Remote Turnouts
April 7, 2013 Its time for another model railroad update. Back in November, I decided to start anew and incorporate my model railroad into my office. At the time I realized that having a separate room for my trains didn’t fit well with me. I didn’t like the idea of one space being limited to one hobby. Having the trains in my office made it more fun and interesting. Anyway, since the initial... [Read more]
On the Right Track
November 30, 2012 One of the best things about keeping a journal is that it helps me keep track of what I’ve done and when I’ve done it…as long as I’m diligent enough to make regular posts. While writing this entry, I discovered that it’s been a year since I posted anything related to my model railroading hobby. So, here’s a recap of what I’ve done. Back... [Read more]
Model Railroad Update
November 15, 2011 There’s only so much time in the day, and my failure to post any entries during the month of November can be blamed on my model train layout. This month, I started laying down track. The process is similar to putting together a giant jig-saw puzzle. Everything has to fit just right or the trains will derail. I was able to join the two layouts together and do a couple of... [Read more]
I’ve Been Working On My Railroad
October 18, 2011 Building a model railroad can be a Zen-like experience. It requires more patience and planning than one might think. It can also be addictive. I’ve learned that once you’ve finished a layout, ya might have the urge to keep building. I like my current layout, but can only run one train on it at a time, and with all of its steep grades (inclines) I can’t run long... [Read more]
Ballast, Grass, and Water
May 1 – June 23, 2010 For the past two month, I’ve spent several evenings working on my model railroad. In the last update, I showed how Ruben and I painted the terrain. Since then, I completed the track installation and made several tweaks to insure the locomotives could make a smooth journey through the layout. The next step involved adding ballast to the tracks. I mixed various... [Read more]
Painting the Layout
April 7-23, 2010 I’ve spent about an hour or two each evening working on the model railroad layout. After we connected the three modules, Ruben and I added a layer of plaster to help blend the units together and provide a uniform, porous surface suitable for the earth-tone paints. The first step of the painting process involved leopard-spotting the surface with three different colors. After... [Read more]
Railroad Layout Modules Connected
April 6, 2010 You can find just about anything on Ebay. The model railroad layout I have been planning consists of three “Terrain for Trains” modules. I had two of them, but wasn’t having much luck obtaining the 3rd corner module until I tried Ebay. When the module arrived, it was already painted and had all of the required track attached. Unfortunately, the track wasn’t put on properly,... [Read more]
N-scale Camera Car
March 10, 2010 When an idea pops in your head, sometimes you just have to turn it into reality. That’s what happened to me when I read a tech-review of a little camera called a MD90. When I first spotted the camera, I thought it might be small enough to put on an n-scale flatcar. I acquired one of these cameras on eBay for $29, disassembled it, and then proceeded to reconfigure it on the top of... [Read more]
