Locomotives Tips

I have collected a number of model railroad locomotive tips and techniques from various sources and am sharing them here. Do you have locomotive tips or techniques you would like to share with Model Train Tips readers? You can send them in using the form on the Contact page.

Airbrushing Tips to Weather Your Model Railroad

September 30, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Weathering with an air brush is easy to do and gives excellent results. Start with darker colors and add lighter colors on top. Line up all your cars, structures and loco’s and treat them assembly line style, then change colors and do it again and again. Remember, weathering is a matter of degree and most rolling stock is fairly clean. The disadvantage of weathering with paint is that it is pretty permanent when you are done. Mac McCalla shared this tip for airbrushing: I have been weathering with an airbrush for many years and have done many clinics for Badger Airbrush and at … [Read more...]

Painting and Weathering Using Common Household Items

September 30, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Always on the lookout for cost effective ways to enhance their model railroad layouts, modelers continue to come up with unique methods for weathering. Painting Here’s a tip where Palmer Schatell describes one way he paints some components of his layout: When airbrushing HO [cars & engines], with a little hand molding, the soft cardboard rolls that toilet paper comes on fits into the cars and locomotive bodies and provides a way of holding these objects. I used the cap from a spray can fastened to the center of an inexpensive Lazy Susan to allow me to turn the bodies without having … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Scenery Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: airbrushing, highlighting, painting

Extreme Weathering for Your Model Railroad Cars

August 30, 2011 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

Pepper Kay shared this tip about extreme weathering for your model railroad rolling stock: Weather as you normally would your next box car, tank, hopper, etc. then, spray two coats of Dullcote on your finished car. When that has dried thoroughly, use your pump sprayer filled with 93% rubbing alcohol and give a good, wet coat to your finished car. The alcohol reacts with the Dullcote and makes the most faded, weathered finish you’ve ever seen. Careful, don’t do but just a few cars as the effect goes a long way. -Pepper Kay Note: I have not tried this tip yet but I would … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Weathering Tips Tagged With: dullcote, rolling stock, weathering

Tips for Adding Graffiti to Your Model Railroad Scenery

August 19, 2011 By Model Train Tips 3 Comments

We’ve all seen graffiti on trains. What would a realistic model railroad layout be without graffiti on some of the rolling stock? Here are some tips from other modelers for adding graffiti to your model railroad layout scenery and rolling stock: You know, I realized a great way to make graffiti without buying those expensive decals. I use White-out (a correction pen), the finer the tip the better. I even made up a cool scene with this- I painted an HO car, parked it in front of a university, and put an angry teacher beside it, like one of his students painted it! -asparuh frangov … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Scenery Tips Tagged With: Graffiti

Developing a Paint Scheme for Your Model Railroad

June 15, 2011 By Model Train Tips 2 Comments

By Mike Rountree If you're the creative type who just has to model a railroad that never existed, rather than adopt a specific prototype, then sooner or later you're going to need to invent a color scheme for your fictional pike. How do you come up with something that looks plausible yet unique? While it may seem that you have a blank slate to work with, and can do anything at all, you would do well to restrain yourself based on some research and understanding. Otherwise, you can end up with a fairly outlandish scheme that doesn't feel right, as much as you might like the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips, Scenery Tips Tagged With: accent color, color scheme, field color, paint scheme, trim color

A Good Quality Locomotive Will Make All The Difference

November 29, 2009 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

It can be very frustrating having a locomotive that you need to push to get going, or it suddenly speeds up and falls off the tracks. A locomotive runs by picking up the electricity from the track through its wheels. The wheels transfer the electricity to the motor, which then turns the gears to drive the locomotive. A locomotive with poor pickup on the wheels or a poor gear set up will give you lots of problems. As with most things, you get what you pay for . . .but this is one area you do not want to skimp on. A great operating locomotive is 90% of the way to having a fantastic model … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Locomotives Tips Tagged With: buy your locomotive, buying a locomotive, drive the locomotive, locomotive with poor pickup, model train layout, model trains for beginners, off the track, passionate model railroader, quality locomotive

How Model Train Locomotives Work

November 25, 2009 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

A locomotive runs by picking up an electrical current from the metal rails through metal wheels that ride on the rails. The electricity is transferred from the wheels to the motor, which causes the motor to run. The motor connects to the wheels through a mechanical drive system. When the electricity turns the motor, the motor turns the gears that turn the wheels and push the locomotive along the train tracks. Simple! The contact point where your locomotive wheel meets the rail is extremely small. That's why; it doesn't take much in the way of dirt, dust, or debris to obstruct the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Locomotives Tips Tagged With: locomotive gears, locomotive wheels, metal rails, model train help ebook, model train locomotives, robert anderson

The Art of Applying Decals

July 22, 2009 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

by Joe Czapiga The art of applying thin film wet decals to models is one that only gets better with practice. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Patience and persistency will allow you to produce models that look as good, if not better than the models in all your favorite magazines. I am sure many people have many different methods of applying decals successfully. The methods I use were mostly developed by trial and error and lots of query at every hobby shop I've gone to. As for the myth that you won't be able to produce a great looking model until you have 20 years … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips Tagged With: decals, model railroading, model railway, model trains, scenery tips

Using RTV Molds For Creating Scratch-Built Models

July 22, 2009 By Model Train Tips Leave a Comment

by Tony Segro RTV (Room Temperature Vulcanized) Rubber molds are simple to make and can allow you to cast several identical detail castings for your scratchbuilt models. RTV Rubber is a two-part mixture made by Dow-Corning. It comes in various styles. I find 3110 the easiest to use because it does not require an expensive vacuum pump to decompress air bubbles. Take the detail you wish to copy, called a MASTER, and glue it into a cardboard or styrene box with dimensions about one inch longer than the master by one inch wider than the master. When placing the master in the box, you will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Freight Car Tips, Locomotives Tips, Passenger Car Tips Tagged With: model railroading, model railway, model trains, rtv mold, scenery tips