Mike's Train Blog

Pennsylvania Railroad Rubber Tired Switchers

2010-04-12T10:17:00.003-03:00

I found this page the other day. I'd never heard of such an item but they're very interesting. I not sure if they qualify as locomotives, other than that they had couplers on them. :)

Pennsylvania Railroad Rubber Tired Switchers

Johnny Cash: Ridin’ the Rails

2010-03-21T08:05:00.003-03:00

If you're familiar with Johnny Cash's music, you'll know that railways figure into many of his songs. I stumbled on this article this morning and thought I'd share it!

JOHNNY CASH | RIDIN’ THE RAILS

Art by Thomas Doyle

2010-02-25T13:02:00.002-04:00

I will be the first to admit that this guy's art is about as creepy and surreal as it gets, but I can't help but to admire how well done it is. This is all done in O (1:48) scale.

ART BY THOMAS DOYLE

Train Trips

2009-10-16T18:57:00.002-03:00

If I had the time and money, these train trips would be a great way to see the world:

Train Trips - Railroad Journeys Worldwide

Waterfall Tutorial

2009-10-11T21:41:00.002-03:00

Here are a couple of ideas on how to make model water falls. I'll take any ideas I can get, as water is the one thing that I have been reluctant to try. My chief concern is that I can't make it real enough to suit my daisy counting tendencies. :)

Waterfall Tutorial

Swiss Trains Live Map

2009-10-09T18:02:00.002-03:00

This map uses Google Maps to show the position of various trains in Zurich.

"The current view is based on the Swiss traintimetable, and does not yet show the actual GPS-positions of the trains. But, as Swiss trains are almost always on time, most of the time the position is accurate."

www.swisstrains.ch

Reminiscences of a Lighthouse Keeper

2009-04-19T14:52:00.003-03:00

First, I'll tell you that this has nothing to do with trains. However, I did find this page while looking for the names of light house keepers in the area, in order to give a name to the keeper for the light house on one of the loops for the N scale micromodules. So, there's your train angle. :-)

I enjoyed the history aspect and especially how reading this was like sitting and listening to the narrator recount his years as keeper of the Green's Point light, not far from St. George, NB:

Reminiscences of a Lighthouse Keeper

NARP: National Association of Railroad Passengers

2009-04-17T15:34:00.002-03:00

Ok, this is a really cool idea. An association with members who WANT more passenger services. I wonder how many of them aren't train fanatics already? :-)

NARP: National Association of Railroad Passengers

Simutrans - a transportation simulation game

2009-04-15T08:59:00.002-03:00

I recently got into Microsoft's old Train Simulator (2001). Microsoft says they won't produce any more versions, other than the original, so I had to purchase a copy on eBay as you can't buy it anymore in the stores.

However, I just happened upon this SimCity-like transportation simulator. It sounds interesting, anyway, and might be good for a hoot. :-)

Simutrans is a freeware and open-source transportation simulation game.

Your goal is to establish a successful transport company. Transport passengers, mail and goods by rail, road, ship, and even air. Interconnect districts, cities, public buildings, industries and tourist attractions by buiding a transport network you always dreamed of.

Planes, ships, trains, trams, trucks, busses and monorails are at your disposal. You can control and watch your finances and the traffic of your vehicles and goods.

You can play as long as you like. Start in 1880 and finish in 2050. There will be new vehicles and buildings throughout this time. Cities will grow and merge forming metropolises.

Play against the AI or on your own. Only if you are in debt for three months, you are bankrupt and the game is over.

30th Annual Mooning of Amtrak

2009-04-14T19:23:00.002-03:00

Ok, this seems hard to believe, but here it is. This is not the kind of railfanning we're used to! :-)

The 30th Annual Mooning of Amtrak

SJSMR Annual Model Train Show

2008-11-09T21:48:00.006-04:00

The SJSMR annual train show was normally held the first Saturday of March Break each year at a school in the uptown of Saint John but problems with the weather and locations dictated we needed to move date and location. Hence, the new show date of November (8th this year) and the location of the Lion's Club in Quispamsis.

I didn't have my camera at the show but I hope to get some pictures soon. Our layout seemed to work out well and, as usual, the kids appreciated seeing the trains at their own eye level. There were only a few occasions of tiny hands reaching out but we expect it so it's not a big deal. :)

One new thing we tried was linking Lawrence's Digitrax Zephyr to mine using Loconet. This actually works! We were able to "slave" one of the Zephyrs to the other and run two trains at once. This was fun for everyone because we could run two trains at once and we also had one short and one long passing siding, both close to one of the loops. The kids especially enjoyed the prospect of trains crashing. (Obviously, we could have been running more than one train all along but we haven't spent the money on additional hand-held controllers, which can cost as much as the Zephyrs themselves did! I'm determined to find a used one somewhere, even if it's just the most basic model.)

Another new thing we had were skirts! Lawrence's wife, Laurie, graciously sewed hems on a huge number of squares of black cloth which worked perfectly to dress up our show layout. It was really nice to look like we really knew what we were doing. :)

Click Here For PDF Version Of The Layout

Micromodule Superelevation

2008-11-05T21:08:00.002-04:00

I tried a little superelevation on a corner module and took a short clip to see how it looks. It turned out not too bad and makes for a more dramatic view of the train coming around the corner, even if the curve is very sharp and not terribly prototypical. Such is the sacrifice for very portable modules.

More Micros!

2008-10-17T18:18:00.005-03:00

Yes, it has been MONTHS since I last posted. A few things got in the way, like work, but now that the colder season is coming again time for trains will once again be available.

Contrary to my promise to myself not to build more modules until my current ones had more scenery, I built two more! The main reason for doing this was to provide more possibilities for our layout for an upcoming show.

This micro is named after my friend James, who inspired me to create the micromodules and who also built a module very similar to the following. There is no shame in a copy, where properly credited. Thanks, James! :-)

This little guy is a simple 12x12 inch crossover module that will help us fill in odd 1 foot gaps in the layout and also provide for a competing railway that crosses but does not interchange with our branchline.

Today, I built the frames for these and will wait until they have dried overnight. I will then sand and paint them the standard black colour, then cut some foam to fit inside the edges.

The Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative

2008-06-03T21:09:00.003-03:00

A friend pointed me to this web page the other day:

The Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Initiative

"A web community initiative intent on digitally preserving the history of the Dominion Atlantic Railway."

The Dominion Atlantic Railway, which eventually became a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific, operated in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia.

Trains Across the Tantramar 2008

2008-05-17T18:41:00.002-03:00

We've been to the 2008 Maritime Federation of Model Railroaders convention, named Trains Across the Tantramar. Here are a couple of pictures of the micromodule setup for the public train show portion.

Also, here are some YouTube videos:

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

SceniKing Backdrop F006 - Farm Fields

2008-05-05T20:24:00.007-03:00

I installed SceniKing backdrop "F006" on my farm supply module tonight - www.sceniking.com. It took all of about 1/2 hour to accomplish and turned out pretty nicely, considering it's just printed on 4 sheets of 8.5x14 inch paper. I simply followed the instructions that come with the backdrop, using a glue stick to perform the sticking duties. We will see how it holds up; the backdrop is printed with water-soluble ink and this module is transported to shows, occasionally encountering a little rain or snow. My wife suggested some sort of fixative might work; I'll certainly give it a try on the instruction page sometime.

This particular module has an 8 inch plywood backdrop built into it but the paper SceniKing backdrop is only 7.5 inches wide, so I have approximately half an inch at the bottom to hide using scenery. I believe I'll be able to make it look fairly convincing using a line of shrubs and small trees like you see at the edge of many fields.

Overall, I found that the backdrop is fast, easy to install, looks good and is not prohibitively expensive. The only thing I find lacking is the quality of the image, which shows pixelation common to images compressed using the JPEG format. This could have been avoided originally by saving and editing the images in a format such as TIFF.

-mike

------------------------------
2008-May-13 - Update: Added hill with grass and bushes to hide the bottom of the backdrop. (Sorry about the Mad Cow. What a mess she left!)

Rix "Guthrie Grain" kit

2008-05-05T11:06:00.002-03:00

I've been working on an N scale Rix "Guthrie Grain" kit for the past little while. I added a 3rd tank to the kit and plan to add more.

Additionally, I've been adding small details such as a light on the tower to light the work space below and reinforcing wires on the feed pipes. I will be adding more tanks, truck scales and unloading for rail and truck traffic, shelters for unloading, office building, fences, etc. as time permits.

Testing Before the Convention

2008-04-30T11:26:00.004-03:00

We had a session this past Saturday to test Lawrence's layout plan for the convention in May. It was a success!

Plan by Lawrence V.

Photo by Simon B.

As you can see, we expanded one of the loops to include four of the 1x4 foot modules, showing how flexible they can be.

Loop Modules

2008-04-30T11:08:00.004-03:00

Over the winter, we built the loop modules, which will allow us to have continuously running trains at shows. A switching layout is fine for me but the public likes to see trains running in circles, so that's what we do. :-)

Photo by Simon B.

These are actually two modules, each built in two pieces to allow expansion. The modules feature DCC auto-reverse units to handle the polarity problem you get when building a reverse loop. In the photo, they're connected directly together but that's because we wanted to test them after finishing the wiring. They worked flawlessly the first time! :-)

We have operated the loops semi-successfully at one show in March but had problems with the auto-reverse units picking up moisture due to the hot-and-cold cycle of going from the house, to the car, to the show; the result was that they did not work.

Since that time, the auto-reverse units have been dried out and are working flawlessly once again. However, for extra insurance, we've added a bypass switch underneath to "remove" the auto-reverse units and also a DPDT toggle switch on top to handle manual polarity switching. In a test last Saturday, we had no auto-reversing problems.

Module Roster

2008-03-04T22:12:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a month since my last confession... I've been busy. We had modules to get ready for the Saint John Society of Model Railroaders annual show on March 1. Now that the show is over with, we can concentrate on... the NEXT show, which would be the Maritime Federation of Model Railroaders convention in Amherst on May 16-17. (To be fair, there are other shows in between but we're not showing modules for those.)

Anywho, I thought I'd add a list of modules our little group has, just for fun. Check it out on my web page:

Module Roster

One thing that's missing from this list is our "Wish List", which is getting very odd, indeed. Items like crossovers that service an independent "railway" on adjoining modules, for one... :-)

-mike

Whittle Wooden Train

2008-01-31T10:20:00.000-04:00

I was at the big train show in West Springfield, MA last weekend and, along with my N scale purchases, I found a nice Thomas-compatible CN locomotive for my youngest, who just turned 3. He's in love with it, even taking it to bed at night and insisting that the train get a good night kiss as well! :-)

Whittle Wooden Train

N Scale Atlas GP-7 Decoder Install

2008-01-13T20:44:00.000-04:00

Here's another decoder install. My Atlas GP-7 is Canadian National #1721.

As I said before, my decoder brand of choice is TCS, with their “goof-proof” warranty and their “dithering” function for ulta-low speed crawl. Again, I am using a TCS M3 decoder, which has motor control and 3 functions for things such as lights. I only used two of the functions but the third is there in case I want to put a strobe light on the roof... Which would be insane, but I've done it before. Remind me to post a movie of my N scale SW8 in action. :-)

Atlas GP-7 Decoder Install

N Scale Atlas RS-3 Decoder Install

2008-01-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

My Atlas RS-3 is Canadian National #1812 and is a very nice running locomotive on DC. However, I’m running DCC so I needed it more functional.

My decoder brand of choice is TCS, with their “goof-proof” warranty and their “dithering” function for ulta-low speed crawl. In this instance I happened to have on-hand a TCS M3 decoder, which has motor control and 3 functions for things such as lights. I’d only be needing two of the functions but the third is there in case I want to put a strobe light on the roof.

Atlas RS-3 Decoder Install

N Scale Life-Like SW8 Contacts

2007-12-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

N scale Life-Like switchers are great little locomotives with fine details and fantastic low-speed, especially with a decoder in it.

The only trouble I have had is with the brass contacts that transfer power from the trucks to the frame.

I documented my conversion, based on a web page I once saw, which is no longer available. I had to go by memory and I think I got it right!

Life-Like SW8 Contacts

Prince Edward Island Railway

2007-12-08T21:26:00.000-04:00

Prince Edward Island is one of my favorite places to visit and, being a railfan, I'm naturally inclined towards what's left of their railway system.

image from www.edu.pe.ca

I have a really great book that I bought this past summer while visiting Orangedale Station near Wycocomagh, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia: A Photo History of the Prince Edward Island Railway by Allan Graham.

This is one of my favorite railway books I've collected thus far. I guess there's just something about that rural railway in PEI that appeals to me. (And I've just noticed, on looking at the first page inside the cover that not only is it signed by the author, which I knew, but it was also sponsored by the CN Lines SIG, which I did NOT know! :-)

Look here for a railway structure listing from the Railroad Station Historical Society:

Extant Prince Edward Island Railroad/Railway Structures

Kingmill Enterprises

2007-11-22T17:00:00.000-04:00

Kingmill Enterprises sells software that allows you to design your own custom scale structures. You then send a data file to them and they will cut a laser-cut wood kit for you! Very cool!

I've been meaning to use them for quite a while now but never really got around to it. I really should do it now while the dollar is more favorable. :)

www.kingmill.com

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society

2007-11-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

My wife sent me the link for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society about a year ago and while I looked at the page and bookmarked it, I didn't think any more about it. However, I recently saw an ad about a new movie, "Darjeeling Limited", which I suspect has little to do with the real railway but how often do you get movies with a train premise? The last I recall seeing was "The Polar Express"... Anyhow, I went to check the original link and there's just a placeholder now!

Let's make do with this Wikipedia link in the meantime. I didn't know it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site! :)

Darjeeling_Himalayan_Railway

CN Lines Special Interest Group

2007-11-15T08:23:00.001-04:00

I first became aware of the CN Lines Special Interest Group (SIG) through their magazine, CN Lines.

These folks are very serious about CN, obviously, but they're a wealth of really great information about Canadian National.

http://cnlines.ca

modelrailroader.ca

2007-11-14T14:11:00.000-04:00

Here's a site that I find has frequent updates and interesting how-to articles for scenery, track and structures. I tend to read everything I see online with respect to how to do things as so many people out there have better imaginations and resourcefulness than myself. :)

http://www.modelrailroader.ca

Micro/Small Layouts for Model Railroads

2007-11-13T12:42:00.000-04:00

This is another site I like to go to fairly often:

MICRO / SMALL LAYOUTS FOR MODEL RAILROADS

While some of the designs are way too small for most of us, there are lots of interesting ideas within those pages. Most of the contributors are European and British, where you tend to see a lot of compact designs anyway, and there's no limit to which scale you're using. That being said, I get the general idea from the site that scales like N and Z are not considered challenging enough when it comes to small layout designs. ;-)

Steve Boyko's "New Brunswick Railways"

2007-11-09T10:15:00.000-04:00

This is the best site for local railway info, in my humble opinion:

theboykos.com/nbrr

Take a Model Train to Work Day 2007

2007-11-09T10:07:00.000-04:00

"The World's Greatest Hobby" Announces the
Seventh Annual "Take a Model Train to Work Day"
On Friday, November 16, 2007

Waukesha, WI - On Friday, November 16, 2007, model railroaders across the country will add trains and tracks to the watercooler conversations when they bring their favorite locomotive or other hobby artifact to work. Launched in 2001 by Model Trains: the World's Greatest Hobby, Take a Model Train to Work Day kicks off model railroading's high season, culminating in the December holidays.

http://www.greatesthobby.com

Brandt Road Rail Corporation

2007-10-30T14:51:00.000-03:00

This company makes some very nice rail-going trucks. I've seen one in action in the Amherst area and I believe it's used for local (Moncton, Sackville, Amherst) switching duties instead of a dedicated locomotive.

http://roadrail.brandt.ca

Fox Valley Models

2007-10-27T09:44:00.000-03:00

Here's a new site that someone recently brought to my attention:

www.foxvalleymodels.com

Looks like they have some nice N scale structures and rolling stock available. I'm especially interested in the "Milk House". :)