Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Buying An Electric Model Train - Tips to Consider

If you're buying an electric model train, there are a few key factors that you will want to check to make sure that you won't have problems with it in the future. One of the most frustrating things with model railway trains is when they don't work properly and you've ended up wasting money on a model railway train that will just sit in the sidings all the time.

You want your trains to run smoothly and not have problems with them stop-starting because of poor connections. There's nothing more annoying with model railways than when you end up having to push the model trains round the track and then when they do finally bite, they go zooming off the track because you've forgotten you've turned the power right up to try and get them going in the first place!

For those who don't know how model railway trains work, electricity is passed through the track from the controller, which is then picked up by the wheels of the train. This in turn charges the motor, which causes the trains to move.

The most common problems occur when the connection between the track and the wheels is poor and therefore, the electricity doesn't get to the motor and make it work as it should. This means that you want to check that these parts are in good working order.

The more sets of wheels the train has, the better the pick up will be as there are more points for conducting the electricity from the track and passing it to the motor. Therefore, you will want to check this before you make a purchase and make sure that there is always more than one set, as if this stops working, your model train will be going nowhere!

Having read my last point you may think the more pickups the trains has, the better, but another point to consider here is that trains with longer wheelbases will need larger tracks with smooth turns to avoid them derailing. Therefore, if you only have a small layout, there's not much point in buying a long passenger train model as this will just cause another problem.

If you can, I would suggest testing the model train before you buy it and make sure that it has a nice smooth movement and that it also speeds up and slows down without any sudden jolting movements. This will be a sign of any problems to come, so steer clear of these.

The final point I would like to make is that when buying an electric model train, always choose quality over quantity. This may cost you more in the short term, but will definitely pay off in the long run. Not to mention the amount of time you'll save not having to fix broken trains or the frustration of trying to work out what's gone wrong. When your model railway trains go wrong, this can be one of the most annoying experiences for any railway modeler. The more you do to avoid this, the smoother and more pleasurable your ride will be.

As with all areas of model railroading, the more research you do to begin with, the less problems you will run into in the future. For more information and tips for model railway trains, visit my website by clicking the links below.


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