This post on Brass HO Trains is about Landscaping.  Landscaping and layouts for Brass HO trains and other model trains can be interesting and fun. A simple base for laying out an E-Z track system can be built on a styrofoam base. The base can be cut into desired shape and size with an electric knife or hack saw blade. The track has to be aligned carefully and the joiners can be pushed inside or snapped together. At this stage, a car can be made to run along the laid out track to check the fixing. It may be difficult correct any mistakes later.

Building a tunnel needs careful planning prior to actually building it. The identically cut stylofoam pieces can be stacked up on one another for the height and styrofoam glue can be used to keep them together. The height will vary for Brass HO trains and other model trains. The shape of the tunnel and the roof part can be a separate piece of the styrofoam. Portholes can be designed one plaster and painted using acrylic paints and fixed using the adhesive. The roof of the tunnel must be made to look like a small hillside, which can be done by using a coat of adhesive and grass, with bulges made to look like rocks.

The rest of the space can be used for buildings such as station, house, freight company and other structures and landscaping. Place the buildings in their respective places and plan out the streets and roads using the permanent marker. Lighting up the layout, placing the lights in particular places gives a special effect to the layout. A “V” shaped groove can be cut to bring in the wire to the upper surface and the same can be run along the desired path. Staples can be used to hold them in place. The wires can be hidden using some light weight spackling.

One can cut the foam into rolling shapes to make mountains, valleys, canyons, bumps and rocks. These can be stuck using the white glue. Ponds can be made by using wire brush on the foam to scape the area in desired shape to about 1/4” deep. Brown and black colours can be used. The pond edge and the surrounding area must be brushed up with adhesive and a grass base can be applied, taking care not to spill the grass into the pond. The track has to be stuck to the base using a brush to apply adhesive. Grass and grasslands can be made by applying a coat of adhesive on the foam in the required areas and the bulges that look like hills, and then spreading simulated grass in the area.

The pavements are made using dry plaster powder into gray base paste and brushing it on the roadways. This needs to dry up before applying anything else. The final step is to add buildings, trees and other details wherever necessary. Scattering around the sand, brick pieces and other things will give it a realistic look. The final look comes in when you install a wooden frame around the whole board. The foam gets a support and the wear and tear of the corners will be prevented. The scale of the landscaping will be different for N scale, O scale or Brass HO trains and one needs to consider this too, to keep the whole unit uniform. Check this book out for more info SubTerrain Manual – Constructing a Lightweight Model Layout the Woodland Scenics Way.

Brass HO Trains

This post in Brass HO Trains is about setting up the basics for your model trains. The Brass HO trains and all other scale model trains have four basic components. The locomotive, the cars, track pieces and the power supply. The model HO trains can be powered by a transformer or power pack or a DCC system. A beginner can start off with an oval or circular track that is simple to understand and accommodate inside the house.

The assembling of the track might be a bit tricky. A simple oval shaped track that comes in the beginner’s kit would be a good start. We also recommend getting a book which can take you through the steps (HO Railroad from Start to Finish (Model Railroad Handbook, No 36)). One can find out one’s own easy way of assembling, like getting the curved pieces first, placing of the piers, etc. The feeder and the railer positions must be properly placed to ensure the power supply without the hinderances of the wires. Rerailers can be used at regular intervals so that the position of the wheels get automatically adjusted at frequent intervals. If the train set does not come with a railer, it can be obtained separately. It can be fixed into the rails to roll down a locomotive or car that smoothly gets adjusted into the track. Railing can be done by hand, but is difficult for smaller models like Brass HO trains.

It is important to set the throttle to minimum or zero and clear away any things on the rails before plugging in the power supply. To prevent short circuits, do not use any metal laying across the rails. Some power supplies have a circuit breaker that can be reset and others emit sounds when there is a short circuit and later reset themselves. Once the trains are railed on the track, rise the throttle very slowly and let the train start to move. This will be the minimum throttle. The maximum throttle will be the point where the train is moving at its fastest without compromising on the safety. For each model the minimum or the maximum throttles may differ.

The forward and reverse movements come next. It is different for 2-rail and 3-rail systems. For 2-rail sets, the switch works in opposite polarities of the DC voltage applied to the rails, causing the motor to reverse. For 3-rail sets, the transformers have a direction button and work on AC voltage. The direction button causes the drops in the electric current on the rails and causes the train to move forward or backward.

HO Railroad from Start to Finish (Model Railroad Handbook, No 36)

Brass HO Trains