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Rolling Stock

Rolling Stock

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(Note:  See TrainPlayer CarTypes folders for examples.)

General:
In general, anything that rolls on a railroad is available for model railroads.  The choice is extensive, particularly in the popular scales.  But the Internet has made it possible for model railroaders to find just about anything they want for sale somewhere.

Locomotives:
Many model railroaders model the 1950s because both steam and diesel-electric locomotives were in use but equipment is available for almost any period from the origin of trains up to the present day.  Model steam engines are considerably more complicated than diesel-electric locomotives.  They require more maintenance and better trackwork than diesel-electrics.  Pure electric locomotive model using overhead trolley wire or catenary are also available.

Freight cars:  All types are available as models from the basic boxcar to specialized ones such as double stack container cars and ones designed to haul specific equipment such as large transformers.

Passenger cars:  All types are available representing all eras of railroads.  Beginning model railroaders should be careful not to run modern 85' passengers cars on layouts without large radius curves.

Couplers:  Couplers are used to attach strings of cars and locomotives together.  The history of model railroad couplers is littered with attempts to provide realistic looking and smooth operating units.  Today just about everyone uses realistic operating couplers called generically "operating knuckle couplers" based on a design origimated by Kadee.

References:
General:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/purchase.html

Locomotives:


Freight & passenger cars:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/Model_Train_Freight_Cars
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Passenger_car_%28rail%29

Couplers:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/couplers.html
http://modeltrains.about.com/od/hmodelrailroadterms/g/Horn-Hook-Couplers.htm

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