Teen Model Railroad Place January 2010

[Anonymous]

Hmm...seems I've been nominated!

I agree with what Joe said about a 4x4 layout. In N scale it might be possible to do something besides a circle (Sawyer?) but in HO you'd have a hard time even fitting a switch into your plan. I'd go for a 4x8 - almost all modelers start that way and some never build bigger either because of space/money or because they like that size. Check out a book of track plans or look in Model Railroader and find one you like.

For track I'd go with Atlas Code 100 nickel-silver flex or sectional track. While Code 83 is finer, it's a bit more expensive and tougher to work with, and I've been working with Code 100 for ten years now and nobody including me minds it. With ballast and weathering it blends right in and you look at other stuff like the trains.

A plywood table works well for a first layout, but if you're planning on doing some landscaping and undulating terrain, I'd put some 2" extruded foam on top that you can carve to make rivers, ponds, etc. It's used for building insulation and is sold at most hardware stores. While it's not all that cheap, it's a whole heck of a lot easier than cutting into plywood!

Hope this helps you out - feel free to ask more questions and we'll try to answer them the best we can.

--------------------------------------

Meanwhile over on the WRS, I put together some old clips from 8mm film I found in the attic. Here's one from a 1984 train chase of the RDC commuter run, including a meet with a WRS freight behind the S4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFBDOiKCdlI

Enjoy!

[RailfanS]

cdog565

Ok i am a teen and i want to built a ho scale layout should i use a certain type metal  track? I want to make a small one for now on a 4 foot by 4 footboard. What type of board should i use?

 

Welcome Fellow Teen,

I'll keep it simple by just answering the questions you asked (I'm sure they'll be more to come).

Track Material: I think everyone here will agree in that Nickel-Silver track is the best choice as far as type of metal. It's a little more expensive than other types of track but stays cleaner MUCH longer, and dirty track = bad electrical connections = poor locomotive performance.

Track type: everyone's different here. I use sectional track without roadbed on most of my layout but also have some flextrack thrown in to fill some gaps. Both are fine, although flextrack allows you to create any shape curve you can imagine. Keep in mind that your loco's might not be able to navigate some tight or oddly shaped corners though. Like Joe said track with plastic roadbed is also an option for a first time layout builder.

Track Code: You may not be farmilar with this. Track code is the height of the rail in thousandths (1/1000) of an inch. This is important because it affects how locomotives and cars stay on the track. In HO scale two of the most common track codes are 83 and 100. Code 83 track is closer to scale size track, however if you process no tracklaying skills at all code 100 is reliable and good for a first layout. Others may disagree with me on this so be sure to look for other opinions as well.

Benchwork: As for this it can be as simple or complicated as you wish. I've seen small layouts built on a pair of sawhorses with a piece of plywood on top if you want to keep it really simple. You could also build a frame system out of 2x4's or even 2x3's an attach plywood or OSB (fiberboard) to the top. Some of us also put foam insulation sheets on our layouts. This allows us to easily build mountains, carve out water features, and many other types of landscaping.

Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions,

Jamie  

 

[ns3010]

Tyler, sounds like it went pretty smoothly, except for the mishaps with 8569

cdog! I see you found your way over here pretty easily.

What you do with your layout depends completely on the choices you make.
A 4x4 isn't very big, and won't be able to have anything but a small loop. I'd reccomend building a 4x8 (that is, if you have the space), where you'd be able to get in a larger loop with several small sidings.
Scale. I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but... If you can only build a 4x4, then I'd go with N, because you could get far more track in than you would with HO.
What track you use is completely up to you. It sounds like you've never built a layout before, so we can't tell you where to start. If you feel confident using flextrack and ballasting roadbed and whatnot, then the more power to ya. If not, then you may want to go with E-Z Track (or a similar brand).
Era and location are also important. Not only does this affect the trains themselves, but also the surrounding scenery.
Control. DC or DCC? This depends on how many trains you want to run. With DCC, you can operate more trains at one time, although it is more costly, but it is easier to expand.

The list goes on and on and on and on and on and on... And there's so many more things to think about. I'd say start with a few of those, and then you can go from there.

If you have anything in mind, that'll help too.

[cdog565]

Ok i am a teen and i want to built a ho scale layout should i use a certain type metal  track? I want to make a small one for now on a 4 foot by 4 footboard. What type of board should i use?

[Packers#1]

 Sweet Tyler. Love those old pics of the WRS. sounds like a pretty successful ops session.

I have both a web page and blog, which I update sporadically.

I might make a video of switching out the town soon, even though the scenery is, well, absent, haha

[Anonymous]

A post about the operating session as well as photos of the WRS S4 and c.1984 commuter rail photos are up on the new WRS Blog!

I also have a new map up on the website.

[Guilford Guy]

I did manage to fix it though! Stop having computer problems. You need to email me the pictures I requested!

[Anonymous]

When we decided to swap out the decoder in 8569 a half-hour before a session (open shell, unplug old decoder, plug in new decoder, put shell back on), we didn't expect it to start shorting...after Alex tore the entire locomotive down to the frame, he found out the problem was that one of the wheelsets had been pressed too tightly into the truck mechanism and was touching part of the other side. But several hours later the locomotive is reassembled and works fine (with both headlights working great!) although one rail only has pickup from one truck because somehow it has two left-hand trucks and jumper wires haven't been working too well.

I'll have photos up eventually, since I'm having some computer problems.

[Packers#1]

 Sounds like an eventful operating session tyler, lol

[ns3010]

Yes you did.

[Guilford Guy]

TrainManTy

Operating session today! I should be able to snap some photos while in the siding for a meet, and maybe I'll have a few more surprises up my sleeve too...

 

I didn't break it!

[Packers#1]

Tyler, sweet man. Joe, at Aiken High, you have 5 days to change a semester class, 10 days for a year long class. after that if you switch, you get a withdraw failing grade.

[Anonymous]

Operating session today! I should be able to snap some photos while in the siding for a meet, and maybe I'll have a few more surprises up my sleeve too...

[ns3010]

GG- Somehow, I missed you post (probably cause you posted only a few minutes before mine, so I never noticed it...). They look great!

We sign up for classes in a few weeks. I'm likely taking:
Precalc H
Gym/First Aid/PSAT Prep (Like this year with gym, driver's ed, and writing, you get one per quarter)
Spanish 3
English 3H (I'm ok in English [definately NOT my strongest class], and I know the regular Eng3 teacher   and she's pretty chill, but doesn't do honors, so I'm still not sure. If I sign up for something but then change my mind, I'll still be able to do that for free until like July [after that, you have to pay to change classes])
Physics H
Theology 3 (required)
US History 2 (Again, history is not my greatest subject, and I have like a 99 in non-honors, and I'd rather have that than take Honors and get a 90)
Faith and Values In the Media (basically it's a class that discusses the media, and the things about it. I don't really know how to explain it... But it sounds like a REALLY fun class)

And my backup elective would be Web Design, and then probably Art Fundamentals (you need Art Fundamentals before any other art class, so I couldn't just skip to Art I or Art II if I wanted to). We don't even get an option to take study hall, though... Yet, my cousin (he was a senior in a different school last year) had two study periods...?

And then, just thinking way ahead, senior year, I don't want to take spanish or history, but I'm definatley taking some kind of math and science classes, since I want to go into engineering... And I know I need to take the required stuff like Theo 4 and gym, and since 4 years of english are required (meh), I might do AP.

Noah, if Rod Stewart could build HO city skyscrapers in a hotel room, then I'd say MRRing in a dorm room is possible!

[Noah Hofrichter]

I really should stop in here more often. I read the posts quite a bit, but with not having much time to do any model railroading in the last few months I've never really had anything worth posting about. I just finished up my month long Christmas Break though, and I got quite a bit accomplished on the layout in the way of building construction and starting to rough in some landforms for scenery. Also got backdrops installed (though not painted) on part of the layout.

And in proof that one can in fact do model railroading in a dorm room, I've assembled a depot kit, a number of freight cars, and I'm currently working on a Dominoes restaurant while down here at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. I'm hoping to do more building assembly this semester since I don't think my workload will be quite as bad. I airbrush parts at home on the weekends, and the bring them down here with me for final assembly. There's also a few locomotives and freight cars in the paint shop that need decaling. With the National Train show coming up in Milwaukee this summer, perhaps I'll finally be motivated to get my three MP15DCs through the paint shop.

 Those WRS GP15s look slick! Like Jordan said, the white lettering should make them look even better yet.

Going back a couple of pages to a question I never saw answered, the Trainline GP15s (at least the ones I have) do have brass wheels, which is about their only draw back. The units run great until the wheels get dirty, which seems to happen all too quickly, I assume because of the brass wheels. Of course, I often run them quite a few hours in a row at train shows on the club layout, which is also probably why I get them dirty so fast.

Oh how I miss high school classes like those. AP US history is probably my favorite class of all time, though that was partly because I had a great teacher. College is a completely different story though I took a few AP classes in high school, and while we did a lot of work there too, it's nothing like what I've done here as far as workload goes. Last semester I had a chemistry class that darn near killed me. In addition to four hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week, I was doing about 15-20 hours of homework each week, and I'd study about 6-8 hours for tests for just that one class. The class averages for tests were in the 40-50% range on three of our five exams. Thankfully it was one semester, and if I never have to pick up a chemistry book again it will be too soon...

And math only becomes more "fun" when when you get to Calculus and start doing first derivatives, second derivatives, antiderivatives, integration by parts, optimization and more fun stuff that I don't really want to think about right now....

College is nice in so many other factors though!

Noah

[WCfan]

Alex, the WRS GP15-1s look less "brick-ish" than I was expecting. I'm sure the white lettering and logos will balance the unit out.

Well I'm done with exams, and since we're talking about classes next year...

I haven't officially signed up for classes, but it should be like this.

Alg 2 Extended

World/European History (Not sure what one I will take)

Expo/Brit Lit (Exposition writing first semester, British Literature second semester)

AP Chem

Physics

German 4

Band

Health/PE course (Health is required first semester, and I haven't chosen a PE course yet)

[RailfanS]

Thanks for the compliments guys,

Packers#1

In off topic news

My schedule is a little different then most of yours:

1/HR- U.S. History

2- P.E. or Study Hall (they rotate daily)

3- English 11

4- Algebra 2 and Trig.

5- Study Hall

6- Lunch

7-10 Heavy Equipment Operations and Maintenance 1

The last one is probably what you noticed as unusual. Every afternoon I get on a bus and ride to another campus 45 Min. away. This campus is the county technical center. At the tech center I take a program in which students are taught how to operate and maintain heavy equipment (commercial trucks, construction equipment, ect.). I really enjoy it, and it's VERY hands on (ex. I operated a front end loader for 1.5 hours last Friday). Another benefit to this program is that it gives me my required science credit, so I don't have to take Chem. 

As for my exams being next week, I don't know if I'd call that "Lucky". I'd rather have just got them over with

Thanks again for the complements,

Jamie

 

[Packers#1]

 Nice John.

Tyler, looking forward to some pics!

In off topic news, I signed up for my classes today. Four honors classes, three CP.

Honors English3

Honors Algebra2

Honors Chem1

Honors World History (i think I could have taken AP European history, but I'll take that in 11th and then in 12th take AP US History)

 CP Spanish3 (honors spanish3 is if you're continuing on in it and I'm dropping spanish after next year and taking German my 11th and 12th grade years)

CP Computer Aps

CP Art1-Drawing and Painting.

[Anonymous]

I spy new WRS units! They look good!

[IVRW]

Sawyer, I love bio too. It is one of my favorite classes. Next comes TAA s the favorite. Textual Analysis and Argumentation. Its basically an english class.

[ns3010]

Sorry (yeah, now watch it be a really obvious thing...), but what's NJROTC?

Bio was ok, I guess. I didn't find it all that interesting, since it was nothing but facts. The only part I really liked was the frog dissection...
Actually, funny story about that... So one of the tasks for the lab was to take the eyeball out. Ok. So, I grab it with the tweezers (I did all the dirty work, since both of my partners were girls... but I didn't mind), and next thing I know, it's flying across the room... lmao!

I like Chem more, because it's fewer facts. I'm more of a "hands on" kinda guy (like how I like the modeling part of MRRing, not just watching the trains), and there's more labs, so that's pretty cool.

[Packers#1]

 Pretty stiff schedule there. Gym is a year-round course for us, and it's either a year of gym or a year of NJROTC to graduate. I chose gym, lol.

Biology is actually my favorite class, and we haven't really gotten into any evolutionary stuff to boot (I think we all know who stands where on that subject, so let's not get the thread locked)

[ns3010]

 Oh, Tyler, you're talking about coefficents. At least that's how I learned them. The coeffecent is the number next to x (like a or b), and the constant is c (no variable)... And the only coefficents (or constants, if you prefer) were 2, -4, and 10 (4, 3, and 2 were exponents). Ok, I get what you mean now... just a confusion of terms...

Oh, ok, Sawyer. The only thing I could take in 8th grade was Algebra 1, and then I had to take a placement test for Geometry (I also could have skipped Spanish 1, but I didn't).
So this year I'm taking:
Chem H
Band (ew, I was forced to...)
Theology 2 (required 4 years of Theo)
Gym (Driver's Ed 1st quarter, Gym 2nd, Writing 2 3rd, and Gym 4th)
English 2H
Algebra 2/Trig H
US History 1
Spanish 2

As freshmen, we were required to take Biology, as well as Theo 1, English 1, Gym, Algebra 1 (although I tested out of it), any language, World History, and an elective

[Guilford Guy]

I kind of like pre-calc. Right now we're finishing up trig, and are doing a quick review of mathematical modeling.

Still in progress. The end handrails have only had one coat of white applied which is why it looks  the way it does.

[Packers#1]

ns3010

Sawyer, good luck!
IDK, I absolutely LOVE Chem! It's more interesting than Biology (IMO), and my teacher is just awesome... And the exam today was one of the easiest I've ever taken.
What math are you taking now? I skipped Algebra 1 (tested out of it), so I took Geometry last year as a freshman, even though it's a sophomore class. This year, I'm taking Algebra 2/Trig Honors, which is Algebra 2 the first semester, and Trig the second (even though I have ABSOLUTELY no clue what Trig is...)

 

Geometry as a freshman. my class schedule is as follows:

Spanish2 (CP)

English2 (H)

Biology (H)

Geometry (H)

PE (CP)

Physical Science (H)

World Geo (H)

I took Algebra1, English1, and Spanish1 last year in 8th (the credits transferred), and I'm taking both physical science and biology this year so next year I don't have to take both chemistry and biology. I want to take either AP Bio or AP physics (physics would probably be best as I want to be some kind of engineer). and no study hall. I've had a ton of homework maybe 4 nights so far this year though.

[Anonymous]

ns3010

Tyler, like I said, I'm taking Algebra 2 this year, and it's hard (and TWSS... lol)! I think next year is Precalc... again, don't know what that is...
And what do you mean only variables? Like: f(x)= x^4+2x^3-4x^2+10x
And those higher (as in more than a quadratic, basically anthing to the third power or higher) degree polynomials are a real PITA to graph! And the dividing, forget about it! But I do like the synthetic division; that's much easier than long division of polynomials...

 

Nope. That has constants - 4, 2, 3, 4, 2, and 10. You start all variables with quadratic equations. That's ax^2+bx+c=0, or in its solved form (which does include two constants, a 4 and a 2), x=(b+-√[b^2-4{ac}])/2a...

[ns3010]

Alex, that's not bad. Better than failing. I got a 64 on my last vocab test (but a 100 on the grammar quiz, and both are for english)...
I have no clue what I have yet. But my Algebra teacher said I did pretty well this quarter, so hopefully that's a good sign...
I wonder if Powerschool is open yet so I can check my grades... Prob not though... EDIT: It's not. I won't know until report cards come out then.

Sawyer, good luck!
IDK, I absolutely LOVE Chem! It's more interesting than Biology (IMO), and my teacher is just awesome... And the exam today was one of the easiest I've ever taken.
What math are you taking now? I skipped Algebra 1 (tested out of it), so I took Geometry last year as a freshman, even though it's a sophomore class. This year, I'm taking Algebra 2/Trig Honors, which is Algebra 2 the first semester, and Trig the second (even though I have ABSOLUTELY no clue what Trig is...)

Tyler, like I said, I'm taking Algebra 2 this year, and it's hard (and TWSS... lol)! I think next year is Precalc... again, don't know what that is...
And what do you mean only variables? Like: f(x)= x^4+2x^3-4x^2+10x
And those higher (as in more than a quadratic, basically anthing to the third power or higher) degree polynomials are a real PITA to graph! And the dividing, forget about it! But I do like the synthetic division; that's much easier than long division of polynomials...

Jamie, the roads look EXCELLENT! Very few imperfections in the plaster, as compared to mine...

And now there is offically nothing left of the layout. The plywood is out in the garage, so that it can be cut before being used on the new layout. Hopefully I can spend some time the next few days rearranging the room, so that benchwork can begin ASAP.

And so far for exams, Algebra was hard, Theology was so-so, and Spanish and Chem were REALLY easy.
Tomorrow are the last two, English and US History. English will probably be meh, while History will be a breeze.

[IVRW]

Jamie, your exams are next week!?! You are so lucky, I took them way back in early december. You RR Looks VERY good, keep up the good work and keep us posted.

[RailfanS]

All this talk of exams . Mine are next week, but I don't usually have any trouble, so I'll worry about them later.

Just wanted to share some pictures of my (almost) finished road system. All I have left to do now is paint it. Included in the road system is a parking lot for MOW vehicles, a road/ parking lot around the passenger station, and a grade crossing.

Here's one with my AC4400CW:

As you can see in the photo, I've installed temporary gates to protect the crossing. Once I start work this summer, I plan to install working crossbucks (NJ international #1095), along with an IR triggering system (something like a Logic Rail GCP). I also think I might put in a sound module that is also triggered by the IR system. Here's one with out the GE in the way:

Next is a shot of the station, which is also a loading dock:

Finally, here's one at ground level:

Note the Kadee on the front of that loco. At last my Locomotive fleet is all KD's, now for the rolling stock...

Jamie

 

[IVRW]

My Stanford work is pretty work hard, and I rarely get to go down stairs to work on the RR now.