ground cover is a much duller color than spring ground cover. Browns can be mixed into the ground cover using sand or dirt, or by using the methods described above to create foam with a dull brown paint color.

Creating trees, bushes, and rocks will be an adventure limited only by your imagination. Many companies sell premade trees or tree kits for train sets, but often you can create your own trees using supplies that you already have. Trees can begin with twigs that you find in your own yard, with balsa wood, wire, twine, or any number of supplies. Bushes can be made from lichen, which can be purchased in small bags in craft stores. You can also use a sponge, cut to size and painted a realistic color.

For large rocks, use rubber molds with plaster. You can glue together several molds and fill in the gaps with small amounts of plaster to create cliffs, canyons, and other large rocks. Paint the plaster a brown-gray color with watercolors or acrylic paint. For small rocks, you can use an ordinary piece of gravel or any other small stone.

Finally, there are many ways to add water to your train set. One of the easiest ways is with epoxy resin- tiny cubes that are melted and poured into place, then dry clear. You can add a drop or two of acrylic paint to simulate muddy water if you like. However, don’t be afraid to experiment with other supplies to create a variety of effects for your train set! These ground cover techniques will work just as well for any brand just the same as they will for a Lionel train set.

Technorati Tags: Adding, Cover, Ground, Guide, Layouts, Train