Q: I was given an older model of a reefer car that has hatches across the whole roof instead of on each end (see photo above). Is this a special type of reefer for handling a specific cargo? – Wes Barteck A: Though that kind of refrigerated car is more common north of the border […]
Q: Reading Jerry Dziedzic’s essay on “Turning waybills into dollar bills” (August 2023) made me realize that I don’t know anything about how prototype railroads handle the inspection and shopping of freight cars. Are cars sent in for inspection, paint, and maintenance at fixed times, or after a certain number of miles, or only when a […]
To our younger readers, HO scale locomotives with smoke units may seem like a recent development. In reality, the feature dates back to the end of World War II when American Flyer began producing 1:87.1 steam locomotives with smoke. Since that time, companies have continued to offer HO locomotives with smoke units. Admittedly, some manufacturers […]
Digital Command Control, or DCC, is one of two ways most modelers control their trains. Instead of sending current directly to the rails, and making any train that’s receiving that current move, DCC sends packets of information through the rails and to individual locomotives to tell them what to do. For a DCC system to […]
If you have LEGO trains, you probably have LEGO train track. Different kinds of LEGO train track have appeared in train sets from the very beginning and have evolved to the gray track that we have today. What parts can you buy in the store today? Come along on this journey as I share all […]
Q: I’m planning a small layout based on The Bay Line (BAYL), a north Florida short line, focusing on the Cottondale diamond crossing and CSX interchange. I found a fascinating picture of the diamond near the interchange in 1989, which shows a grade crossing-type gate across the railroad track just before the diamond. What would the […]
Q: I’ve been given several HO scale locomotives that unfortunately came without boxes or information about whether they were DCC equipped or not. Most are very nice, higher end models, not entry-level. Is there any way to safely find out if each locomotive is DC or DCC without taking off the shells? Even if I do remove […]
Why do toy trains have track with three rails? Q: Why are so many toy trains manufactured to use three rails? It seems to me that regardless of whether a train uses AC or DC, two rails are all that would ever be needed to deliver electricity to the locomotive. HO does just fine on […]
Can I buy a Flyer and Lionel crossing track piece? Q: Has anyone ever been able to develop a combination crossover to let two-rail American Flyer S gauge trains go through Lionel or other three-rail O gauge track without interrupting the current running through either track? – Dennis D. Orth, Burlington, Colo. A: Dennis, I’m […]
Should I quarter the drivers on my Lionel steam locomotive? Q: I have a Lionel No. 1615 steam switcher that runs well, but sometimes I wonder if the drivers are quartered correctly. They are not lined up together on opposite sides. What should I do? – James Thompson, Los Angeles, Calif. A: James, prototype steam […]
How do I add lighting to cabooses? Q: I have five modern-era cabooses, four Lionel and one Atlas O, and I would like to add interior lighting to them. How do I do it? A: The first consideration is finding bulbs that glow warmly without getting too hot for the plastic caboose bodies. This shouldn’t […]
What kind of transformer do I need to power 10 accessories? On my layout, I am adding a row of 10 operating accessories: nos. 164 log loader, 175 rocket launcher, 342 culvert loader, 345 culvert unloader, 352 ice depot, 397 coal loader, 445 switch tower, 456 coal ramp, 3356 horse car, and 3472 milk car. […]
