Fun Time

by Jack Herris

Last time we explored what historical era might be most interesting to you
and which railroads you might want to model. Now let’s discuss some practical
model railroad issues.

Where Do You Buy?

As mentioned in the first column in this series, railroad enthusiasts in
Silicon Valley are especially fortunate to have The Train Shop, near Valley
Fair (1829 Pruneridge Ave., Santa Clara, CA, 408-296-1050) as a resource. The
Train Shop, one of the largest model train hobby shops in California, has a
huge railroad book section as well as model railroading supplies for all
scales, and they sell most products at a discount. Furthermore, they have a
good supply of the more specialized model railroading supplies for the more
advanced modeler.

Of course, no brick and mortar business can stock everything. As you might
expect, there are a number of vendors with a large on-line presence that offer
a wide variety of products. And, if you are looking for items that are
currently out of production or used, then eBay is a good source. In fact, eBay
is the main marketplace for many of the more specialized items like brass
locomotives.

Mass Produced and Specialty Products

Which brings us to the discussion of small production run, specialty items
compared to mass production items. Certainly, mass production products,
typically made mostly of plastic, have substantially improved in appearance and
performance in the last15 to 20 years. In most cases, if you want a product
that was mass-produced fairly recently, you will be satisfied with the price,
appearance, and performance.

An exception to this may be passenger cars. Prototype passenger cars were
often produced specifically to the designs of each railroad, whereas
mass-produced model cars are more generic, except for their paint. They
resemble cars for a number of railroads, which makes their production cost
effective, but they are not exactly accurate for any railroad. This is
problematic for collectors and static modelers, whereas many operators are more
interested that the train looks representative rather than exact as it rumbles
past. Again, this is another area that depends on the modeler’s priorities.

And, as you would expect, different companies produce products to different
price points. The price of the model typically correlates to its accuracy and
performance, but this is not always the case, and varies product by product.
This is another good reason to join a model railroad club or a Yahoo group for
the railroad or product you plan to model. More experienced modelers will know
not only how accurate the models from different companies are, but also how
well they generally run and how to fix them if there are problems.

Specialty items are usually made as multi-media kits or are brass. These are
typically models of products that are not available as mass-production
products, such as less popular locomotives and cars, especially those for
unique to a particular railroad. Or, they are more accurate models of
prototypes than are available from the mass manufacturers. Multi-media kits are
generally of structures and railroad cars, especially passenger cars; short
production runs of locomotives are usually made of brass for durability and
operability.

Brass

Brass items, and especially brass locomotives, are worthy of a short
discussion themselves. Initially, some brass locomotives and railroad cars were
produced in the US, but starting in the mid to late 1950s Japanese producers
took that market by producing good quality (for the time) products at much
lower prices than US producers. Product quality and accuracy improved with the
experience of the brass manufacturers and with the accuracy of the reference
material provided to them by their American importers. Generally, the American
importer would provide detailed drawings and reference photos to the Japanese
manufacturer, who would then produce a production run of the model for that
importer. In some cases, an importer would commission a production run of a
locomotive from a manufacturer who had already produced this locomotive for
another importer. In these situations, the manufacturer would often produce
essentially identical models for the second importer.

Later, Japanese products became too costly and production migrated to Korea.
Now some brass products are manufactured in China, as are most plastic
products.

Generally, newer brass products are more accurate models than older ones.
However, most are so pricey that they are aimed more for collectors than
operators. In these cases, accurate appearance takes priority over reliable
operation; any compromises in appearance needed to achieve smooth, reliable
operation are not made.

So, if you just want to run trains, an ever-growing variety of accurate,
smooth running plastic steam and Diesel locomotive models is available for your
enjoyment. If you want to model a specific railroad, especially specific steam
locomotives or rare Diesels, then you need to consider brass. If collecting is
your priority, then the newer, more expensive brass models are definitely worth
a look. If operating is your priority, then you need to consider mass-produced
locomotives and older, less expensive brass models. Older brass may not look
quite as stunning as a new brass model, but it may actually run better and be
sturdier, with fewer delicate parts to damage during operation. And it will
probably be much more affordable. However, brass generally requires some
fine-tuning to run well; for smooth operation a good, mass-production
locomotive is your best bet unless you need a locomotive type that is only
available in brass.

Computer Control? Sound?

Like most other areas of life, the computer revolution has also impacted
model trains. Your father’s train set ran on DC (direct current) from a
transformer, and many locomotives sold today do the same. However, more and
more locomotives are available with computer control. Known as DCC, for Direct
Command Control, this is an industry (NMRA – National Model Railroad
Association) standard that essentially all manufacturers comply with so all the
equipment is compatible. In addition to simplifying layout wiring, DCC also
enables much more realistic operation.

Furthermore, many locomotives with DCC also have sound. And that makes
running trains much more realistic – and fun! The saying in the model railroad
community is, if you have 20 locomotives and one has sound, you really have one
locomotive. And as a result of all the sound work done for DCC locomotives,
more realistic sound is now available for newer DC locomotives. Furthermore,
recordings of actual steam and Diesel locomotives in operation are available
from various sources, and at least one commercially available sound decoder
(from LokSound) allows you to download sounds for use in your model.

So, do you choose DC or DCC? Sound or no sound? If you just plan a seasonal
Christmas layout or a static collection, then don’t bother with DCC. DC is
cheaper and simpler to set up and learn to operate. However, if you plan
anything more than a small or seasonal layout, look seriously at DCC. If you join
a model railroad club, see if they are using DC or DCC. Many clubs have either
converted to DCC or are planning to do so. DCC is becoming ever more popular
and, in my opinion, is the system of choice for serious operators. And if you
have DC equipment, it can be converted to DCC with decoders that are available
from several manufacturers.

Many current production locomotives are available in two versions, DC and
DCC with sound. These are almost always labeled “DCC ready”, which means that
you can easily convert them to DCC by installing a DCC decoder into a socket in
the locomotive.

Converting a locomotive to sound is a little more challenging due to the
need to find a place for the speaker. You want to install the largest speaker
that will fit because, in general, the larger the speaker the better the sound
quality. If you are converting a locomotive that was also available as a
version with sound; there is generally a space with mounting holes already
drilled for the speaker that makes this job easier.

Summary

You now have the basic information and resources needed to check out model
railroading and get started if you are interested. Have fun!

Resources

Railroad Books & Videos:

  • Basic Model Railroading:
         Getting Started in the Hobby     by Kent J. Johnson, Kalmbach Publishing
         Company (November 1998), ISBN-10: 0890243344
  • Guide to North American
         Steam Locomotives     by George H. Drury, Kalmbach Publishing Company
         (December 1993), ISBN-10: 0890242062
  • The DCC
         Guide     by Don Fiehmann, Kalmbach Publishing Company (October 2007),
         ISBN-10: 0890246769
  • The Model Railroader’s
         Guide to Passenger Equipment & Operation     by Andy Sperandeo,
         Kalmbach Publishing Company (May 31, 2006), ISBN-10: 0890246203
  • Maintaining and Repairing
         Your Scale Model Trains     by Jim Volhard, Kalmbach Publishing Company
         (May 1999), ISBN-10: 0890243247
  • The Brass Train Guide Book
         by Dan Glasure, Brass Guide 2008, ISBN Number: 1882727134 / 9781882727131

Websites and Online:

  • Brass train retailer: www.brasstrains.com
        
  • Brass trains on consignment
         and new, mass-produced trains: www.caboosehobbies.com
  • How do you make your brass
         steam locomotive run like a charm? See Mark’s brass clinics at: www.markschutzer.com
        
  • DCC retailer, online DCC and
         sound tutorials: www.litchfieldstation.com
  • Java Model Railroad Interface
         for more advanced users: www.decoderpro.com
  • General model railroad
         reference: www.trains.com/mrr
  • Yahoo groups on prototype
         railroads and model railroading, such as:



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