An Introduction To Kitbashing

February 8, 2007

Kitbashing is the word given to the art of taking an existing manufacturers kit and using the parts in whole or in part to create your own unique item. Most commonly used to create structures and prototype buildings it can refer to any action that uses pieces from any pre-existing kit however.
Many times the term [...]

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The Lion’s Line – A Brief History Of Lionel Trains

January 20, 2007

The advent of World War I helped many manufacturers of products that had been monopolized by European companies including the model train market, which at that time were primarily tinplate models.
The founder of Lionel Trains was Joshua Lionel Cowen. Born in 1877 Joshua lived until 1965, seeing his childhood fascination of trains and railroads [...]

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The First Spike: Building A Model Railroad

January 6, 2007

As with most hobbies once you’re into it and have learned a little you look back and say ‘man, if only I had known then what I know now’ … this common regret is something that beginners often experience without realizing that the journey to the point where they are now is what those early [...]

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Great Source For Railroad Scenery

December 8, 2006

I don’t get nearly as much time to spend on my train layout as I would like, but it’s partly my own fault. I often get caught up in surfing the internet, looking at interesting new products or trying to find pictures of people’s layouts for ideas that I can use.
I suppose I would be [...]

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5 Accessories To Add Realism to Your Layout

November 20, 2006

What’s apple pie without vanilla ice cream? Espresso without foam? Model trains without tunnels and landscaping? Since the inception of prototyping (the creation of scale models of actual trains) there have been a few ‘must have’ accessories that every working train system seems to have or wants to have. We’re not [...]

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DCC vs Analog Control

October 30, 2006

The two methods of controlling model train engines and systems are Analog, which only permits one series of trains or systems at any one given time to be controlled, and Digital (DCC) which allows for several different units to be controlled separately by the same controller.
DCC stands for “Digital Command Control” which utilizes ‘command codes’ [...]

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Staying On Track – Avoiding Derailments

October 11, 2006

One of the more annoying but common frustrations that model railroaders have to put up with is train derailments. It is common to have to troubleshoot layout issues during design and construction and the occasional derailment due to excessive speed or external causes such as wind, vibration or changes in car placement or order [...]

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A Bit of Model Railroading History

October 2, 2006

Model railroading has been around in one form or another almost since the invention of the train itself in the mid 1800’s but has been a recognized hobby with dedicated clubs since the early 1900’s. One club for instance, the East Bay Model Engineers Society was founded in 1933 and is a featured [...]

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Combining Model Railroading With Other Hobbies

September 25, 2006

It’s easy to get wrapped up in your model railroad and basically put on blinders to other hobbies – I know I’m guilty of this. I usually think something along the lines of “I don’t have enough time for my railroad, how can I possibly consider a new hobby?”
Well, every once in a while something [...]

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Building Model Railroad Scenery With Household Items – Part 1

September 6, 2006

Model railroads are more then just the trains, tracks and power supplies. They provide the enthusiast a way to study and recreate entire worlds and towns in miniature. Fulfilling this requires a variety of modeling skills and techniques or a large pocket book to purchase ready-made scale models and supplies, but many enthusiasts prefer [...]

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