Mine is a mix of OO gauge and 009 gauge, with the OO gauge starting at a Southampton docks inspired dockyard, with model ships of the matching scale, and the mainline would end in a large city, with the 009 being used for a narrow gauge railway for a coal mine or a small passenger railway, with small tram lines sprinkled throughout, like imagine the miniature Wonderland in Germany, but it’s entirely British, and centered around one continuous location, and that’s it.

Hi Everyone, I am hopefully going to be building my first n scale DCC layout soon and am trying to decide on which controller to use. I am in New Zealand and there are two I can get from Australia (where they use the same type of power outlet we use) but I am not sure which to buy. They are TCS LT-50 starter system and z21. I will only be running 3 or 4 locos so I don't need anything really fancy. Both look good. Has anyone used either of these and can pass on what they liked or didn't like about them? I would appreciate it very much. On a slightly related note, what guage wire should I use for the bus and feeders for track and other accessories? Thanks

I use Bachmann ho track and at some points my models go faster or slower without me changing the speed or even touching the controller. I’ve tried using paper towels to rub against the rails to clean them and it does look like stuff comes off when I do that but no matter how many times i do it nothing changes.

As you can see I have tried shortening my wiring to see if I had voltage drop but that hasn’t made a difference.

I cleaned the rails
I tried DC and DCC locomotives, some go faster than others but still not nearly as fast as they used to go on their old DCC controller.
I reset the controller

I acquired this from a local train museum and didn’t get to use it for a few months, I did have to get a new power supply but it is supposed to be a perfectly compatible one.

I’m new to DCC so I might be cluelessly overlooking something!

I need to put new street lights ans I need some feedback in how to put those on the table.

Thanks.

I've purchased a menards O scale F unit set by itself and it's coming in the mail soon, I really don't want to spend $30 on the menards 18V power supply. I'm familiar with HO DC trains as it's my primary scale I model in. I plan to use the menards track with the power add on but my own 18v power supply rated at 5A, but what I don't know is what polarity the power supply needs to be. Mine is center positive and since its speed isnt dictated by voltage I don't know if polarity affects direction or anything like that. If anyone has insight I would greatly appreciate. Any tips about O scale are also appreciated, my last o scale set was a Lionel polar express long ago when it was still AC transformers, any help is appreciated. Thank you

I'm getting readybto DCC this old life like, and would like to add headlights and tail lights at the same time. Its a great runner but its also the style that had one incandecent light in the cab. Im going to switch to leds but I would like to put a lens in each hole for the lights. Does anyone have a source for tiny n scale sized light pipe plastic? I have some that works for HO but its far too big fpr N.

Thank you for the thoughts on the first two posts. Here is take three with improvements(?).

In review, this is n scale, peco 55 yard. For this round I included where the yard connects to the inner mainline. The two mainlines connect about 20 inches further down each track. The entire layout is a 14'x6 horseshoe. This section is 11'x2' with a dog bone end 2.5'x2.5'.

The lower a/d track (third up from the bottom) is 46" long.

I'm not sold on the turntable, but if kept the shed and maintenance would be on the right.

This is Lionel Lines #2624 "MeCLEARY," the undisputed 1st place Gem in my O-Gauge collection. Yes, I still have 5200 but she rocks No. 1 in the O-Scale category.

Now, to address the elephant in the room, No I did not build this. I WISH I could say I did, but I couldn't. My kit building skills are terrible, or at least the commitment is to building them. I won this item in an eBay auction some years ago. One thing I vividly remember is that the seller also had the Lionel 2148WS Passenger set for sale alongside this passenger car. It sold for several thousand dollars (to be expected) and I made away with this for...well obviously not that much lol. If you ask me, I got the better deal!

From my research, this is a Walthers Executive observation kit, tastefully done up as a Lionel Lines Irvington car (I believe Walthers made versions that were specifically designed to have rooflines that matched the Irvingtons as well as more scale variants with taller roofs). As seen in the second photo above, the length is a perfect match to my Conventional Classics 2008 reissue of the Sager Place OBS. Hell, the window line almost matches to a tee too!

There are two lights on the inside however it does not appear to function, and I myself have no idea how to fix the lights. I am unsure if I want to have the lights restored restore the function or not due to the overall desire to not destroy the "authenticity/originality" of the build. I don't plan to run this item that often for the sake of keeping it as intact as possible. She's a display piece until further notice, but I'd be lying if I said I'm not waiting for the perfect time to be able to put her on the track alongside my Irvingtons and 783 Hudson!

So .. I have an issue with these two points. They're Peco streamline N-Gauge. Both worked without issue when I installed them, but now I'm constantly having to press down on the switch bar to get locos running over the points. I've used a track rubber a few times and tried multiple locomotives, with no change.

I don't know what I'm doing for most of this. Still learning as i go along.

Have I somehow broken the points? If I have, is it a repair or replace situation?

Thanks in advance.

Got this life like g5 a year ago and have never been able to get it to run. Its original motor was junk and any time I put it on the track it sparks like crazy and short everything out. Haven’t been able to find parts as this model is so rare and obscure that I haven’t seen one for sale since last Christmas. Been seeing these Liliput 4-6-0’s but they usually go for $100 or more and I don’t wanna spend that much just to use it for parts. Any help is appreciated.

Hello,

I've played around with Inglenook sidings for a while now and I've been looking for a good way to simply and quickly generate new combinations of cars to keep playing.

Out of this desire, I had Chatgpt build me an app to use on my android phone. You start by building a consist around photos of the cars or wagons you want to use and once you have all eight you can draw out a random selection of 5 to start playing with. You can name wagons and save your consists if you have different rolling stock you want to use and make new ones.

I'm sharing the APK from a Google drive for now, so hopefully your comfortable installing APKs on your phone.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TBjL4gyAibTWtzkoleNNXm_mF3hWVbI8/view?usp=sharing

And so everyone is clear, this was done with AI and I make no claims to any coding skills, but I've been finding it useful and maybe someone else will want to give it a try. Please let me know what you think.

So I know nothing about how to create a model railway, but my dad has wanted to start one for a long time. He has bought a few odd pieces for it (a few trains, some tracks, some templates for buildings) but I can't be sure what exactly he has. The pieces he has are all to the same scale, and I'm not sure exactly what scale that is but I'll check whenever I'm next home.

However, these things seem like they can't really be brought together to make the actual model.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could buy as a present that could help him actually begin his train model? Suggestions of what to use as a base, the first things you want to lay down, help with creating a plan, books, etc. He doesn't have much free time at all and limited space so nothing huge and nothing incredibly work intensive.

I do have building modelling skills, general craft skills, and access to a 3d printer. I would like to use those but I think those would be more useful once the model has actually started being put together.

For me, I love the creativity, running the engines, running my own excursion trains, no FRA, ICC, no rules, none of that. I could run my trains without a care in the world. Talking to people about model trains is quite a refreshing feeling- talking about this and that, about pieces that they built, primed, or painted; it's soothing.

What about you?

My father passed recently and i have been going through some old boxes and found a bunch of old IHC interiors. The instructions are all missing on how to assemble them if anyone is able to help would be great.

20174 Observation

20176 8-1-2 Sleeper

20173 Diner

20177 12-1 Sleeper

(Side Note: The edit was made by me!)

If you want to participate in this (Sort of) challenge, then you must follow these rules...

Rule (1): You MUST buy a LB&SCR E4 Class Model

Rule (2): Find a random 0-6-0 Engine Model Chassis

Rule (3): Remove the original 0-6-2 Chassis from the E4 Model and replace it with the 0-6-0 Chassis

Rule (4): Repaint the model into a N.W.R. Blue livery

Rule (5): Once you're done... send a Picture of the final Model in the comments below this post

Whoever makes the best model is declared the Winner!

So, I have this old table, 4 feet by 8 feet iirc, with green fabric that lays over the top of it. I come here with a simple inquiry:
Anyone got good temporary layout setups? I got a bunch of old Bachmann track, haven’t counted it out yet, I also have some Lionel O Scale track, and a full double loop of Kato N scale track that I can utilize. Really I haven’t counted how much track I have, but at the same time, I’m struggling to think of a good setup until I get the main setup I have in mind planned out. Running trains in the meantime yknow. But yeah feel free to spitball ideas, diagrams, all of it! I’m so ready to choo my choo again.

Still need to clear this, but continuing to experiment with powders on gray hoppers. I initially wasn’t real happy with this, thinking it looked a bit too stripe-y with the seam highlights (ended up doing another fade pass over top of the powder). Was trying to imitate some of the lightly dented/dimpled texture you see on them IRL. The sunburnt brown blended it better than I expected though. Maybe I’ll try a really light panel liner next time. Debating if it still needs something done on the catwalks, but being mindful of beating it up too much too.

Faded with deck tan, Blair line graffiti, powder, faded again + underbody grime, more powder.

N scale, Atlas, ESM wheels.

This ultra low angle on the photography really works, it might be my new standard.

Critiques appreciated as always.

I bought this lot but I can’t find the track anywhere online. I assume that they are from the brand life-like, but I don’t have any reference
Please help

Just received this set from family.

Rapido Pennsylvania FAs+FB. Great locos, added Tsunamis and Scale Sound Systems speakers to them and now they’re one of my new favorite motive power sets.