Scale Model Railroading

My first experience with model railroading was Christmas when I was 7 in 1982. My parents and grandparents bought me a Union Pacific set, and set it up Christmas night around the feet of the dining room table. I remember playing with the train all day long, and even though it was just going around in a loop on carpet, it was cool! I was hooked, and I’m sure many of you had a similar experience. 24 years on, I still have that locomotive, and most of the cars, although they are the worse for wear. I’d like to hear how you got started, addicted, hooked, whatever you want to call it. Post a comment and share your experiences.

Posted at Flickr:

I’ve always liked adding more active features to a layout. The more movement, the more realism. Of course you can’t tell from the photo if the amusement park rides are motorized, but they would definitely add interest if they were.

The Bedford Boomers Model Railroad Club in Bedford, NH is having its 24th annual Model Railroad exhibition at the McKelvie Middle School in Bedford from 10am – 4pm. The display is said to be one of the largest ones in the Northeast and the day will also feature instructional sessions on DCC, modular railroading, and assembling structure kits. If you attend this show, drop us a comment, and let us know how it was.

I found these reviews on the yelp.com site of the Golden State Model Railroad Museum. Both reviews are positive, so it’s probbly worth checking out if you are in the area,

900 Dornan Dr
Richmond, CA 94801
(510) 234-4884

Map it

The Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum is opening its doors this holiday season for their 19th annual Holiday Train Display. The schedule can be found on their website here.

From the Bachmann site:

Bachmann Trains is pleased to introduce DCC sound-equipped Spectrum® locomotives, with a variety of offerings in several scales. Working closely with Soundtraxx™, a recognized leader in the development of model railroad sound products, Bachmann will deliver engines equipped with Tsunami® DCC sound technology in HO, On30, and Large Scale. With Bachmann DCC Sound On Board™, these locomotives feature an extensive range of sound effects and DCC functions. Plus, the dual mode decoders work on both DC and DCC layouts automatically, without any internal switching or user modification.

The inital run will be 6 HO locomotive models, one On3 and one 1:23.3 locomotive.

Posted on Flickr by DoubleGrande:

I love mountain layouts, you can have so much depth and action. There are so many opportunities for adding little hidden points of interest.

The Pasadena Model Railroad Club is having its Fall Open House this November. The hours of operation are:

Open House Donations: Adults $3, Children $1 (under 7 free when accompanied by an adult)

Posted on Flickr by Jeremy Kellogg:

In the San Jose Mercury News, 10/02/2006:

Also destroyed in the Straus building was the collection of the Alameda Model Railroad Club, a quarter of a million dollars worth of collectible HO scale trains and locomotives and three levels of track and scenery, said Bob Booth, a member of the club and Straus’ father-in-law.

“The club is just devastated,” Booth said. “It’s a loose group of about 10 retirees and devout model railroaders, mostly from Oakland, who have spent five years building that layout. Many of the locomotive and train cars were museum quality and irreplaceable. It’s such a loss.”

I can’t imagine losing that much time, work, and effort. Hopefully they can rebuild fro their losses.