model railroading Archives

Train show tips

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains October 12, 2018September 29, 2019

I like to support my local dealers, and of course Ebay makes it easy to buy trains, but there’s still nothing like an old-fashioned train show. Here are my train show tips that I’ve found helped me in the past. Hopefully they’ll help you too.

You may recognize some of these from my tips for garage sales and estate sales, but some of the methods are unique to shows. Also, not all shows are the same, and my tips may work better for local shows than traveling shows but most of them should work for both types.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Using a multimeter in model railroading

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains September 28, 2018November 19, 2018

A multimeter is an inexpensive tool that has several great uses in model railroading, especially if you deal with used or vintage trains a lot. Knowing how to use one will save you a lot of time and frustration.

Dave Farquhar

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On3 vs On30: Narrow gauge O scale trains

Dave Farquhar model railroading March 23, 2018October 7, 2022

Narrow gauge railroading is almost always confusing, and On3 vs On30 is no exception. They sound similar, and they are, though there are some differences.

Narrow gauge has a following among hobbyists who want to be able to model small areas accurately. Most basements don’t have adequate space to model a big-name railroad with any kind of scale accuracy. But it’s possible to model a small narrow gauge operation in a small space. Narrow gauge O scale trains are a great compromise for people who want big trains in a small space.

Dave Farquhar

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O scale vs O gauge

Dave Farquhar model railroading February 28, 2018January 20, 2018

The distinction of O scale vs O gauge can be confusing for some people, especially newcomers to model railroading. Some people can get uptight about the difference, so here’s how to distinguish the two so you can avoid offending someone.

Dave Farquhar

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How big is a G scale train?

Dave Farquhar model railroading February 19, 2018February 25, 2018

How big is a G scale train? It depends, and it also depends on whether you’re asking about the size of the train itself or the track. Let’s tackle both questions.

Dave Farquhar

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On30 scale vs HO scale

Dave Farquhar model railroading February 16, 2018September 5, 2019

On30 trains are bigger than HO scale trains, yet they run on the same track. How can that be? It all comes down to scale and gauge. Here’s On30 scale vs HO scale explained.

Dave Farquhar

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How big is an HO scale train?

Dave Farquhar model railroading February 2, 2018January 31, 2018

HO scale is the most popular scale for model railroading, partly because its size represents a good compromise. It’s small enough that you can fit a decent layout in a reasonable space without it taking over your basement. But it’s big enough that you can see it. But how big is HO scale? How big is an HO scale train?

Dave Farquhar

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Save money on model trains

Dave Farquhar model railroading January 25, 2018October 18, 2018

People frequently ask me how to save money on model trains. After all, I write about them a lot. And I’m pretty outspoken about being cheap. Actually, cheap might be a bit mild.

It turns out there are plenty of ways to save money on trains and some of them increase your enjoyment of the hobby.

Dave Farquhar

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What is HO scale? Read on.

Dave Farquhar model railroading January 19, 2018April 15, 2023

Let’s play Jeopardy. Answer: Measuring at a 1:87 scale ratio relative to the real thing, this is the most common and popular scale of model railroad in the world outside of the United Kingdom. The question, of course, is, what is HO scale. It’s not a reference to Christmas or anything like that. HO is an acronym for “Half O,” a reference to its approximate size relative to the train scale it overtook in popularity around 60 years ago.

HO scale model trains, scaled at 1:87 scale, are the most popular size and scale of model railroad in most of the world since the 1950s. It uses realistic 2-rail track and DC power.

Dave Farquhar

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N scale vs HO scale trains

Dave Farquhar model railroading January 17, 2018May 13, 2022

HO scale and N scale are the two most popular scales of model trains. Both are a small enough size to be practical, whether you have room for a table-sized layout or want to build a basement-sized empire. Here are the pros and cons and considerations of N scale vs HO scale trains.

Dave Farquhar

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