This post on Brass HO Trains looks at why the Brass HO Trains are preferred over other trains. Earlier the garden railroads were more popular and people had them in the yard. Many have also dedicated the whole of the attics, basements or rooms for the perusal of their hobby of collecting model trains of the bigger scales like O and smaller ones like Brass HO trains. However, using bigger models took up a lot of space and people wanted more than a simple oval or a round track. The collectors of the model trains wanted to give a realistic look and add the scenery and landscaping from their imagination.

Thus, HO model trains gained popularity as the size was good enough to provide detailing and big enough for handling. They use standard gauge train tracks that are easily available with many of the hobby shops, retailers and also on the internet. HO basically stands for Half-O, which means that it is half the size of the O scale model. The model HO trains are durable, sturdy and offer a good balance of the detail of the bigger models, occupying lesser space, and also costs less than the bigger ones.

When HO trains were first introduced in 1930s, people found it too small and did not overtake the popularity of the O scale trains until the 1950s. Today more than 65% of the hobbyists prefer this scale. Once the hobbyists found the size to be comfortable in all aspects, more and more people started buying, pressurizing the manufacturers to make them easily available. The manufacturers have now come up with trains, tracks and railroad accessories in all the possible sizes making it possible for a wide variety of sizes and shape of layouts available.

The Brass HO trains is preferred among other materials used because of the rich look and the enduring quality. Unpainted and painted versions of the HO brass model trains are now available and one can also get custom painted ones. Some models are given a coat of rust and mud painting to give a look of wear and tear. With model trains, one can go to any extent of giving life to one’s imagination.

Brass HO Trains

This post on Brass HO Trains is on the Brass Locomotive company.  It has an official website that is accessible worldwide. It is a source for all scales of brass model trains and also all kinds of train supplies and accessories. The scales in which stock is available are Brass HO trains, HO passenger, HOn3, O, On3, G, N and 1:20:3 scales. The company deals with various importers like W&R, Accucraft, SUNSET, OVERLAND MODELS and others.

The HO brass train models include the Diesel, Gondola, Passenger, Pss Hwy Trucks and other models with finer detailing like inside gateway locomotive with road pilot, Factory painted Glacier Green, drifting valves, coal tender, Lighting in some of the models. One such model has a stove located in the middle of one side of the car.

The latest introduction comes from the North Bank Line called the Southern Pacific and is built as a coal burner for the SSW and was converted to oil in 1929. A modified boiler tube pilot is introduced and the model would have a unique footboard pilor/plow-flanger included. The W&R enterprises has come up with some of the new models of Brass HO trains. It is the Northern M-2 class series available that in in 4 versions., the Boom car, Box car, Ditcher Flat and Flat car. These model differ in terms of the brake types, roofing and colours in which they are painted. The HO Passenger units have very intricated detailing. The Canadian Pacific is a 60’ wood baggage car, 14 + 16  clerestory screened vests, short windows, stove located in the middle of one side of the car and is custom painted. Other models have designs like corner mounted stove, tall windows, wood baggage, steel reinforced ends and underframe, etc.

Brass HO Trains

Brass HO Trains on the Marklin Model Train Company: Originally a toy company that specialized in doll house accessories, Marklin found its name and fame spreading with the branching and developing the model railways. The first ones were the wind-up trains with cars that ran on tracks. These tracks could be expanded and extended. Marklin realized that the initial purchase of the model trains would keep the consumer coming back for the accessories and also more train sets. Marklin is also known to have developed model railroad gauges or scales other than N scale and Wide gauge. The range of scales available are Gauge 1, HO scale and Z scale. Trix, acquired by Marklin, provides Holdings of N-scale and DC operated HO scale.

Marklin’s range of HO train sets came out in 1935 and have been liked by children, teenagers and adults. The HO locomotives have diecast metal frames and metal wheels, while most of the locomotives and passenger cars have the bodies made of metal, too. The use of metal wheels in the freight and passenger cars prevent derailments. The HO starter sets come with a locomotive railcars, oval of track and transformer. The C track extension sets are available to expand the track layout of a starter set, to attach the passing sidings, switching tracks and storage sidings. Simplicity of the complex layout schemes and the challenging switching operations is the specialty feature of the Marklin train sets. Further, the Marklin HO train sets have known to grow in value as time passes and is still growing.

The special feature of the Marklin’s is the concept of third-rail track system eliminated the polarity problems in wiring and gained popularity because it was trouble-free. The third rail is concealed in the roadbed with only small studs protruding through the track’s ties, and the outer two rails are connected electrically.

Marklin also brought about the first digital rail control system. Marklin K83 and k84 are the Digital systems with the address of each module set by a DIP switch in the case. Right from its start in 1986, the multi-train control products has found its way to the top markets and eventually houses. The  current digital system allows simultaneous operation of up to 80 locomotives and 256 solenoid accessories all on the same layout. The DELTA multi-train control system is the entry level for digital scale and is expandable to the more complex digital versions.

With the extensive range of products, all care is also taken to give a great packaging and also a print run number that indicates the printer, month and year of printing.

Brass HO Trains

The Brass HO trains are available in the form of Steam locomotives and are imported by the American companies from Korea. Each importer may get products from two or more manufacturers or each manufacturer may also supply to more than one importer. On the whole, the HO brass model trains have to be chosen very carefully.

A number of factors determine the quality, as well as the price of the HO train set. While getting model HO trains for you collection, ensure that the following features are checked.

A brass locomotive contains a wire for piping purposes and small brass detail parts that are soldered on. The recent ones have better detailing than the older models. So, if you want antique pieces, the finer details may not be appealing. The Sprung drivers have to be checked for quality as they are essential for smooth running of the trains, in spite of any slight variations in the trackwork.

The gears have to be closed. Open gearing on the drive axles are a thing of the past. Although the closed geared models come at a higher price, they are better when it comes to smooth running. Painted brass trains are not as popular as the unpainted ones. Custom painted or factory painted ones can give it a realistic look, especially if the painting is done to give it a weathered look. However, individualistic preferences are different.

A can motor can make the train run if AC is converted to DC and the current is supplied. But if the collector knows to re-motor the locomotive, it is not an important determinant in selecting the model. Combinations such as open-frame motor, can motor and flywheel can do wonders for the trains to run well on the tracks. The presence of the can motor makes it easy to add a flywheel.

Of all the accessories to store, the box in which the locomotive came will increase the value of the Brass HO trains. This may be surprising to some, but the real antique train collector values the piece and believes the originality only with the box.

Model HO trains can be bought at hobby shops, model railroad flea markets or eBay. Many importers have online websites where the collectors can browse through the various models online and order them. Lionel HO trains, Bachmann HO Trains, Marklin HO Trains, Athearn HO Trains are the different types popularly available in the market.

The eBay lists various companies that supply the Brass HO trains and other model trains in all scales. Accessories, tracks, scenery, buildings and other such items are also available, in various scales such as N, O, G and others. A collector may get all his trains in the same scale or have a diverse collection of trains of various scales.

Brass HO Trains

At Brass HO Trains we know that when you spend a fortune on HO Scale Trains to satisfy your passion collecting them, it sure goes to say that they are not meant to be locked up in a box or cupboard. Each of these HO train set is an asset that you would be proud to display and show off. Building the right kind of cabinet does the trick.

The essential things that one needs to consider are proper functioning of the models, keeping them safe from dust and dirt, yet allow proper viewing when it is running. Certain locomotives and cars that are not suited to the layout may be among the collection, like the Brass O train, Lionel HO trains, Bachmann scale trains etc. These can either be separately displayed or can be accommodated in a corner in the same case. The boxes may be chosen to be mounted on walls or can be at the center or corner tables. The easiest route would be to get a display cabinet that is designed specifically for model trains.

A person can be hired to build or you can build your own cabinet. Pre-fabricated cabinets are available that can be used to display the HO train set. Cabinets with glass front doors can be ideal for proper viewing of the beautiful HO brass model trains. The display case must be according to the planned layout space and dimensions. This kind of cabinet settings can be fast, less expensive and easy to build, too.

However, if you want to start from the scratch, you would need to purchase enough wood to construct a cabinet. An open-ended box would be ideal if you want to fix a glass surface for viewing. The box has to be shallow, yet have dimensions to fit your model train pieces. The shelves can be placed at different heights that is appropriate and do not come in the way of the running trains, and can be made with wood or glass.

A relevant scenery can be set up as a backdrop for the entire surface of the box at the rear side. A mirror backing can be done to make the whole set look bigger and apparently make the collection look larger. The doors can be done with glass or clear acrylic, fixed with hinges or sliding along the beading. The tracks, buildings, trees, rocks and many other accessories can then be arranged that have match the scale of your brass HO trains or any other scale used.

Many companies have come up with display cases that can be purchased right away and fixed on to the wall at your home or office, suitable for model trains of O, S and N scales. When you go for a readily available cabinet, you get a wide choice of sizes, material and colours.

Enclosed cases are wall cabinets with sliding Plexiglas doors. Some companies offer 3-4 shelves for displaying brass O scale and S scales trains. They also come in various colour choices like natural oak, dark oak, natural pine, etc. The see-through display cases with acrylic doors, that are hinged to the cabinets are also available in the market. Doorless cabinets and, cases made of plastic are also available. Getting the right one to suit your Brass HO train collection or other model trains is entirely your choice.

Brass HO Trains

Brass HO trains on creating layouts… a collection of Model Trains is an interesting hobby. This collection, when displayed would be a pride of the collector, while a working model of a set of tracks, stations, scenery and other things would make the whole thing come to life. One needs to dream a lot about these carriages and engines to build a unique layout, with realistic crossing points, water falls, bridges and tunnels. The hobby has also given rise to a new market where the demands of these layouts are being met by upcoming manufacturers. Some of the basics required to build a layout are given here.

The builder needs to first choose a theme of the layout. The trains, buildings, trees and the scenery has to match the geographic zone or the area in question. The layout space has to be defined and the total length of the tracks has to be considered. The beams and pipework that project can be potential dangers if care is not taken to keep them out of the way.

Locomotive cars constitute the rolling stock of the whole HO train set. One has to be careful in selecting everything right from the couplers to the tyres. Some of the tyres can be real tiresome and hinder the smooth running of the trains. It is best to be informed about how the locomotive HO works and why some locomotives are better than the others. Levers that are responsible for smooth running and sudden halting of the trains have to be considered.

The HO brass model trains need to be run on tracks that run between a themed location like a town, hillstation or a forest. Building scenery can be fun, especially if you use low-cost items such as thermocol and POP. The scenery could include things like trees, buildings, windows, telegraph poles, old signage, ground cover, rocks, roads, fences, scenery props or a scrap yard scene.

Tracks can run along the whole length of the layout space, criss-cross between themselves and curve around the outer perimeter of the layout. But one has to be careful about creating curves to avoid derailments. Choosing the right kind of rail joiners is the trick. Running your favorite collection of Brass HO trains would be fun if they run simultaneously in the whole layout.

Adding realism to this kind of layout with a little imagination would work wonders. Creating a tranquil pond, drainage canal, raging waterfall and rippling stream, soldering the tracks, etc are some of the ways to do so. One can also add up some rust, mud and tyre marks to give it an aged look or the appearance of wear and tear.

Powering is required to make the trains run, lights and LEDs light up the path and the layout, make the motors run for the waterfalls and other accessories, etc. The engines of these trains are different their compatibility with certain transformers is better than with others. With the various power packs that are available in the market, you can choose the one that is more suitable for your requirements. Care has to be taken to make the layout of the Brass HO train set according to the HO scale for smooth running of the set.

Brass HO Trains

Where can I sell my HO Train set?
This is a question that pops up quite a bit at Brass HO Trains.  As you move onto new eras or give want money for new locomotives.  In this post we look at some of the options for selling model trains.  And not just HO Model trains but also other scales (i.e. N Scale, O Scale etc.)

Here’s our list in order of what we think is easiest to the hardest:

1) Sell your model trains to a Local Hobby Shop

A local hobby shop is probably your easiest option. This way you are able to show the physical items to the buyer and discuss their values etc. HO electric trains, HO brass model trains and more can be traded in a local shop.

Pros:

• It’s close.
• You get the cash immediately.
• You could do a trade in.
• Your buyer can see and feel what you’re selling.

Cons:

• None that I can see.

2) Put a posting up on a Train Forum and ask for buyers for your Model Trains

This is easier however the issue you might have here is that the buyers are not near you. So you’ll run into issues about the buyers want to see the quality of the trains etc. However alot of forums allow posting of images straight into the forum so you can put pictures up that will answer alot of questions.

You will have to register but it’s free to do so.

Here are some forums.

• http://www.modeltrainforum.com
• http://www.trains.com (look for forum)
• http://groups.google.com (search for model trains)
• http://groups.yahoo.com (search for model trains)

Pros:

• Wider audience.

Cons:

• It might be tricky to find someone in your area.
• You might have to ship it.

3) Sell your Model Train on eBay

You could sell your mama on eBay!

eBay is huge has lots of traffic and is well trusted.  You can’t go wrong here and at Brass HO Trains this is the route we’d go. Why it’s good for an online option is that people have a history of their sales and buys so you can see if someone is dodgy before you make the sale.  And it’s a tried and trusted system.  However it is still an online option and you are also faced with creating an account and putting pictures up.  Have a look you can get Athearn HO Trains, Bachman HO Trains, Brass O Scale Trains, Marklin HO Trains and many more.

Pros:

• Huge audience.
• Tried and trusted system.

Cons:

• Have to ship it.
• Have to register and put a post up.

4) Find a Local Model Railroad Association

Another option we suggest at Brass HO Trains is to find a local model railroad association (i.e. a club) in your area and contact them. This might involve a bit of legwork as you’ll need to call them then go to one of their meetings and see if someone is interested. Or, depending on the association’s website,  you could post something on their site.  The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) has a list of associations broken down into areas that can be found here:

• http://www.nmra.com/regions/

Pros:

• You can meet the buyers face to face.
• No shipping issues.

Cons:

• You have to track down a buyer.  There might not be buyers looking for stuff.

5) Put a posting on the NMRA’s Website

The NMRA are a big hub in the Modle Trains world. They band associations together and put out publications.  So there’s a strong community here.  Putting something on of their classifieds will get you noticed. Both members an non-members are allowed to post however non-members have to pay.  Members can post free adverts up to 50 words.  There’s more on it here: http://www.nmra.com/membership/publications/srclassified.html

Pros:

• Big audience.

Cons:

• It’s not as easy as creating an account online and doing it all yourself.
• It’s not free.

Hope this helps!

http://www.brasshotrains.com

Today at Brass HO Trains we’re talking about the most popular coupler for locomotives HO Scale Trains, namely the: Kadee #5 Couplers. They’re relatively easy to attach and are very realistic looking. Most brands make couplers (i.e. Bachmann HO Trains, Marklin HO Trains, Lionel HO Trains) but making couplers is what Kadee does so they’re the specialists. The Kadee #148 is also a popular brand.

I think Europe brands use a different type of couplers so if you’re in Europe I’m not 100% sure about this.

Sometimes a bit of handiwork is required to sand them down or cut them back a bit.  Unfortunately with the HO Train set scale’s size you will probably battle a little and it tends to be a bit fiddly but this is the nature of the beast   For all couplers,  regardless of brand,  you must make sure that the couplers don’t touch the actual body work of the models.  And try and avoid having metal touching metal as this can lead to short circuits.Visit http://www.brasshotrains.com/

Kadee #5 Coupler

Welcome to Brass HO Trains,

HO Scale is a type of model train.  It is a reference to the size of the model in comparison to the actual object that’s being modelled.  This ratio is 1:87.  So for any item found on the real train the model train’s item will be 87 times smaller. So if your train is 87 feet long then the model is 1 foot in length. The HO scale is the most popular and thus the easiest to find parts. As an example here’s a list of the more popular items and brands in this range: Athearn HO trains,  Bachmann HO trains,  Locomotives HO,  Broadway Limited HO trains, Marklin HO trains, Lionel HO trains and electric trains.

Join us on this site to explore all the toys in this space