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Creating Realistic Trackwork:

As one of the things that sticks out the most your track can draw anyone's eye rather quickly. As such you should make sure that your tracks look realistic enough that they can stand up to scrutiny whether you train is on them or not. Even if your train is in the shop people will still notice well laid out trackwork.

One of the things that can help set your track apart is ballast. Ballast is the gravel or broken stone that railroad companies laid on the railroad beds to provide stability for their trains. In model scale gravel would be impossible to use do to the size difference. As an acceptable alternative you might consider using colored sand. It can perfectly emulate ballast without having to try to color it as most sand comes in a wide variety of colors.

Sand makes a terrific alternative to traditional ballast material for a few different reasons. The first is cost. While gravel ballast can be quite costly sand is relatively cheap and easily available. It is also available in many different levels of coarseness which also makes it perfect for emulating gravel. Typically you will have to buy sand in a minimum amount which is usually about a twenty five pound bag but you will go through this much faster than you would realized. One note about safety. Some sand does contain metal particles. These particles can make the sand a good conductor. Take a magnet along with you and if any of the material sticks to it then avoid that particular type. About the Author: Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks.

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Down By The Depot

Americana At It's Best, A

Memory of Days Long Gone.

American railroad stations (or depots, as the smaller buildings are commonly known) were once an all too common sight in our country as almost every town, large and small, could claim one, which was largely due to the fact that railroads once went literally everywhere, reaching almost any and every town.

While Pennsylvania Station in New York City was without question this country's most famous railroad station and arguably the most beautiful (along with the New York Central's

Grand Central Terminal), those which served the smaller towns and cities across the country were much more than just buildings to load and unload passengers. For many years, until the automobile became a reliable means of transportation the railroad depot was the center of life for these towns and cities as it was the only means to and from the

outside world for almost everyone (unless you would rather take the journey by

horseback, which would not only take much longer but also was very grueling and

tiresome). Because the depot was the focal point of small towns the phrase "down by

the depot" became commonplace.  Read the Entire Story. . . .

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ferro- or ferr- pref. 1. Iron. 2. Ferrous iron.

e·quine 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a horse. 2. Of or belonging to the family Equidae, which includes the horses, asses, and zebras.

Ferroequinologist: This means a lover of iron horses, particularly steam powered, but can also apply to lovers of modern diesels.

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