Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads
A hobby adventure
It’s been a while since the last layout update. If you have been following along, you know the layout wiring is complete. All of the track has been painted and the fascia has been installed. The Wheeling Freight Terminal is looking pretty good.
Building a model railroad involves assembling track components into a design that meets a desire to operate or follow a prototype location. In many cases, three-foot sections of flexible track are joined together, or joined to track switches, as the mainline is installed. Often a tie or two is clipped from the track ends in order to connect the pieces with rail joiners. Installation proceeds and eventually the completed track is tested with a few freight cars and a locomotive before it is deemed complete.
Model railroading is the sum total of a variety of elements as an individual builds their dream layout. History, carpentry, engineering, painting, geology, architecture, electronics and electrical, and other components all combine for the final presentation. Each of these components may have additional aspects. As an example, electrical can consist of work with switches, relays, wire, and soldering.
I worked on the layout over this past weekend and completed the electrical wiring on the yard throat module. While surveying the work, I realized I had not made much progress in the last 4.5 months. Of course, I do consider wiring to be sheer drudgery, yet it is a necessary evil to complete in order to make the trains go. I guess I’ve just been avoiding this work as the fun factor is quite low. It’s a basic human trait to avoid the stuff we don’t like to do.
Over just a few days, I’ve completed the following tasks on the yard throat module.
Successful completion of this work inspires and motivates me to keep moving forward. This is how my hobby ebbs and flows. I’ve rarely achieved a straight line progression in task completion. There are often bursts of activity followed by a quiet stretch. At this point, only one module remains to be electrically completed. I hope to wrap that one up in the next week as the B&O Wheeling Freight Terminal project moves closer to operation.
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Wow, the month of March just blew right by in a blur of travel and activity. I returned to western Pennsylvania to visit with family and friends for the Easter holiday. I also attended the RPM-East prototype modeler meet in Greensburg, PA. I’ve been attending since 2001 and always enjoy the event. My weeks before the event were filled as I balanced work and family tasks with preparations for my presentation, Prototype Inspired Layout Design for Limited Spaces. Much of the talk focused on similar themes that I’ve been posting here on the blog. The feedback was strong and I had extended conversations with a few people to help them with their layout planning. I gave a second presentation on Modeling Railroads of a pre-Depression Era that opened a few eyes to the different look of rail equipment and city scapes of the first few decades in the 20th Century.
It was wonderful visiting my old stomping grounds and renewing many friendships at the RPM-East event. I’ve posted a gallery of images I captured in the model display room. About 400 models were on display. The image above is a fine O scale effort that Larry Kline displayed. Overall, about 150 hobbyists attended. There were 40 presentations, several vendors, and eight home layouts to view.
I’m back in El Paso and can’t wait to get back to work on the railroad. I have another track tip up my sleeve as well as a layout update that will be shared here very soon.
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