Bachmann Trains & Accessories

Ho Model Railroad Trains
ho scale model rail roading i have purchased an athearn john deere train set and cant find more road bed track

how do you match up different types of railroad track when they dont match is there a way that you can make different roadbed track work with one another.

Your local hobby shop should have books available on railroad modeling that cover layouts and scenery. You can make roadbed with cork strips and then glue “gravel” to it.
1/4″ plywood might work,but you’ll have to cut it to the exact shape you want (curves and straight)
Some modelers like to build the roadbed from scratch.

Ho Model Railroad Trains

A Fun Quiz for Model Railroaders

Like any great hobby model railroading has it’s share of fascinating facts.  With model trains you can happily learn all about the models themselves, as well as the real world trains they are based on.  As there are so many different model gauges, manufacturers, history and other facts the learning is positively endless.

Now try this quiz to see how much you know about Model Railroading.

Question 1:  A reefer train car is:A.  A black and white passenger car resembling a referee.B.  A refrigerated freight car.C.  One car that is facing to “refer” to another car.

Question 2:  Classic Lionel trains are this gauge:A.  L Gauge.B.  HO Gauge.C.  O Gauge.

Question 3:  A model train transformer:A.  Converts household AC current to DC current.B.  Prevents robot attacks.C.  Is a type of transition track from straight to curved.

Question 4:  A caboose is:A.  A train car for transporting taxi cabs.B.  Any train car that is longer than average.C.  A train car to accommodate workers on a freight train.

Question 5:  Which of these gauges is the largest:A.  B Gauge.B.  G Gauge.C.  N Gauge.

Question 6:  A coupler is:A.  Two parallel train tracks.B.  A device to see what trains are compatible.C.  The mechanism that attaches two train cars together.

Question 7:  A switcher engine is:A.  An engine used in the train yard to add or remove cars on a train.B.  An engine that will check all of the switches on a line.C.  An engine that can switch between two gauges.

Question 8:  A Model Train club is:A.  A large hammer for straightening track.B.  A group of model railroading enthusiasts.C.  A type of sandwich eaten while railroading.

Question 9:  Which of these gauges is the smallest:A.  HO Gauge.B.  O Gauge.C.  N Gauge.

Question 10:  A tanker car is:A.  A freight car used to carry liquids.B.  A special car to carry tanks and other armored vehicles.C.  A sleeper car on passenger trains.

Answer 1:  B, A reefer car is a refrigerated freight car used to carry perishable good that must stay cold.

Answer 2:  C, Classic Lionel Trains are O gauge, and had their peak years in the 1950s when they sold over $25 million in trains each year.

Answer 3:  A, A transformer will convert household AC current to DC current, usually of a much smaller voltage.

Answer 4:  C, A caboose is a special train car used on freight trains for the crew.  A caboose would typically be placed at he end of a train.

Answer 5:  B, G Gauge is the largest commonly used gauge for model railroaders a 1:22 scale.  N Gauge is quite small at 1:148 scale.  B Gauge is not a real gauge.

Answer 6:  C, Couplers allow cars to connect to form a train for transport, and also to easily detach when they have arrived at their destination.

Answer 7:  A, A switcher engine is used in the train yards to get of the cars onto a train in the correct order.

Answer 8:  B, A model train club is a group of model train enthusiasts who meet to enjoy their hobby with others, sometimes collaborating on a layout.

Answer 9:  C, N guage is one of the smallest commonly used gauges at at 1:148 scale.  HO at 1:87 scale and O at 1:43 scale are both larger.

Answer 10:  A, A tanker car is a special freight car to carry liquids in a large tank.

About the Author

Larry Truett is a freelance PHP and MySQL programmer living in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego with his wife and their 3 cats. He enjoys hiking, reading, gardening, watching too much television, and other nerdy activites.

Check out his resources for all things model railroading at http://www.modeltrainswithlarry.com with listings of hobby shops, model railroading clubs, and railroading museums near you.

What is the standard track size for a HO Model Train?

I have been given a size HO model train as a birthday present and I would like to build a model railroad in my garden. I am a newbie and I want to start buying materials but I have no idea what size track to buy. I would like to know what is the standard size track for a size HO model train?

Model Railroad TRACK has three primary measurements:

1) Scale – is the ratio of the model to the real thing: in HO scale, the model is 1:87 the model is 1/87th the size of the real thing
2) Gauge – Gauge is the distance between the rails, and the standard gauge in North America is 4′ 8 ½”. (that means in HO scale, the rails are 0.649 inches (16.5 mm).
3) Code – is the height of the rails. Mainline rails are taller than spur and yard rails. In HO, the two primary “code” sizes are 83 and 100.

HO railroading isn’t particularly given to outdoor use.

Here is a link to the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), the US standards group, which has great information: http://www.nmra.org/

HO Model Railroad – Kiln, MS