Rob’s created this youtube on a Faller road – if you’ve ever wanted to get your cars and trucks moving on a layout too, here’s how:
“Hi Al,
A lot of people are curious about the Faller car system and I was too. Because of this, I decided to buy a Faller starter kit and see what all the fuss was about.
I have been thinking as I planned the unfinished side of my Farland layout, it would be grand to have some other movement besides the trains. A Faller road as it turns out is fairly easy to design and to test your road design they suggest you use adhesive tape to hold the wire down as a test of your road design.
In this video, I open the starter kit and show it’s contents, then I demonstrate a truck running on my layout. It took about 2 and a half days to lay the road and get ready for the first test. I was so shocked when I finally tested it that it ran around the wire I had taped down and ran very well. I was not sure if it would leave the wire and go wild across the layout, but it didn’t.
I have had a lot of interest in in the Faller road system and thought perhaps your readers would too.
Rob, Farland Howe”
The very latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
A huge thanks to Hall of Fame member, Rob. There is always a flurry of comments when I post a video with moving cars and trucks, so now you know: a Faller road.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
Hi,
The Faller system is great, but I had never seen your layout and I think it is absolutely fabulous. Great modelling! I Wish I could achieve this level of excellence. Just to nitpick a little about the (pricey) Faller system, the vehichles are all left-hand drive…. But I suppose some chassis could be adapted to take British outline bodies?
Cheers,
Raymond
Hi Al
I really liked the Video sent in by Rob, it looks really easy, its a great pity that the Faller system is not available in 1:43 scale (O gauge)
I like all of the modeling stories, keep up the great work of bringing them all under one roof.
Wow Rob if you can get a few of these vehicles running around your layout it’s just gunna make everything go to the next level of authenticity! Someone needs now to find a way of making people move!
Thanks for the video Rob and your layout is just fab!!!!
All the best. JohnE
Dear Santa,
The Faller system looks like something that could stand on its own as a really nice hobby without the railroad. That is for someone who doesn’t like trains…but who doesn’t?!! Cheers! NJ Mark
Very nice demo Bob! I enjoy ur Farland youtube videos also.
Faller has an advanced system for their HO offerings. They have a wireless command system for turning on lights, turn signals or flashing beacons. The NScale offering is simple and straight forward. Due to the motor & battery being in the vehicle you are stuck with box trucks/lorries buses and whatever you can make fit their little chassis. They even have a accessory that will detect a train, turn on the signals and stop your vehicle. Another one is a bus stop turn out and finally working traffic lights that stop the vehicles. I plan on getting one when I win the lottery because the vehicles are almost $200 ea, but that is most of the initial $. The accessories run in the $150 range + Tomix has a similar one – don’t know if they are compatible.
Great job. I didn’t know what to expect. NOW , I understand.
Thanks so much for your demo. You have ca GREAT layout as well.
Enjoy your HOBBY. Bill
Wow that was a great Vid I really appreciate you sharing with us seems really simple I wonder if there are more complicated ones as I’ve seen some stop and go by them selfs
thanks your l; layout looks really good
all the best Paul
Thank you for the wonderful show, Rob.
Awesome layout and I like the idea of the DHL truck. Can’t wait to see your layout as it progresses…………………………………………………………
People moving would be great. Especially on waiting platform. Have the crowd on the platform when the train arrives then board. Mover could be like pulling them under the platform and when the train leaves, their gone., etc.
YEEEEOWWW…..!!!!!!
no doubt about it…..
I gotta get me one of these…..!!!!!!!!
Well. I like. Truly adds more realism to an already great and entertaining layout.
Jlm AZ
Good video and nice layout, however a little information on what tool is needed to cut the slot for the wire and how to make the wire stay in the slot. Maybe in your next video ?
We have 3 Faller roads at the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. Each is at least 50′ long. They were set up so multiple vehicles can run on each road with Tortoises used to control directions and stopping and starting with a Win 7 PC using Visual Basic and a Arduino to control the tortoises.
After some 10 years of running our fleet is worn out and each day I wonder what will go wrong. We are gradually getting new vehicles, we have the DHL shown in the video.
My biggest complaint is the battery power and how they are connected. First why don’t they use normal batteries, our newest car does use AAA batteries which lasts about 5 times longer (so far 4 – 8 hour cessions) than the batteries they have been using (8 hours on new 2-4 on old units). Also the batteries they use are soldered in.
Some cars come as non functional, we have three 4 that came that way. As a result we switched vendors to one in Canada that seems to stock vehicles.
We have even kit bashed a few log trucks.
The Faller cars are quite popular with the museum visitors.
Great video, thanks for posting!
That is so good to see I have heard of the system never seen it until now. thanks for sharing.
where can I get a set from? great layout and system Rob…..Bill
Was the Click-Clack of the wheels going over the switches actual or a recording. It was faint, but easily heard towards the end of the video.
I like the wire guide for vehicles. Someday, they’ll have that for real vehicles….
Can you tell me if the car(s) and set up come in O scale? Everything I have found does not show O scale. My layout is O scale and I would love to add movable
car(s) to my layout. Thanks for any and all help you can give me.
Hi All
Great to see some Faller on line i have been working with it for about 2 years and have 10 lorries and cars + i fire engine with DCC lights and sirens The tool to make the groove on road is called GROOVE CUTTER AND IS ITEM NO 161669 I may be able to answer any questions you have It gets great looks at show people now want to see everything moving
Unbelievable!
Rob is certainly a craftsman. That is just beautiful.
Peter
Why not use a Dremel with a router attachment to cut slots?