Model Railroading Basics

Bob Ellis
August 2011

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This material is intended to be used as web pages if Internet access is available and/or as a live demo if run on a computer with the necessary software (TrainPlayer & AnyRail).

Model RR scales
Rolling stock: locos, cars
Typical track components
The problem of circle diameter
Overall layout size: space, reachability
Type of layout: toy train, scale
Operations; watch trains run, switching, mainline
Examples of good layouts
Benchwork: table top, open grid, shelf, modular
Roadbed
Track laying
Electrical: 2 rail/3 rail, DC/AC, command control
Scenery

References;
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/ (The National Model RR Association (NMRA) is a primary resource)
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Rail_transport_modelling (Wikipedia has some good background information on model railroading)
http://www.atlasrr.com/intromr.htm
http://www.greatesthobby.com/
http://www.lionel.com/GettingStarted/
http://www.kalmbachstore.com/ (A major publisher of books & magazines about trains & model railroading)
http://www.kalmbachstore.com/modeltrains-railroading-model-railroading-books-model-railroading-for-beginners.html (Kalmbach beginners books for model railroading)


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Copyright 2005-2011 by the Central Arizona Model Railroad Club and individual authors.  Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this material for personal or educational use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice on the first page.  To otherwise copy, republish, post on servers or redistribute in any manner requires specific prior permission.