Model Railroad Club Has Helix and Waterfront Scene

The Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club began back in July 1981 as a group of model railroaders who gathered in the back of a local Antioch, California hobby shop. Later that year, the group decided to make things official and were incorporated as a non-profit organization.

The Black Diamond Lines models in HO scale, which is a ratio of 1:87. This means that if a model is 1 foot long, it represents a real-life object that is 87 feet long. (One foot, in HO scale is actually 0.137 of an inch.)

The layout occupies approximately 1500 square feet of space, with a track elevation range from 46 inches to 82 inches above the floor.

All track is hand-laid on real wooden ties. All turnouts (switches) and crossings are hand made in place, which represents a lot of time and skill. Club members prefer hand laying over flex track and pre-built turnouts as they feel it has a more craftsman like quality.

Though the double stack train is not visible, this photo shows the clubs Helix. It has 5 1/2 revolutions of 36" radius. In a small amount of space the train will gain or lose 22" of elevation. Grade is held at 2%.

The Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club layout also includes a new waterfront area.

The Black Diamond Lines is an active, operating HO scale model railroad club located at 425 Fulton Shipyard Rd, Antioch, CA. The club website can be viewed at http://www.blackdiamondlines.org

Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club will be celebrating its 25th year of operation in 2006.

Model Railroad Club Makes Own Switches

Like many model train clubs, members of the Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club build their own switch machines. This gives them flexibility that a purchased switch will not always be able to provide....and it keeps the cost down.

On the club website they go through the construction and installation process of a machine . The switch machines consist of the base, motor, threaded rod, three (3) cherry switches, two (2) diodes, flat head machine screws with nuts, 3/4" x 3/4" alum angle 1/16" thick, and a square piece of plastic with an eyelet in it. Off the green wire are the diodes that direct power to the motor.



The base is plexiglass, 1/4" thick, 5" by 3". Plexiglass is easy to work with, non-magnetic, but is pricey. Luckily the club was given a bunch of it. Here the base has the motor siliconed to it and the threaded rod has been pressed onto the motor shaft. The end of the screw is supported by the alum angle.

Before securing the motor the base, remember to put the plastic on the threaded rod.

For full directions and more interesting photos visit the club website http://www.blackdiamondlines.org/switchmachine.html

The site also shows how to wire the switch. The cherry switch has three connectors on it. The connector on the side is connected to one of the diodes. The other end is connected to the green wire. This is the power wire from the control panel. The other diode attaches to the green wire and to the outside connector on the bottom of the other cherry switch.

The black wire from the motor is connected to the left connector. A jumper wire is attached to the right connector on the bottom cherry switch. The right connector on the single cherry switch is not used.

Take a look at the club website. The Black Diamond Lines is an active, operating HO scale model railroad club located in Antioch, CA.

The Workings Of Model Train Power Supply

Most model trains run on low voltage. Unlike the AC electrical circuit in your house, the electricity that moves your locos is DC, ie. Direct Current. The supply to your layout comes by plugging a power pack (also called a transformer) into a wall socket that takes the AC supply, steps it down to the 12-15 volts needed to run the trains and up to 18 volts for the accessories.

The model train transformer converts the output to DC, filters the DC to purify it, then outputs the supply from the terminals on the back of your controller, along a couple of wires to the tracks where it is picked up by your locomotives wheels, turning the motor within. The throttle control varies the voltage to the rails, changing the speed of the motor and consequently the rate your locomotive moves down the track.

DC electricity is directional, so the electricity flows along the wires in a certain direction, and the locomotive moves in the direction set by the directional switch on your controller (or left and right if your controller has a centre off type control knob).

There are, however, exceptions to using DC for trains... if you have Lionel or Marklin, they operate on controlled AC power with 3 rail track.

Model Railroad Club Proudly Displays Photos

The Central Alabama Model Railroad Club was formed in 1968 and is located in it own building in Prattville, Alabama. Since its inception the model train club and it's members have been strong supporters of the National Model Railroad Association by supporting the building fund and by hosting Southeastern Regional Conventions in the past.

All trains originating on the Central of Alabama line are determined by a computer program that insures the proper type of car is set-out or picked up at the different industries along the right of way.

There are several trains from other railroads that have traffic rights on the Central of Alabama line and are included in the computer program. All train orders generated by the computer must run in sequence to insure that cars are available when needed or picked up when loaded by the industries served by the Central of Alabama line.

This model train layout operates with extensive use of walk-around throttles from Aristro-Craft, and several fixed location Model Rectifier hand-held throttles are used in areas of the layout.

The Central Alabama Model Railroad Club layout is fully scenic and features an outstanding painted backdrop that is a perfect match to the scenery and was painted by the wife of a former member. The backdrop includes trees lining the roads, casting their shadows across the highways and byways.

Presented here are photos of sections of the Central Alabama Model Railroad Club layout. To see more fascinating photos of this excellent model train layout be sure to visit the Central Alabama Model Railroad Club website http://www.camrrc.org

Look at the excellent detailing in the above photo. Photos are published with kind permission of the club. Photos are copyrighted by Central Alabama Model Railroad Club, Inc.

16 Enthusiasts Start Model Railroad Club In 1949

It all began on April 4, 1949, when 16 model train enthusiasts gathered together at a local hobby shop and formed the Glendale Model Railroad Club.

Then in 1968, work started on the present railroad with the laying of 3,000 feet of rail encompassing 400 feet of a single track mainline and three classification yards, all on a framework measuring 25 by 40 feet.

Over the next two years miles of electrical wiring installed to provide not only for operation of the trains, but illumination of trackside signals, street lights and the buildings that comprise the cities and towns. In addition, the trolley and branch lines materialized, a narrow gauge railway was built and more scenery began to cover the framework of the layout itself.

The Verdugo Valley Lines portrays operations of the Southern Pacific Railroad between downtown Los Angeles and the city of Bakersfield over 100 miles to the north. Intermediate stations represented in miniature are: San Fernando, Saugus, Lancaster, Mojave and Caliente. As a visitor views the layout, the foreground from right to left is occupied by the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal and supporting coach yards, roundhouse, diesel facilities, Taylor Yard (the massive facility that in real life stretched for more two miles along San Fernando Road), the Glendale station and finally, at far left, the city of Burbank.

The diesels above are being serviced at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal on the Glendale Model Railroad Club layout. Visitors can see this scene from just inches away--it is right up by the front aisle.

The two locos above are spotted at our Taylor Yard area. Notice the rattlesnakes between the tracks!

The Glendale Model Railroad Club has its own website http://www.gmrrc.org/ and the street address is - Glendale Model Railroad Club, 619 Hahn Ave.Glendale, CA 91203

Charlie Shows His Scenery Making Skills

Charlie Comstock is a keen model railroading enthusiast who has his own model train webpage.

On his webpage called "Charlie's Railroad Page" he has included several photos worthy of a good look. Among them are these two showing scenery construction using stryofoam sheets.

Here is an snippet from Charlie's website:

Hillmovers Construction Co. has finally commenced operations around the hamlet of Shelburn (between Bear Creek and Mill City). Although far from finished the basic ground contours are in place and some trees and buildings temporarily placed to help show how it will look when done.
I've continued using .060" styrene sheet for backdrops and just located a supplier that is quite cost effective. Since my backdrops are typically less than 16" high I can slice each 4x8 sheet into 3 strips getting 24' of backdrop from each sheet.

These photos show the scenery under construction.



Visit Charlies webpage at:
http://www.bcsj.org/rr/index.shtml

Biggest Little European Railroad in Canada.

The Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad has 2000 square feet model train layout has more than 500 houses and over 4000 hand painted miniature people.



The Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad is Canada's largest Marklin lay-out, with more than a dozen computer controlled trains running through very detailed landscaping with European style towns and houses.

Well worth a visit if you British Columbia.

Model Train Enthuisiast Shows Photos

I came across an excellent model train site for you to look at. It is called http://www.stevestrains.com It has some excellent photos of the model trains in action including photos of the family cats.

Steve is modeling the P. H. Glatfelter Paper Plant in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. This plant, once served by both the Western Maryland Railway and the Penn Central Railroad has been in operation well over 100 years. Their original and still main production plant is in Spring Grove and to this day still relies heavily on the railroads for their products. Today the plant is served by Yorkrailway Inc, a subsidiary of GWI (Genesee and Wyoming Inc.). Yorkrailway is the combination of Yorkrail and the Maryland and Pennsylvania RR's.

Here is something you don't see often, a VERY clean PC GP-38. Must not have been any switchers available today, so the crew gets a higher horsepower ride. We will follow this guy for a bit.

The PC crew at work again switching the Paper Track. Cars on both ends means lots of work to be done and chances are, the boxcar in front of the engine is a buffer car since Steve can't take power into the building. This way we use the buffer car to reach in and grab the cars we need.

Visit Steves site and take a look at some of his other photos.

Lionel Trains 671 Turbine

The Lionel Trains 671 Turbine was introduced in 1946 and was available with various modifications until 1949. The earlier 1946 version featured a smoke bulb which was used to generate both illumination and smoke.

This Lionel Trains 671 Turbine consisted of two separate pieces. There was a steamer with a "6-8-6" wheel arrangement and a whistling coal tender.

Choosing A Model Train Set Scale

It is best to choose a model train set scale that best suits your needs and gives you the effect you are looking for in your model train set layout.

O scale model trains and S scale model trains are large when compared to the more popular HO scale model trains.

O scale is 1:48 size with 1¼" track gauge and a minimum radius of 2 foot (24 inches).

S scale is 1:64 size with 7/8" track gauge and a minimum radius of 22½ inches. As you can see S scale model trains sets are smaller in size than the larger O scale model train sets.

Rail Carries 42% US Freight

Around 42 percent of freight is now carried by rail in the USA. With increasing fuel costs, more and more people are shipping that way. 2004 set a record, and 2005 will likely break it, according to the Association of American Railroads.

The number of small rail companies actually has risen in the past 25 years, thanks to deregulation that allowed larger rail companies to dump track sections that weren't profitable.

Model Trains A Creative Hobby

Model railroading is a fun-filled leisure activity that provides plenty of scope for the creative individual with a technical bent. It incorporates a variety of interesting activities from building, maintaining, upgrading and operating a model railway.

What kind of world you create, where you create it, and how much time you spend in it... is entirely over to the individual model railway enthusiast. We are all different.