Jet powered Train on a budget

What do you do when you need a fast train without overspending? Strap a couple of jet engines to it of course! 

We have no idea how this didn't pop up when researching France's Aérotrain but during the 1960's, New York Central was up to its own gee-whiz tricks in the form of the M-497 experimental. Searching for ways to attract passengers in the post-freeway era of dwindling train ridership, Central was investing in several projects, including high speed rail. One of the questions that hung over the prospect was the whether or not the existing rails could handle high speeds. To answer that question, they built a high speed train - on the cheap.

The build came in the form of a US Air Force surplus General Electric J47-19 jet engines in a B36-H bomber engine pod planted on the roof of a modified Budd commuter car with a custom made, fitted cowling. On a high speed test run between in 1966 between Butler, IN and Stryker, OH, the M-497 reached a top speed of 183.681 mph - still the current high speed record for light rail in the United States. With the rails proven capable of high speed transit, the experimental was dismantled and the M497 returned to civilian duty as an NYC commuter car, running the route between Poughkeepsie and Harmon for Metro North where it live until its sale to Conrail in May 1976. In an undignified end, the car was cannibalized for parts in Dec. 1977 and scrapped by Metro-North in 1984. We can't help but think the fate of this historical car draws a certain parallel to the past and future history of rail travel in the United States

Would love to see one of these Trains O Scale

Article taken from 

http://jalopnik.com/359202/new-york-centrals-m+497-jet-powered-train

MTH 2011 O scale catalog

Just been released is the 2011  MTH O gauge catalog, some really great stuff in there and we wouldn't expect any less from such a quality manufacturer. 

Check out out here MTH 2011 catalog

Enjoy, and don't forget to check out Trains O Scale

Cool layout with a long freight train

This is an impressive looking layout with a Lionel trains SP cab forward pulling 56 'O' gauge cars! 

Also some Lionel hot air balloons in the background too.

Love those Trains O Scale

Cool layout with a long freighter

This is a pretty impressive looking layout also features a "Lionel trains SP cab forward pulling 56 'O' gauge cars"

Can't get enough of those  Trains O Scale

The Johnny Cash Commemorative Ho Scale Train

Here's something really special for all you Johnny Cash/ model railroading fans. It's the Johnny Cash commemorative Ho scale train. I'm sorry as I don't have too much info on this one other than the pictures I've been provided with but as you can see this is awesome! 

For other cool modeling info check out Trains O Scale

See the full gallery on posterous

Johnny Cash and Lionel Trains

An advertisement from the 70's, Johnny Cash singing about Lionel trains. Johnny a big train fan and many of his songs included train references. He also had a model train collection. 

If your a fan of Johnny's stay tunned because I've got something special for you in my next post.  

 

Trains O Scale At The Amusement Park

There is something for the child inside everyone in this layout, roller coasters, ferris wheel, carrousel's and of course best of all Trains O Scale Love it!

Amazing G scale Train Hauling 152 cars!

This is incredible check it out! 

 

Great HO scale race

This is a pretty awesome video of a diesel freighter ho racing and electric passenger ho train on a really great looking layout. The only thing that's missing is a steamer to destroy them both!

Enjoy

MTH Blue Comet

The blue comet would have to be up there with my favorite trains of all time. 

Heres a high quality video of an blue comet Train O Scale I can't get enough of this!

Custom weathered model trains

MonsterRailroad road is a professional in the area of weathering model trains and does some amazing work, check it out!
 

THE WORLDS BEST TRAIN SET

Two German Brothers have put this TRAIN SET together. DON'T FORGET to click on the link at the end and view this in motion. This is the world's biggest train set. Covers 1,150 square meters / 12,380 square feet… Features almost six miles of track and is still not complete… Twin brothers Frederick and Gerrit Braun, 41, began work on the 'Miniatur Wunderland' in 2000 The set covers six regions including America , Switzerland , Scandinavia , Germany , and the Austrian Alps The American section features giant models of the Rocky Mountains, Everglades , Grand-Canyon etc… ...and Mount Rushmore The Swiss section has a mini-Matterhorn  The Scandinavian part has a 4ft long passenger ship floating in a 'fjord'  It is expected to be finished in 2014, when the train set will cover more than 1,800 square meters / (19,376 sq ft) and feature almost 13 miles of track, by which time detailed models of parts of France, Italy and the UK will have been added… It comprises 700 trains with more than 10,000 carriages and wagons  The longest train is 46ft long  The scenery includes 900 signals, 2,800 buildings, 4,000 cars - many with illuminated headlights.. .  ...and 160,000 individually designed figures  Thousands of kilograms of steel and wood was used to construct the scenery...  The 250,000 lights are rigged up to a system that mimics night and day by automatically turning them on and off  The whole system is controlled from a massive high-tech nerve centre  In total the set has taken 500,000 hours and more than 8 million euro to put together,  the vast majority of which has come from ticket sales  Gerrit said: "Our idea was to build a world that men, woman, and children can be equally astonished and amazed in."  Frederik added: "Whether gambling in Las Vegas, hiking in the Alps or paddling in Norwegian fjords - in Wunderland everything is possible."This 4-minute video is worth watching for this amazing stuff     http://www.miniatur -wunderland. com/exhibit/ video/4-minutes- wunderland/

Great tip for photographing your model trains

The angle, or vantage point, from which we view our model trains can have a big impact on how they impact us. Take these two photographs for example:

  

Both images were taken within a few inches of each other, the second just a little higher. Both feature urban scenery and capture the flavor of railroading in the city, one from street level the other from the height of a third-story window. The visual impact of the trains and the city however are completely different. The street-level scene has a much more dynamic, bustling feel that pulls the viewer into the commotion of downtown. The train, as dramatic as it is, is but one more brief event. The second shot is much more calm and stagnant.

Despite their differences, both of these shots have one more thing in common; they present a much more typical look at railroading than the noral "bird's eye" view normally associated with viewing a model railroad. Indeed, if taken from normal viewing height, this scene would feature a lot of roof-tops and sky. Standing beside, or even below model trains can be a very powerful experience and helps to eliminate that "toy" feel. It's something worth considering not just when photographing but building a layout.

This article is taken from 

http://modeltrains.about.com/b/2010/07/16/vantage-point.htm

 

On board camera on HO scale trains Very cool!

Here's something that's a little bit different and very very cool

Making your model train sets look old.

Adding character to your model train sets is something that is so often overlooked, it's all good and well to have an impressive layout buy it really is the small details that make is something special. Weathering is something I've always been interested in, it's actually a lot more complicated to make something look old than it is to make it look brand new.

Here's a great video on the subject

 

Graffiti Trains

One of the best things about trains o scale is that you can take realism to the next level and one thing that certainly does that is graffiti. 

For more great photos like this visit Simon Thomas Photography 

And now to some stuff on actual trains o scale 

A Few words From The CEO and Chief Technical Officer Of Lionel Trains

Lionel Trains CEO Jerry Calabrese and there Chief Technical Officer Jon Zarohnacky talk about the 2009 product highlights. You can see why Lionel Trains are one of the most well respected and popular names when it comes to scale model trains.

Amazing Train Photography

A few photographs taken of full size trains by a good friend of mine who also happens to be a pretty good photographer, really inspiring stuff!

See the full gallery on posterous

Don't forget to check out Simon Thomas Photography   for more stunning photography 

 And Of course Trains O Scale for all the best model train info. 

Huge O Scale Layout

You don't often see a Trains O Scale layout of this magnitude, think of the amount of work that gone into this. Simply stunning! 

Huge O Scale Layout 

 

Huge O Scale Layout

You don't often see a Trains O Scale layout of this magnitude, think of the amount of work that gone into this. Simply stunning! 

Why do we keep playing?

Why do we like to play with Trains O Scale  ?  It's a question often asked many thing that we should just grow up and quit playing with toys. I think the quote below sums it up quiet nicely.

 

'We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing' George Bernard Shaw

 

With that in mind play till your all played out and keep building those awe-inspiring model rail roads beacuse what's the fun in growing up if you can't do the things that you love?