Model Forum / General / Railroads / February 2006

I am in need of train collection inventory tracking software which has a
built-in and complete database for Lionel and can export a list to
tab/comma-delimited text format. I understand older versions of
TrainTracker (version 3?) will do that. I would be interested in buying

I'm working on a show model -- a highly detailed O-scale 1890's passenger
car -- and I'm up to the interior.  I've tried various techniques for
modeling the luxurious seats typical in First Class cars of this era, mostly
very elaborate fabrics in "overstuffed" upholstered seats ...

[I have no connection with Ms. Hall except as a former satisfied
customer and admirer]
A lifetime of delivering the rail
Mesquite: Her businesses kept model train lovers chug-chugging along

I am interested in finding some colour light signals that can be switched by
Peco's PL13 device, and are British - ie Red, Green and 2 yellow lights.
Does anyone any suggestions of a suitable product?
TIA

A newbie question for the group:  What's the difference between a snap -
switch and a turnout - specifically, say a # 4 turnout?  Also, if the
straight section of a # 4 turnout is equivalent to a 9" straight, how
long is the straight in a # 6 or # 8 turnout??   TIA,

After much deliberation (and quite a bit of advice from this
group!) I have decided to go ahead with C&L flexi track and
point components using Templot to create my point templates.
I have been reading Ian Rice's book "An apporach to building

I have a recent Hornby 56 which I hadn't got round to converting to DCC.
Somehow, it ended up sat on a DCC-energised track and appears to have gone
up in smoke...
I know that coreless motors are a no-no to use unconverted - do Hornby use

In a very vitriolic letter in the March edition of Railway Modeller, a chap
complains ( amongst other things) about the 'standard' fitment of NMRA
sockets by locomotive manufacturers.
He alleges that, when run on a DC  equipped layout, a locomotive equipped

See how I applied Campbell's shingles on the junk yard office roof. This was
a lot of extra work and will not be repeated again for a while. The model is
close to the front of the layout edge so that is where I do the extra detail
work. See it at http://www.rrscenery.com

After reading posts on this group for a number of months, certain posters
keep using the acronym IIRC amongst others. What does it mean please?
Why do posters use acronyms? is it to be clever? or just to confuse those
who do not know what you mean? if it is to save time typing, ...

We all know that even smallest drop of glue on a visible portion of a
plastic part ruins it.  Damages the surface with all kinds of crazing and
bumpy texture.
Except when you want it to!

 I've seen several pictures of steam engines with a tank car behind the
tender and hooked up for use as extra water.  What tank cars are available
that would be of the right type to use in such a manner?  The few I've seen
seem to have multiple fittings on the tank turret, ...

I'm happy to confess I am an absolute beginner to railway modelling, and am
currently looking into DCC and baseboard materials.
Some questions:
a)  How "convertable" are older RTR models?  I have acquired an old Hornby

I've just come into the possession (legally!) of a Simair Airbox compressor.
I have no manual though, and a visit to the www.simair.co.uk site simply
returns either an error or an attempt by IE to find it for me (i.e., it
can't find it either ;)

As ornate as possible.  I really need them in now in O-scale but have
definite future need for HO as well.
In practical terms, I'll take any scale because I can scan and
enlarge/reduce the picture and then create molds for casting or