Train Camera for Your Model Trains

Installing a train camera is an exciting way to bring a new perspective to your layout. You?ve seen the trains running throughout your scenery and landscape from a bird?s eye view and probably (hopefully) from eye level also, but it?s always from the outside of the train, as if you?re a rail fan looking on.

Imagine the fun of watching your scenery and mountains roll by while you?re sitting in the cab of your own locomotive, or maybe watching everything go by from the rear of the train.It?s especially fun to watch other trains either coming toward you on a second track or moving along with you. You can really get a first-person sense of what it would be like to actually be the engineer on your own train!

If you?re a dispatcher in a model railroad operating session and you need to see what?s going on in the yard without having to leave your control panel, you can send your train cam to the area to check it out!

Amazingly, you can do all of this now with a small wireless color video camera attached to your train.

The TC-9P is powered by a rechargeable Nicad battery, which begins charging any time the rail voltage is above 4.5v. It works on AC, DC and DCC powered track, and can be installed on any scale train - even Z scale.

It works by wirelessly transmitting a high quality color video signal to a wireless receiver within a 30-meter range. The transmitter itself measures 0.6 x 0.6 x 0.47 inch, contains a 270,000 pixel ?? CMOS Image Sensor and transmits a 2.4GHz microwave signal.

The wireless receiver can be connected to any TV or VCR with an RC video input.

The picture has good resolution and color and wide angle focus with enough detail that you can see turnout points, signals and crossings easily and can even work in tunnels with very little light!

The Train Camera System contains everything you need to get started including the transmitter with microwave antenna, controller, rechargeable battery, wireless receiver, AC adapter, and video cable.

You could install the transmitter on the front of your locomotive or on top if you have enough clearance on your layout for it. If you wish, you could cut out one end of a passenger car or boxcar and install the camera inside so that it?s not readily seen from the outside. You could also install it on a flatcar and angle it to the inside of your layout so your can watch the scenery go by as the train rolls through the landscape.

Overall, this is another great way to enhance your layout, to ensure your scenes are viewed at eye level for the best perspective, to see what it would be like to be an engineer on your own train, and mostly to have fun!

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How to Choose Your First Model Train

First question: how old are you?

No, I'm not being ageist, but the tracks that bring an eight year old and a retiring baby boomer's first model train introduction to our wonderful hobby are many and varied. There's also the issue of money - one of the above is more likely to have far more to dispose of freely than the other. But there is a common freight yard that we can explore here.

What gauge?

Statistically, there's about a 66 % chance that your first model train will be HO gauge. Trains built to 1/87th the size of the real thing and running on rails spaced 16.5 millimeters apart account for around..." of all model railroad purchases. If your first model train was a gift, chances are you won't be too concerned about the other sizes, gauges and scales. But if you are lucky enough to have your hand on the regulator, you might want to consider some of the other options available as well. You have a huge, usable basement? Have a look at O gauge. 8ft x 4ft is about all you could possibly spare? Check out N gauge.

I want to see it run!

Of course you do. After all, that's what distinguishes what we do from what the plane makers, and shipbuilders and military modelers do. Our stuff works! Most first model trains take their initial run around the tracks on the floor. Nothing wrong with that, but long term, stuff like pet hair, lint and carpet-grime that those little DC motors pick up from the floor can make your trains run less well. Then there's the issue of how you see your trains. I've yet to meet the model railroader who is happy with the perspective of being above the roadbed, looking down. So after you've reassured yourself that it all runs fine out of the box - or boxes - try relaying the tracks on something like a ping-pong table. It's safer, if noisier, but from a seated viewpoint, now you're seeing your train side-on or front -on and just below your normal line of sight. Much more satisfying.

Laying ties and driving spikes.

Eventually many of you probably will hand-lay your own track, but after the first flush of seeing your train actually running on the ping-pong table - or kitchen table, if you opted for N gauge - you may be thinking about something a bit more permanent and visually stimulating than the oval of track with it's impossibly toy-like tight curves that came in the pack with your first model train. Time to do some planning! And that, dear reader, is so much easier and more convenient now than in the pencil, eraser, protractor and graph-paper days. I'm assuming that you all have computers, so you'll be pleased to know that there are plenty of software packages that take the drudgery and guesswork out of planning a layout. Some you have to buy - others are free. Almost all offer some kind of try-before-you-buy option. Just use your search engine with keywords like "model railroad track-plan" and you'll see plenty of choices.

What will all of this cost?

If you want to start with an off-the-shelf set, or if you are thinking about buy a model train set as a birthday or Christmas present for someone else, $200-300 seems a fair ball-park figure. That, by the way, gets you everything you need to start hauling freight right away - locomotive, cars, track and a powerpack. Time and available cash will determine how much more gets spent from this point on. But forget about the money; your first model train will always be a pleasure and a joy that lingers.

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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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Some Tips on Deciding Your Model Train Scales

So you have decided that you want to build your own model railroad, but how exactly should you go about doing this? Well, one of the first aspects of model railway building you will have to look into is the difference between model train scales. A model trains scale is the ratio that it has been built at, compared with the size of the prototype (original train).

There are many different model train scales to choose from, so you will want to do your research carefully first, to make sure that you make an informed decision and not rush into anything you regret later. You don't want to start building your model railway, only to find your plans getting derailed by problems caused by choosing the wrong scale further down the line. Each model train scale comes with it's own advantages and disadvantages which will affect your final decision and ultimately, your success with building your model railway.

Smaller model scales take up less space and therefore, if you are limited in the amount of room in which you have to build your model railway trains layout, then you may want to look further into these smaller scales. However, if you have more room to play with, then you may wish to choose a larger scale, as these are easier to handle (and see)!

Another factor that you may also want to look into with relation to choosing your model trains scale, is if it is suited to the particular needs that you want your model railway for. For example, if you are wanting a train set to use outside in the garden, you would do best to look into G scale trains from manufacturers such as LGB model trains, as these are designed for this purpose.

Different model railway train scales will also have a different amount of accessories available too, so this will be something you will want to do your research into before you start buying anything. Some of the scales have a far more limited selection of trains, wagons, accessories or scenery available, so you will want to look into this carefully if you have plans on expanding your model railway.

Obviously, the more popular a particular train scale is, the more accessories and parts manufacturers will make for it to satisfy demand. Therefore, it's maybe an idea to look into the most popular scales, such as HO scale model trains if you want a lot of accessories available for your model railway.With regard to the accessories, you will want to look into what layout you are planning to build too and then research what you will need to successfully complete your build.

As you will see, there are a number of important considerations when choosing model train scales, but hopefully now you will have a get idea of what you need to think about to build the model railroad of you dreams. The most important factor to achieving your goals is to plan and research everything properly first. For more information on model railway trains, click on the links below now.

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