Model railroad layouts plans

John’s been in touch with a very helpful piece on model train coach lighting:

“Dear Al,

Thank you for all you do for the most amazing hobby and for all the tips and advice given.

Below is a short tip that some might find helpful.

Wheel Contacts for coach lighting

I have loads of carriages and wheel sets where both wheels are insulated from the axel. So as not to have to replace all the wheel sets, I have tried various options for picking up current for coach lighting I have tried contacts on the wheel rim – too much drag; I have tried electric paint between the axle and wheel rim but that does not last; I have looked on the internet but not found anything that is really helpful.

So, my solution may be of use to some out there:

The wheel sets have a small rubber bush fitted to each wheel that insulates it from the axle. Using a drill press, I drill a small hole in one bush on each axle. The drill size needs to be small (0.5-0.75mm) so as to drill against the axel through the rubber bush and through the wheel.

Insert a piece of copper wire extracted from an electrical cable – it needs to be a tight fit (wiggle it round and back and forth, until it goes through).

Trim it off leaving about 0.5mm protruding each side. Using a par of pliers on each end of the piece of wire and crimp the wire to ensure a really tight fit.

Check the gauge of the wheels as they sometimes do move on the axle during the work. The small piece of copper wire cannot be seen behind the axle box and you have good contact.

I have successfully installed lighting in fifteen carriages.

Best Wishes

John”

A big thanks to John for sharing his model train coach lighting tips.

Now on to Bob:

“Hi Al,

I was moving the tructrain out of my way the other day and it looked so good when I was running it that I decided to take some pics of it.

So here it is running on track 2 over the lift bridge passing through part of the town toward two crossings; and past the ice cream stand I had previously posted.

The PRR style signal bridge does not give accurate indications. I configured it to show stop when the bridges raise.

I activated the raised bridge circuit to make the signal look better in the pics.

The left hand signal on the bridge is actually showing a turnout position for track 1 on the other end of the bridge.

The green light signal is showing another turnout on track 2. My son who is an engineer had some angst about that one!

I used a different configuration on the other end of the bridge for the bridge up signal.

There is a lift bridge in the Newark, NJ area that I passed at times during my commute. I always wanted to get a picture; but a main truck route runs right next to the bridge. Just before the bridge is a smash board that drops when the bridge is raising.

I always wanted to model that, and thought about using an HO crossing gate; but then decided to use a Lionel Banjo signal, as seen in a still shot.

All the single mast signals also are turnout indicators. Many of the turnouts are crossovers so the signals help me stay out of trouble.

I wired the turnouts to throw together so the dual signal changes as well. The red roofed station platform is at least 70 years old. I added a close up still shot. It’s made out of wood with a metal mesh on it. I don’t know if my Dad made it or picked it up somewhere. It looks like it’s closer to Standard gauge, but it’s a keeper.

The Girard station is tin and was made by Marx. It is also up there in years as it was on my original layout as a boy. As you can see the layout isn’t quite finished to say the least; although I got quite a bit done these last few months.

Keep all the great information coming!

Regards,

Bob in Colts Neck Crossing, NJ”

And now on to Hall of Fame member, Rob.

Embarrasssingly, he sent me this ages ago, and it got buried in my inbox.

It’s a wonderful vid on how he takes his fab videos. Have a look:

Whenever Rob gets in touch, I always think of his scratch built crane.

That’s all for today folks.

But please do keep ’em coming: it’s getting very thin on the ground here, and I don’t want to have to feed you on a diet of reposts.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to stop dreaming and start doing.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

John’s been in touch with his HO scale turnout switches, and how he tested them:

“Al, I want to share with you a test project I just completed to insure it would work as planned.

I have two turnouts on my yet to be finished HO layout. I decided to use manual Caboose throw switches. Boy they look so much bigger on the Internet. The two turnouts must coincide with each other. I was concerned at a distance how would I know if the two turnouts were in sink with each other.

I watch westerns on TV where the train man comes out to the track and moves the switch handle for the on coming train and then he goes back to where ever he was. I always wondering how did they know if the track was set correctly for the next train, without going out and looking at the switch. I devised a system using LED lights, a push-on push-off switch and a 12 volt automotive Relay.

I made a cabinet to house the push button switch that I hope looks like it belongs next to a train track. This cabinet in two parts, the bottom has the push button switch and the top slides over the bottom with an aspirin like button in the under side of the top which makes contract with the push button switch.

A 12 volt adapter provides juice to a particular terminal (#30)of the Relay and comes out of another terminal (#87a) which in my case goes to a “green” LED light beside the turnout indicating that the turnout is in the straight position.12 volts is also going to the push button switch and when the switch is activated it sends juice to terminal (#86).

When terminal #86 receives juice , terminal #30 is no longer connected to #87a (tuning off the “green” LED light) but instead it’s now connected to terminal #87 which in my case turns on the “red” LED light..The concept is that if I see a “green” light at one turnout and a “red” at the other I need to change one of them.

I hope the pictures below of my HO scale turnout switches will make this a little more clearer.

The first picture is the test project using a 9 volt battery. On the left top corner is the second switch cabinet. The top is upside down to show the aspirin like button that touches the push button switch, You have to assume I have thrown the Caboose throw to move the turnout to the straight position and pushed down the cabinet to turn the “green” LED light on.

The second picture shows me changing the position of the Caboose throw to change the turnout to the curved position.

The third picture I am pushing down the cabinet to change the light to “red”. I plan to have these LED .

John”

A big thanks to John – his last post is at the bottom of this one.

“Hi Al, this is a 9’2”x11’ stand alone room we were using for storage now turned into a train room.

I inherited four large boxes of HO scale trains consisting of twenty engines and numerous chars of all kinds. This has been a winter project that I will pick up again this coming winter.

We get lots of snow then so nothing else to do. I’m seventy years old now so it’s down to doing this.

The lift out section is 48 inches by 16 inches and locks in place with dowels on each side as shown. I’m almost done with preliminary track layout. Will send picks of that later. Thank you for a wonderful web site for all of us to view and get ideas.

Gerald in Northern California.”

A big thanks to Gerald and John.

It’s still wonderful after all these years to see what you’re all getting up to.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if today is the day you get started on your layout.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

Ben’s been in touch with his model train diorama – what a great use of ‘spare parts’.

“Hi Al!

I had an old crusty locomotive and I didn’t know what to do with it. So I came up with an idea for a train diorama.

I weathered it a little although nature already did some of its own.

I bought the base at a hobby store. I printed out scenery for the background.

Thought I would share it with you and your subscribers. I call it “The End of the Line”. The title made sense since it’s an abandoned locomotive.

I really enjoy your emails!

Ben from Southern California”

Ben’s Diorama reminds me of Peter’s: N scale train diorama.

“Hi Al,

I have enjoyed seeing others layouts from your emails for years. I have just complete my two level O-scale layout taking about 3 years on and off.

My layout is not a single place and time but more so a collection of memories or places/buildings I really liked.

Over the past three 3 years I have acquired road names engines and rolling stock the ran through Saint Louis, Missouri USA.

Thanks,

Jim”

“Hi Al,

Thank you to all your readers and to you for sharing good ideas.

I saw your recent post from Roberto with recycled tracks rails as a cargo for his wagons. Attached are some photos of my use for the spare sleepers. I made coal bunkers with the redundant sleepers and coal from the foam that protected my last computer. Coal in the trucks is random lumps off the sole of old flip-flops (thongs in Australia)

Best wishes to you and all your readers

Andrew

Andrew”

A big thanks to Ben, Jim and Andrew.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming it’s getting a bit thin on the ground this end again.

Lastly, if today’s posts have got your creative juices flowing, don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.