National Model Railroad Month
Roger Hensley

When I was growing up in the 1950s, it seemed as if the railroads were a part of daily life in the U.S. Trains were everywhere. In those days it was hard not to become interested in modeling them as a hobby.

Things are different today. In large parts of the country the railroads never receive the attention of the public in the way they did for most of the nation’s history. The local hobby shop has done a disappearing act as well over the past 20 years, and it’s very possible that the non-model railroading public could go through most of their daily existence without ever being exposed to railroads.

It is time to show the interested public what a great hobby we have. More and more, it’s up to us to give others the opportunity to see trains in action. For some people, this is setting up train tracks around the Christmas tree and hooking up engines, boxcars, and cabooses manufactured by Lionel, MTH (Mike’s Train House), Life Like or Bachmann. And for others with a basement, den or room, indulging in model train “play” is serious business all year round. It is such a huge pastime, that November has been designated National Model Railroad Month. Specialist stores, hobby clubs and magazines are devoted to this passion.

Obviously, we’re not talking about cheap plastic kid toys here, but true-to-scale models with lights, whistles, steam, and detailed scenery. There are several model Railroads in and around Anderson, and the Indianapolis area is full of them. They come in all sizes from very modest sized layouts to large expansive ones that have taken years to build. The Scenery can be astounding.  There could be railroad workers going about their business. There could be a cat in the rubbish, or a woman watering plants in a top floor window box, or maybe a wedding at the church, parking meters, and even drunks on the street. It’s all possible with model railroading. It doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. I have been at it for more than 30 years and I have assembled a number of cars and locomotives without spending my kids inheritance (as if I had one).

After having been exposed to model railroading, the allure may be the trains or the scenery or both. Finding or creating the true-to-life trees, mountains, rivers, tunnels, people, stations, etcetera to surround a train track can be irresistible. In addition to our model railroads at home, we have built several model railroads at the Museum of Madison County History (the History Center) for our Christmas Exhibit. So, it you are interested, you may stop in and look them over on and M-W-F.

C U There!

15 W 11th Street, Anderson IN

Spotted WPMA-40 with no cars on the lower end of Division Street.

Bruce

   

I'm looking for plastic LED holders that will securely hold 5 mm LEDs in a 1/8" thick solid, wooden control panel without any wiggle on either end of the LEDs.  I want to snap the holders/LEDs in place through a hole drilled in the panel and wire the two poles from the panel's underside without having to hold the LED itself.

I got these from All Electronics, but the holders easily pop loose from the hole.  I could glue them is as I've done in the past, though I'm searching for other options now.

https://www.allelectronics.com/item/hled...3/4/1.html

I then found these on eBay that look like they'll do the job:  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/20Pcs-5mm-LED-H...rk:48:pf:0

Will the eBay example do what I want?  If not, please refer me to a style and a source for them that will.

Thank you for your help and advice!

I've been looking for a long time to purchase detail associates part 1012 dual headlight conversion plate. I can't find them anywhere. If anyone has one or two they're willing to part with name your price, I would greatly appreciate it. 
https://www.walthers.com/headlights-dies...ghts-pkg-2

I had some leftover drivers from an HOn3 MDC 2-8-0, and an old MDC boiler that I had ruined the smokebox front, so I decided to try and turn it into an HON3 4-6-0.  First, I designed and printed a frame through Shapeways.

   

Resurrected the benchwork from the old On30 layout. Splotched some clouds onto the backdrop to cover the defects. Tired of sanding and still not being able to get the paint to match in those areas.



Got a good deal on the package of HO Kato Unitrack for the for the Model Railroader's  Black River Junction layout about four years ago.

Found that the track can be painted to look like narrow gauge track.





What is 55n3, visit:

http://www.55n3.info/

Thank you if you visit
Harold

YPMA-02 works Flying Fish Brewery while the Mannheim Yard switcher SD38 6934 makes up an outgoing grain train.

Bruce

   

Its been a long time almost 6yrs, but getting back to normal and going to try and get more done on the B&NE RR. had to take sometime away for personal reasons. I see a lot of old names still kicking the rails and  whole bunch more of new names in the station look forward to reconnecting with you all

Been in and out of HOn30 since the early 1970s. Was N-Scaling and got a good deal on the Kato Carolina Central layout about four years ago. Sure looked like HOn30 with the track spacing. Bought some Minitrains and Shapeway HOn30 cars but health problems caused me to shelve model railroading.

2018 was a good health year so returning to model trains tried N-Scale with an attemept at a "door layout" in N-Scale with standard gauge. Trouble is "I see narrow gauge". Various other odd model train ventures intervened. Got a Myner Models Model Power 2-6-0 conversion working. Runs great after a major D-oh moment.

Found that I could make my Kato track look like HOn30 with little effort.



So the layout is still in track planning stages.



Harold

After giving a try at two Tichy tank cars kits I lettered as UTLX, I decided I should improve my roster of tank cars. I bought a box of six Tichy kits.

   

When building the sixth one I decided to replace the KC brakes with AB brakes parts I had on hands (Front Right car)

I lettered three of them as CGTX.

   

Two as GATX

   

And one as BAOX

   

When documenting the project for lettering I realized that if I had put AB Brakes on all six cars and omitted the straps near the dome I would have had cars that would "look more prototypical" for the era I model. I then realized that I should better document any project at an earlier stage of completion. Lesson learned.

Any way I now have tank cars that look a lot better than any BB Athearn kits I had and even some not so good looking RTR.