Robert’s description of how he paints brick on his layout prompted Joao to ask for more information in the Comments area at the end of that article. Robert responded with additional clarification in a follow up comment.

The popularity and comment exchange reminded me that some of the best content here at Model Train Tips is reader feedback shared here. In September 2010 I had posted two articles containing reader feedback from new newsletter subscribers and had intended to continue.

I been sidetracked on this plan, but I’ve continued to receive some great feedback from new subscribers and want to continue sharing it with you here.

Elbert M. has railroading in his blood:

Yes, model railroading is the greatest hobby, especially during winter months.   My Dad and Grandad were railroad engineers in Virginia and North Carolina, and it has always been in my blood.  I’ve had layouts off and on.  But my profession has caused me to move a lot throughout life, and all layouts were temporary at best.  Someday I hope to have a permanent layout that I can develop into something looking realistic.

Paul H. is looking for book or DVD recommendations to help him:

I am a grandfather and a beginner building a set for my grandson who is 3.  My brother gave a “US Navy” (1994) mint set to me to set up for the child in our house for when he visits.  I want to dispose of the “027″ track and build with FasTrack components.

I already have upgraded the 21 watt transformer to an 80 watt and gotten some new track pieces. I am thinking of a 5 foot by 9 foot fold-up (down) table with storage under the 3 foot center of the table (3 foot wings on each side) as a 1st start.

Later, it could be a more “permanent” layout. I want to first check out possible future layouts before I buy any more track/crossovers/switches. Books and DVDs seem to be the best way to learn. Do you have any strong recommendations for them?

If you have suggestions for Paul, please leave a comment for him below.

Charlie D. has an interesting elevated layout:

Thanks for the info – look forward to more info – I want to make a mountain tunnel for g scale- what do you suggest?  Yes I am new to the hobby and have a wall supported 8 feet high track system – need a ladder to work on it – I made the track layout using plywood and 1 x 3 pine.

Thanks: Charlie

Beverly H. and I had met at the Twin City Model Railroad museum while she was visiting from out of town:

HI!

We met at the model railroad museum in St. Paul last summer.  After months of search, I found my son’s N Gauge model trains in the attic and am ready to start a layout.

We have a long loft room, (36″ high “knee-wall” below a dormer ceiling) and I am thinking turn-arounds at each end, and a shelf track the length of the room, so the train gets a good long sweep of distance.  As I work out the plans, I’ll be in more frequent communication.

Bev

I wrote back to Bev and suggested she consider taking pictures of her developing layout to track and share its progress.

Dave L. lost his layout to a flood:

Well I am beginning over again after 30 plus years. My last layout was destroyed by a flood I managed to salvage buildings, locos and rolling stock.

I want to do things right this time. Frustrations are coupling problems or should I say unwanted uncoupling, Locos. I have some favorites but some are having trouble Sluggish, dirty wheels etc Mostly Athearn and from what I hear they are pretty rough to convert to DCC.

I wrote this back to Dave:

Hi Dave. While losing nearly everything in any type of disaster, the good news is that it give you a chance to start over from scratch with the enhanced knowledge you’ve acquired over the years.

Sounds like you have a lot of work, if you can call it work, ahead of you getting things rolling again. Consider creating a picture diary of your new adventure to track the progress over time.

Thanks for writing. -Rick

I’ll share more reader feedback next month.

PS; feel free to share your experiences in the Comments area below.

Related Articles:

1. Model Train Tips Reader Feedback
2. More Model Train Tips Reader Feedback
3. Model Train Tips Reader Feedback

I’ve added this tip to the Scenery Techniques page as well as posting it here:

The easiest way to paint brick, even N scale, that I have found is to:

1. Paint the base color of the building.
2. Use flat latex interior paint thinned about 2 to 1 with water and a drop or two of liquid detergent.
3. After the base coat has dried, use a paper towel dipped into the mixture and rub the brick areas.

The finish will generally look great from any distance and resemble “used brick” in your base color. -Robert Herring

Thanks Robert.

If you would like to submit your scenery tips to share with Model Train Tips readers, you can use the contact form at the bottom of the Scenery Techniques page to send it in.

PS; feel free to use the comment area below to expand on, or share your thoughts about Robert’s tip.

Image credit: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Related Articles:

1. Model Railroading Scenery Tips and Techniques by Martin Flynn
2. Model Railroading Scenery: Buildings
3. Model Train Scenery – 10 Tips for Realistic Model Railroading Scenery Design

It’s a lot of work to set up a user’s forum, so I want to make sure it would be something the community that visits this site would find useful. You could use the forum to swap ideas, post messages to the community about problems you are having, look for deals or offer your stuff for sale to the community like Chuck Shutz did in a recent reader feedback article.

What do you think? Would you find a user’s forum at Model Train Tips beneficial? Post your comments below or message me using the form on my Contact page if you would like to see a user’s forum here as well as any ideas you might have for a forum. If I get enough positive feedback, I’ll work on adding the forum.

Related Articles:

1. Model Train Tips Reader Feedback
2. Model Train Tips Reader Feedback
3. More Model Train Tips Reader Feedback

If the space your planning on using for your model train layout is limited, choosing N scale model trains would be a highly recommended choice. This scale is one of the smallest and most delicate of all the scales, and at the same time offers some advantages that the other scales don’t. The obvious benefit is that it size resolves the problem of space.

Although the N scale is the smallest of the four scales, this can actually work to your advantage. If the space that you have available is small, this will limit your ability to showcase your trains, and subsequently trying to do this doesn’t have any sensibility to it at all.

Because of it’s size, the N scale will allow you to include a greater amount of track into the tiny space your working with, and thus, allow you to create a fuller presentation for your layout without omitting any of it’s important elements.

The N scale is in fact, one sixtieth the size of it’s original counterpart, and that fact, is what attracts so many collectors to this great little model train. In it’s diminutive size, it presents a much greater level of detail, and this characteristic of the N scale model train heightens the level of realism for any model railroaders layout.

Another added advantage of this scale train, is that if the railcars themselves reflect a higher level of detail this benefit also lends itself to your scenery and other components of your layout landscape. Because collectors place so much emphasis on trying to create the most realistic looking layout, this no doubt speaks to why they tend to make this particular scale one of their first choices.

One of the drawbacks that causes new model railroaders to pause, and reconsider the possibility of continuing with this hobby is because of it’s cost. Model railroading can present an array of expenses that some enthusiast simply can not afford. With this in mind, it should come as a source of good news to learn that N scale model trains can be an affordable answer to that problem.

Not only are the costs of your railcars more affordable, but this reduction in expense also associates itself with the amount of money you’ll spend on all of the other components for your layout. This type of economy in pricing will allow you to own a larger assortment of railcars and build a much grander layout than you otherwise may have thought possible!

Related Articles:

1. S Scale Model Trains – A Bit of History
2. HO Scale Model Train Layouts – Why You Should Consider HO Scale
3. How to Create Mulch for Your HO Scale Model Train Layout

US Mailbox

Here is an interesting article from N Scale Limited about using the proper paint scheme for mailboxes in your layouts to match the time-frame of your layout. Here’s an excerpt:

You’re about to add scenic detail to your layout. Perhaps a few lamp posts, fire hydrants and a mailbox on the street corner. But what color should that mailbox be?

If you immediately thought of United States Postal Service blue — the same navy blue color that is used on public mailboxes today — or already have blue mailboxes on your existing layout, chances are you’re incorrect. The answer actually depends on the year you’re modeling.

Read the full article here.

Related Articles:

1. Developing a Paint Scheme for Your Model Railroad
2. Columbia River Gorge Railroad Pictures
3. Planning A Small Model Train Layout