Antoine,
I have been in this hobby on the HO scale side for going on 12 years. Anything bad that could happen has happened to me. It happens to a lot of us.
Now, let me address your issues.
1. I've got a lot more locos than you, and a lot of them have caused me problems and needed repairs from time to time. Model trains are like our automobiles. They break. They wear out. They need repairs. The honeymoon period in this hobby is short. Reality sets in fast. That doesn't make the hobby bad. You just have to overcome difficulties, learn, and grow.
2. I can't paint a backdrop with depth and perspective either. So, I paint my Masonite panels sky blue and leave it at that. I buy expensive photo backdrops where depth and perspective are needed. You are not alone.
3. Small parts, fat fingers, messed up details? That's what weathering is for....to hide all your mistakes.
4. How many hours of test runs before you can claim your track work is flawless? Ten years in my case. LOL Seriously. It took me that long to solve the derailments and inadvertent uncouplings, to eliminate the humps and valleys, to clear glued ballast from rails. But, I have finally succeeded and now life is good. Stay the course. You will get there.
5. Ahhh, your 3rd layout, and this is the one with the most flaws. Perfect. You have graduated from newbie status to oldbie status. Your 4th layout will be flawless because you have now committed every error imaginable. You have learned from your mistakes.
So what's the problem?
Rich
Alton Junction
1. Nothing is more frustrating than a loco that doesn’t run well. Clean your wheels and see if it helps. Use isopropyl alcohol on a handywipe or paper towel laid on the rails. Hold the loco and give it power so the wheels spin wiping off the dirt. Often one truck will have clean wheels that aer picking up power but the other truck has dirty wheels. The loco runs fine until it reaches a turnout or some dirty track. If both trucks are picking up it doesn't stall.
2. Painting landscapes is a artistic skill that most people do not have. I suggest that you go to the arts and crafts store and buy a good book on landscapes if you plan on painting mountains etc. Or else just paint your backdrop a light sky blue color. Or buy a backdrop.
3. Tweezers are a very useful tool. I always use them. I have several different styles to choose from for different jobs. They are a great help in building models or just to move figures and other details around on the layout. I also use forceps to hold parts while I paint them.
4. When a loco stalls, clean the track at the location with a little more care than usual. Also check that it has current, sometimes rail joiners get bent and become loose. When the weight of a train goes by it wiggles it into loosing contact.
Clean track plus clean wheels usually equals a well running train, providing that the track has been correctly laid.
Every time the weather changes my guitars all go out of tune. Same with model railroads, the weather effects the wood benchwork and can cause gaps or kinks in the track or unlevel roadbed. Usually they are not noticible but sometimes it is just enough to cause a derailment.
Don't let little setbacks discourage you. Think of maintenance as part of the fun.
I have days like that, in fact the last week has been a lot like that...
That's always a good time to consider what's gone right, as there's almost always a lot of that if yhou think about it.
Doing it by the book is usually a good idea, too, so you're on the right track. Some suggestions.
1. Pick the engine you think is closest to running right, concentrate on it, get it where you want it. Then you have 5 more that need such extreme attention, but do them one at a time, unless you letting paint dry.
2. I've had pretty good luck with this, surprising myself. My suggestion is to either simplfy the painting or decide a photo backdrop is a better idea. I can recommend Greg Gray's Green Frog video on backdrop painting. Simple easy to follow stuff, it can take you to exactly the level of detail desire and nothing more.
3. Tweezers. And put the glue onto a glueboard, then use a toothpick or other applicator to apply just enough. Works especially well with CA and if you haven't tried it, get some CA "kicker" or catalyst. Get in with the glued part, spray with kicker, pause briefly, then let go.
4. RRs have the same problem. Weather and temp changes, so does the rail. Nothing stays perfect. Figure out what's caused by things changing and there are specific fixes for most. Then the rest are correctabhle defects. Can't catch them all. I use pins with a yellow top to indicate track defects, stick 'em as they are found, then go back over them in batches as they build up.
If nothing else, do something else. The world is not just trains, but you could do some reasearch on a favorite subject, view a relevant train or modeling video, etc. Then return to the layout with a fresh approach.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Hello
I really need you experts to help me go through multiple frustrations on my project that make me feel discouraged. Here is a list of my frustrations, and if you feel liek you want to give me advice on on or all of them, please do.
1. I have 6 locomotives: they all have their own little problem: lack of space for speaker of dcc module, speaker, wires, lights not working, wheels getting dirty all the time, stuttering, when I solve a problem, seems like another arises. Today, I found out one of my loco only had front wheels pickup working (but all is wired correctly... so, go figure...)
2. I can't seem to paint a backdrop that gives depth or perspective. I've had some practice, but it looks like a mess of colors.
3. Small parts, big fingers... Often, when I try to place small details on either a structure or locomotive: I accidently break something else, or it takes me 15 times to have it glued on, leaving glue spots and all.
4. How many hours of test runs should one put before declaring the layout works? Everything was all fine. And then...oh! I keep finding new problems like: a short on this turnout, loco simply stops at random spot, (but it was not the run before), derailement there (with no apparent reason nor identifable cause).
Now this is my 3rd layout, the one I really want to be nice,with least flaws possible. The one I am investing myself in. I'm pretty sure I've done this one by the book, all according to best practices. I am being patient, I work slowly, I give attention to details, but it also seems this layout is the one with the most problems.
I am at the edge of discouragment where I really want to have fun, and I realise I am not having fun, because I always seem to be trying to solve problems.
Is this normal, or is just me discovering the depths of what the hobby's true experience is all about?
Thanks
Antoine