Your favorite handy tip here...

[FJ and G]

OK, here's a tip for beginners wondering about track plans.

Get a mess of track and lay it on the floor in different patterns until you are satisfied. Check for derailments too while at it and do backing movements thru switches with long trains.

 Also, walk around the layout (assuming you're putting it on the floor in the room you intend it to be (to check for reach across access and clearance of fat people)

After 100% satisfied, you can installyour benchwork.

 

Ive never before seen this tip but I bet it'll save you a bunch of hassles 

[RR Redneck]

One of my favorite handy tips is that I use duct tape for roads.

[FJ and G]

Sulafool beat me to the punch. The lower photo is the best crossover as it eliminates the S curve.

[Jumijo]

 

This one is for increasing the smoke output of steamers.

A while back, our starter set loco showed a significant decline in smoke output, even though I regularly cleaned the tracks, rollers and drive wheels with alcohol. But one day I noticed that the drivers still looked more dirty than clean, so I scrubbed them with a Scotchbrite pad dipped in alcohol. The drivers shined beautifully. When I put the train on the tracks and ran it, it smoked up a storm. So I tried it on some post war steamers. Same results.

I'm not saying this is going to be a cure all for poor smokers, but it worked for some of mine. 

[bfskinner]

It can be quite difficult to order parts for old trains if you don't know the part numbers.

For postwar Lionel, you can find "exploded" diagrams (complete with part numbers) online in the "Library" at the website below. (See the blue box at the bottom of the home page.) There is also some info for prewar items, lamps (bulbs), paints, reference and repair books, American Flyer, and a whole lot more.

    http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/

For more modern Lionel products try the pictorial diagrams, parts lists and owner's manuals under Customer Service at:

     http://www.lionel.com/

Both of these resources also sell parts.

 

[jimhaleyscomet]

Here are some great soldering tips.

Re: Soldering Tips and Tricks..this deserved its own post.

Here are some other great threads.

Re: Five Bad Layout Ideas

And one more tip.  Check out the FAQ section below for ton's of ideas! 

How To / FAQ / Newbie Index

 

Jim H

 

[sulafool]

That's a great way to do it, and I bet you'd have fewer derailments than the other way as well--not as severe a transition.

BTW, I always was bothered by the old Lionel track plans that seemed to show a grossly disproportionate number of one switch over the other, e.g.  9 LH switches and 2 RH switches. Didn't (don't) most people buy switches in pairs?  

[USNRol]

Kurt,
Couldn't tell ya...as always, it'd depend on the loco in question.

Roland

 

[kpolak]

Good Tip!

Roland, do you have a minimum radius turnout that will permit safe passing btween the two lines?  I believe someone said 2-1/2" is a safe dimension between tracks to keep overhanging loco from colliding.  Do you know which radius turnout will achieve that?

Thanks, 

Kurt

[USNRol]

I don't claim to be the first person to realize what I discovered recently while playing with train track but I thought I'd post it here and see if anyone else could find it useful.

I've always been frustrated by the fact that while switches are mostly acquired in pairs (one Left, one Right) it takes two like sided switches to make a crossover between two parallel lines. Such as below:  Two RH switches create this type of crossover.

 

Well I discovered this way to make a crossover with a left and right pair that's very functional.

In the picture above a LH on the inside 036 dia. curve and a RH on the outer 048 dia. curve create a very effective crossover IMHO.  In the pictures, all switches are 036's, and the track is FasTrack but I imagine this principle could be applied to all trackage.

Like to see a nice Thread of tips if we could...I know there's some better ones among us than what I've submitted here!

Roland