Top 10 Beginner Model Train Mistakes You Should Avoid!

[@spitfire4sergi]

Here’s to the golden rule! I always felt (and still do sometimes) intimated going into local train shops because I’m not a handy man, I’m not an amateur electrician or carpenter, and I’m under 40 years old.. I get the worst looks from regulars / am always talked down to like I’m a toddler. I just like trains and my basic layout. It’s why I love your channel so much, you’ve given the next generation of hobbyists a place to feel comfortable 🍻

[@TX200AA]

Do what you like, and run what you like on your track. The skills to make a model railway are many and varied, but I am sure you can build a layout that you enjoy, and that is what matters.

[@stephendavies6949]

That's a great shame. None of that happens at my local shop, Great Eastern Models in Norwich. They have the total opposite approach.

[@johnbeck3270]

If thes so called “experts” are shop associates, find another shop. There is absolutely no reason for them to talk down to you just because you’re new to the hobby, they started new somewhere. This attitude is a big turn off to new modelers, and can really drive new hobbyists away. When I worked in the hobby, I tried to talk to my “guests” as equals and did my very best to be informative and non opinionated. The real fun for me was getting a young person started in the hobby, they really want to learn. Some of the worst customers were the ones who came in ask for advice and didn’t use it, especially when it came to trains for very young children. You don’t give an N scale set to a toddler. I guess in closing, I guess my advice is this, try to find a shop with a knowledgeable staff who will be glad to answer your questions without insulting your intelligence. They are out there, good luck.

[@uwekall6281]

My fondest memories are from building my tracks as a kid on the carpet and using wood blocks for tunnels and driving my steam train with the lights in the room off only using the small bulbs on the front of my steam loco, those in the passenger coaches and the lanterns in the points (märklin M tracks): no fancy things anywhere to be found or needed. Do it as you like and maybe tell them it's 'for your kids' if they need it for being able to cope with their variety of customers 😂. I used to ask for Locos 'to play with for kids' on flea markets and the 'collectors' often had a tray with 'undesirable' but perfectly working older models hidden that they were willing to sell for a bargain. They truly were for my kids but without asking I wouldn't even have known..

[@jordandack3706]

​@stephendavies6949 absolutely agree. Great Eastern Models are brilliant, they're my local shop too.

[@nathanbowers6364]

"Don't put it down on a hairy carpet"; Sound relationship advice as well as sound model railway advice.

[@andreworton2132]

Sam knows his track is not ideally down , as he admits many many times

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha absolutely!!

[@nathanbowers6364]

​@@andreworton2132bit of a whoosh moment there.

[@kevfrombutterley]

​@@nathanbowers6364 The innocence of youth 😂

[@tenfootvoyager]

When I started in the early 50's Triang grey standard track(being solid) was OK on the back room carpet(short pile) but series 3 was a no no. It was only there a couple of weeks before Mum got the hump! 🤣

[@patrickobert2581]

# 10 is the best advice. There are a lot of hobby killers/Gate keepers out there.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I think so too!!

[@johnks6733]

My rule 1 is "My railway my rules"

[@B16Kev]

No. 11....never go on eBay after a couple of beers 🍻🤦🏽‍♂️

[@RcMainia]

What did you buy after that !!!

[@Slayer2040Productions]

This is one of the most important rules! i myself have fallen down the ebay rabbit hole after a few tasty beverages lol. just don't do it, your bank account will thank you later haha!

[@RcMainia]

@@B16Kev what did you guys end up buying lol

[@DEE-o4v]

On the reverse.....cleaning all your rolling stock is a bit of a pain....to make it go easier, I grab a six-pack, put on some great music....and start cleaning...and cleaning.

[@grumpy_ken]

Ha! let us be real here: the real hobby is getting high and buying things on the internet lol I got into amateur radio the same way

[@labradormcgraw]

I'm not even into model trains but I watched this from start to finish. Most enlightening - thank you, Sam.

[@markrich7171]

I was running a class 42 'Warship' Class loco with a Class 56 and someone said that I shouldn't do that because they were never in service at the same time as there was over 4 years between the class 42's being withdrawn and the class 56's entering service. I replied that they would have been if I was running the railway. That shut him up and no more comments were made. As you say 'it's you railway, run what you like and if people don't like tough.

[@Beaver867]

Well said !!!

[@LB1973]

I've got trains from three continents with about a 120 year timespan with rolling stock from whatever I could find do I care? Not a jot

[@marktegrotenhuis]

About the resistance fish plates create: Avoid only using short standard track pieces if you can. Once you know what your layout is gonna be, use the longest straight track pieces you can get from your chosen rail type or use flexrail. This drastically cuts down the number of fish plates and thus resistance.

[@timbervalleyproductions]

Great vid sam, definitely agree with all of these, the only thing I would say is don't try and run before you can walk, it's always better to get a good trackbed and wiring before you start scenery - I made the mistake of starting scenery before wiring and getting a good trackbed on my first layout - and it was soul destroying having to rip bits of scenery up!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot mate - yeah that's very sound advice actually! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@Western-Ranger.]

I did the exact same thing!

[@davidsutton6787]

I'm at present building a layout (16ft x 8ft) and I've just finished tracklaying.Every piece of track has a dropper for power reliability,its DC,connected to a bus feed.Finally ran a loco on Friday,now for the scenics!

[@stephendavies6949]

Yeah, it's so easy to put the cart before the horse.

[@hughoconnor9172]

One "rule" that was missed is to start small but have an idea of the long term aim. You aren't going to create a Peter Waterman type (extensive) layout all in one go. It may also help to look at layout plans books that also gives measurements of the finished size. There is little point in designing a potential layout that is 16 foot long if the location is only 12 foot long.

[@DoubleX8620]

I've actively played with my trains since 2021 after a 3 year break. I'm 21 now. I don't have a permanent layout unfortunately so I just build something small in the bedroom over the weekend and then take it down again because I need space. But when I do run trains, I run my Dublo Scotsman with DCC sound next to my Tri-ang Britannia and Wrenn Castle. I genuinely don't really care too much about accuracy of my trains I run anything from 1950s wagons next to 2020 wagons. Same with coaches. I do love to repair and service Tri-ang and Wrenn locomotives. Yes they don't have any detail, but they are inexpensive and fun. When my friend visits me occasionally who has a layout and runs modern equipment in accurate train compositions, he always questions my passion for basic and old locos, saying they don't look too great or accurate. I told him that I don't mind, I like to own a model of a Class, I'll get one. Doesn't matter which one (except for tender drives they are a bit fiddly). I mostly opt for the old Tri-ang one, as these are easy to repair and are easy to handle. I also have N scale with Japanese, British and Swiss stock and when I build my own railway eventually, it will be a OO hybrid of Japan and Britain, the two places I love (and yes I'm Swiss). Great hints, I always buy track new except for when it's for display purposes in the shelf only or a test track. Great video, Sam. Very informative indeed 👍

[@SamsTrains]

Awhh that does sound fun though - I remember doing that many years ago... very exciting to put up a temporary layout for a day or three! Sounds absolutely perfect - running exactly what you want regardless of the accuracy... it's just fun! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@BattleshipOrion]

Seems like you & I took a 2-3 year break at the same time. If I may, what was the reason for your break? Mine was costs & refusal to buy museum quality models at a premium.

[@DoubleX8620]

@@BattleshipOrion​​⁠ ah, it was nothing special. I didn't really have a special reason, besides that I was an apprentice back then and had to focus on that. Then eventually when Sam here mentioned the Hattons Marketplace, I had look and then when I bought my second train set, the Smokey Joe, I was hooked again and to this day I buy about one locomotive per month. Those include cheap projects, forgotten and rusted locos for me to restore to brand new releases. Playing trains helps me loosen up at my new job, which can get pretty stressful at times. In December, hopefully my Hattons/Accurascale P Class arrives and January will be a couple of Hornby models I pre-ordered. So, no big reason besides work life 😅

[@BattleshipOrion]

@@DoubleX8620 I know how that is. I recently got back in due to a number of local/regional preservation efforts. kept some of my old HO collection just encase of such an event, and since then looked into N scale, and some Mainland European HO equipment. I even have a re-ignition date for my fondness of trains. August 12th. If you ever feel like looking up some foreign stock, look up Atlantic Coast Line boxcar 20767(or ACL 20767) It was donated to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society in Indiana this year, and was whiten walking distance (a quarter mile away at best)

[@grahamsharpley4889]

At an air display some oik was saying to the owner about the inaccuracies of colour, namely the plane, an old DC3 Dakota, was in an incongruous mauve. After the oik had finished the owner asked “and what is the colour of your Dakota”. Rule 10 employed.

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha love that response!! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@grahamsharpley4889]

@@SamsTrains it was pleasing to see you and Chloe at the nec, it was certainly less stressful than the Warley mish mash and crush. We left at 5 quite relaxed and went to Brum for a really good Chinese meal.

[@chugwaterjack4458]

DCC Concepts has a new track "rubber" using aluminum oxide which polishes rather than abrades the surface of the rails, and the block is much bigger. I've used one extensively, and am quite happy with the result. My Number one three-part operating rule is: lay your points dead level across to avoid derailments, and check and adjust the back-to-back on ANY new purchase. I use the brass one available from DCC Concepts, but there are others out there. If your purchase has cheap plastic wheels, replace them with metal wheelsets as soon as possible. Following these three parts has nearly eliminated derailments on my layout.

[@Gatherleymodeller.]

Thank you I might buy one 😊😊

[@SamsTrains]

That's interesting - I might have to look into those!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@DarrenLewarne]

Yep recently got one of these, (well the gauge master version) and they really good. Hopefully I can get another tomorrow at the NEC

[@1471SirFrederickBanbury]

brasso wadding may be the best way to polish rails. I wonder how fine the grit is in the DCC Concepts block, because it would be great if its >2000, but if its bellow, it will just sand the railhead down.

[@darkfrag83]

​@@1471SirFrederickBanbury they are designed to not be as abrasive to the track as other track rubbers on the market. They polish the rail head instead.

[@nrw-ritter]

Hello from Germany, nice video - I recognised so many points and smiled a lot remembering this during the video. Another big chapter for this video could be this: My father has build several model railway tracks. He always ignored the chapter "structured wiring". So many cables, all packed together in one big sausage and all have the same color, because he bought one big roll 20 years ago. Also labels or marks at the ends are missing... Since I bought crimping pliers I don't want to miss ferrule anymore. It is funny when he is trying to fix an electric failure and also sad when I have to help later... Greetings nrw

[@ZerokillerOppel1]

😅😅Your story about your dads electrics made me laugh a bit too hard...

[@TexasCat99]

Rule 10 about doing the railroad your way. In the USA, a guy spent about 30 years building a huge model rail set. He's either retired or passed and so his building was closed down. He used to allow people to check out what he made. He was not a detailed expert. There were lots of and oddities and many places not realistic or the best model railroading techniques. But what he made was beautiful. It was his own thing and it works. Some places are weird and wacky it's enduring. The concepts the layout, the creativity The huge size of what he built by himself without the help of anybody else is amazing. They closed down sometime this year. If I had the time and money I would have traveled to see it with my own eyes.

[@kevinheard8364]

I'm almost 70 years old and had a large-scale train - with a lot of track - as a boy growing up. It took up about 60% of the entire floor space in our finished attic. I enjoyed if immensely; and am so pleased to see a younger person enjoy the fun as well. Great video.

[@Alan-ln3ls]

Joining a model railway club is a good way to get into the hobby. Pay attention to how other members have done things, and you will quickly learn from observation what you could usefully do - and, importantly, what you should not, whether it's how you build your baseboard, how you wire it all up, or how you create scenery. Talking of baseboards, I can add a rule 11 to your list: never use hardboard or MDF for your baseboard surface. Neither will accept track pins; hardboard needs to be almost 100% supported or it will sag; MDF will swell if you spill water on it. Remember also that timber framing will expand and contract to a surprising extent, being affected by both heat and humidity, and allow for this just as Sam suggests you should with the track.

[@RonCooper-nl4pn]

Hi Alan, I totally agree with you on joining a model railway club or a group. With this in mind I can honestly say that I have never had any problems with my layouts. I have two OO and two O gauge with one being exhibiting at Exhibitions. Regards from Ron 🚂👍😃✔️🚂

[@brianartillery]

'Pedantic, Rivet-Counting Nutcase' I can see that (prefixed with 'I'm not a') on a shirt, Sam! Great video as always. Thank you. 👍👍👍

[@SamsTrains]

hahaha that's not a bad shout actually! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@tonylarkin7564]

I would buy one of them😂😂😂​@@SamsTrains

[@more5347]

conversely, NOT a pedantic rivet-counting nutcase would also work. wear them as a pair with your non-train obsessed partner!

[@Charmaster04]

With "I'm a 'run what looks good' nutcase!" written on the reverse side.

[@tonybanton1664]

My biggest mistake has been not planning my electrics better. It was all done piecemeal, and becomes such a headache when things go wrong! For instance, I started off with red wire positive, green negative. Then, when I was wiring up my signals, I realised that green lights need green wires, so I started to use black as the negative line. I now have some negatives green, some black, And so it goes. Sometimes I ran short of the correct colour wire, so I used another colour. Oh dear! After a year or so, there was such a cat's cradle under my baseboard, that when I get problems, I end up stripping everything out and starting again. And learning from my mistakes.

[@maindip]

Great video Sam and you are right rule 10 is the most important. It's everyone's hobby and we spend our own money and time on it so we make our own choices. The only don't I would have is when building your layout don't get hung up on making everything look amazing straight away, always make sure you get the chance to run trains, even when things aren't finished, after all for most of us, that's the main part of the hobby, watching our wonderful engines and rolling stock run.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot - yeah absolutely right - couldn't stress that one enough! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@steventhomas9266]

Good advice all round. 😊 Another one that I frequently ignored is take your time and try to control the impulsiveness. After building my first layout I wanted to build bigger and bigger to the point that I had so many ideas but rushed into them with little regard for potential flaws. It's taken a 4 year hiatus to realise that going back to basics is the way forward and I'm now planning a simple diorama project. Downsizing my fleet due to life circumstances was a blessing in disguise as most were impulse buys yet never been run or taken out of the box, I now have a more manageable fleet. Number 10, completely agree! When I was returning to the hobby in 2013 I was very involved with RMWeb. You had those that gave amazing advice and you had those that nitpicked everything, they fell under the rivet counting nutcases! For a while I was doing stuff just to please them and it ruined the enjoyment of the hobby but now I just build and run what I like!

[@peterm7548]

Good video with great advice. I would add that this is a hobby, not an exercise in micro-engineering, and it can never replicate the "real world". Indeed OO Gauge is already a compromise to accommodate the smaller UK loading gauge with model loco motors (almost impossible to model properly in the more accurate HO scale), meaning that from the get go all our locos and rolling stock are out of scale! Build to enjoy that's all!

[@Panniersadventures-d7p]

What do you mean HO is smaller by quite a bit they both run on the same gauge yeah but the loading gauges are of I’ve got a Lima 43 (I think it is) that runs in my OO gauge layout and it’s smaller then my coach’s it’s so funny to watch

[@stephendavies6949]

Yes. From tail chasers around the Xmas tree to Chadwick & Little Bytham and all those in between. All should be welcome in the hobby.

[@marktegrotenhuis]

In H0 scale (1/87) the 16.5 mm for standard gauge track (1435 mm) is very close to perfect. In OO scale (1/76) it's actually way off.

[@geoffwest1087]

@@marktegrotenhuis Yes - something like 8% too narrow. IMHO not much point worrying about details on models with such an error. ever looks correct.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Peter - that's true - it should be a hobby first and foremost... though I do enjoy the micro-engineering aspect of it... but I say others should only do that if they enjoy it... not because they think they should! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711]

Thanks Sam, some good tips. I clean and polish my rails with a champagne cork, size is good for HO/OO track. When it gets dirty carefully cut a thin slice off with a utility knife and you are good to go again. Once a year or so I use a small piece of cloth to wipe my rails with Inox MX3 which improves conductivity. I only use a Peco track rubber to clean after ballasting or painting, followed by an Inox rub and cork polishing. Cheers Peter from downunder.

[@stephendavies6949]

Ah, I can see how that would work! The wife loves her fizz, so we're not short of them in our house.

[@uwekall6281]

Good idea!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much! I've never heard of that before... fascinating!! I'll have to give some of these a try! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@wealdhurstmodelrailway9666]

Inox is bloody amazing. I use it on my layout.

[@stephenwilliams2630]

@@SamsTrains I built myself a cleaner with a piece of Cork underlay and dowell as a handle. Have used it now for a few years, absolutely brilliant and easy to clean with a dremel sander bit.

[@RG-Models86]

Great video, Sam 👍. If there's anything about the hobby that I regret doing, it's the fact that I collect multiple scales, which from a financial perspective, is insane, especially when multiple pre orders arrive at the same time in quick succession. My advice to anyone who wants to collect multiple scales is limit yourself to one standard gauge scale and one narrow gauge scale, preferably in the same scale too so you can have them in the same layout for example OO & OO9 or O & O-16.5. Hope you and Chloe are enjoying the national festival of railway modelling.

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah I feel you - it's just so satisfying and enjoyable if you just love models. But sure, if you're on a budget or just starting, stick to one scale for sure Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@marktegrotenhuis]

My collection is H0 scale only, with the exception of a gauge 1 (scale 1/32) steamlocomotive with 3 freight cars which I will just have on display and not running on a layout.

[@davidportch8837]

Great advice...Number 10 (rule 1) is most important Sam... Main thing is to enjoy your model railway..

[@MikePhillips-ru6hw]

Thank you so much. 3rd radius curves on a board, 4ft x 6ft is the minimum board size, at the age of 67, not the easiest of things to move! We will get there! Back in the 60s/70s oval of Super 4 and a siding set was heaven!

[@SamsTrains]

It's a pleasure Mike - yes a 3rd radius oval is certainly sizeable! I suppose that's where TT and N come into play! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@wagen_3_productions]

If you're running your trains on the floor, remember to always park them in a safe space! I once made the mistake and parked a train in the middle of the room. I was in a hurry and forgot about the train and "kicked" the locomotive off the tracks by accident. It's still running, but it's missing a side rod since then, which can't be replaced, due to the place where it was attached to the body of the loco

[@SamsTrains]

hahahaha! That's a very fair point actually - that made me cringe reading that! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@bjorngve]

Well, your train has gone through the war. Makes it even more realistic. My model collection of mining vehicles can easily loose a tiny plastic mirror or so. And I will make everything perfect with glue one day. But then again real world is not that perfect.

[@dannagy546]

100% don't be afraid to enjoy this hobby however you want. I have an issue where realism is most important to me, which is fine, it's how I personally enjoy things, but it also means I spend wayyyyyyy too much on extremely fine brass models and old books that define everything about the era im interested in. Recently I made the decision to have a more floating time line on my railroad because the specific era I wanted to model has an extreme lack of detail parts, such as cars and trucks, that it became impractical to model. Basically: just jump in and have fun! You may discover you love just having a bunch of mixed trains running around on an old table, or maybe you'll find you want to build a brick house on your layout with individual bricks! (Yes, some people do do this! It's incredible when finished but also mind blowingly slow and painstaking in the meantime)

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah for sure! And totally nothing wrong with loving realism - layouts made to be hyper realistic are unbelievably impressive - it's an amazing rabbit hole to go down isn't it? Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@dannagy546]

@SamsTrains it's unbelievable to see! I recently saw a 2 rail O scale Pennsy layout that was about 28 by 30 feet, which is small in O scale terms with more detail than I could pack into a single shelf given 20 years of free time!

[@lonnyyoung4285]

I am you except that I can't even enjoy a layout if it isn't accurate (which is impossible because running prototypical-length trains (I live in the US) is utterly impossible in most circumstances. I have a 20 car Daylight train (a mix of Broadway Limited and MTH) and an MTH GS-4 that is over 17' long. Tack on the AC-11 cab forward that is the helper, and you are at over 19'. I have nowhere to run something that long. I do, however, have a nice display shelf/diorama in my office that I am working on. It's close to representing an avtual section of track on the line on which it used to run. I do envy those who are perfectly happy running whatever random mix of rolling stock and time periods. I can't do it, but I am glad that they can.

[@dannagy546]

@lonnyyoung4285 oh I know the pain of wanting prototypical trains! I model the Pennsy from 1930 to about 1945 and would love a prototypical Broadway Limited from say 1936, pre Fleet of Modernism scheme. I also have a remarkable account of freight train ED1, The Arrow, from November 1931. Four massive I1 class decapods hauling 105 freight cars up to the Gallitzin Summit. 4100 pounds of freight, screeching banshee whistles and the thunderous boom of those massive 2-10-0 must have been a sight to behold! Alas, 105 freight cars in HO scale would be enormous, probably 45 to 50 feet long. Id also love to do an accurate model of the Enola Yard, but in HO scale were talking 300 feet long and 150 feet wide.

[@silentflier5144]

If you are really into detailed modelling and ever happen to be in the South Oxfordshire area check out the Pendon Museum in a little village called Long Wittenham, just off the A415 between Abingdon and Wallingford. They have some fantastic displays there and the main layout is a recreation of the Vale of White Horse in the 1920's/30's. I guess it's at least 20ft x 30ft and all farms, stations, houses etc on the model are detailed copies of local real-life buildings. Only individual bricks? These guys model individual tiles on the roofs! It's all volunteer work and well worth checking out, some of the work is just amazing.

[@watchit65]

Came across your video randomly and watched to the end. Very clear and concise presentation which made it a pleasure to watch even though I do not have a specific interest in model railways! Thank you.

[@alannewman85]

You’re a great narrator, not only with clarity and pace of speech, but also the pragmatism of what you say. Thanks a lot! I have plenty of stock bought, I just in the first instance I have only a vague idea of what I want, but know there is so much I should know before I buy timber, track and scenery. Is it possible to have a OO gauge railway outside?

[@angusFletcher-m8i]

number ten is the most important for me because i'm 14 and some of the people i meet talk to me like i'm a three year old and don't even know how to set the basic loop up thanks so much for doing these videos there so helpful and fun to watch and if you stop posting i wont know where to get good model train advice ps can you please give me a shout out on your next video

[@cjfauxx6266]

For another tip, do research on models (mainly locomotives) you want to buy. IF the model has QC issues, recalls, part scarcity, or limited to no support from the manufacture, I would stray away from buying. I once made the mistake when I first got into the hobby two years ago, I bought a used 1990's era bachmann 4-8-4 Northern in UP Overland Limited livery. It was an utter junker. It seemed like in good condition but I didnt know the checkered history of these models from bad plastic gears and axle rods to motors burning out. Of which BOTH cases happened to this model after a short while later. I have since scrapped it for parts.

[@Michaelgoestofrance]

I was living in temporary accommodation and had three loops of N, TT and HO pre-ballasted track on hard floors. I have to say, now that I've got a permanent base I've sacrificed the loops in N and TT and replaced them with shelf layouts (no room for more than that) and have only kept the HO in a continuous run on the floor. The smaller scales required constant attention to run, the HO is much more reliable. Worth bearing in mind if your living situation doesn't allow for a permanent layout and you want some continuous running.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing - how do you enjoy the shelf layouts? I've heard they can be great fun Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Michaelgoestofrance]

@@SamsTrains The shelf layouts are still in the early stages yet. I'm not fully sure of what I'm going to do with them. Fortunately, I've got some decent length walls so I've got some room to play with. I may look into some automation (I believe you've done that in O gauge?). It would be quite nice to set them going and watch them heading back and forth 😁

[@AllanHunter-c2l]

One more thing I have learned, model railroading is the World's greatest hobby, because you are never through building, there is always something to change. Again a very nice video.

[@chugwaterjack4458]

From my time on a UP survey crew (in the 60's), prototype rail alignment is expressed in degrees of curvature, i.e. change in direction of 100'. [by using the arc definition, the degree of curvature (D) is defined as the angle formed by two radii that are 100 ft apart along the curve.] A simple curve 300' long with a change in direction of 15 degrees would be a five degree curve. (This is also the angle measured at the center, like a piece of pie.) (Over one winter, we restaked most of the mainline from Cheyenne to Evanston) Switches are measured by the departure ratio between the rails from the point of the frog. A Number 8 switch (very tight) would have a width of 1' between the frog rails 8' away past the point. #18, #20,#22 switches are common on mainlines, some yards will be as steep as #8 - rarely. The radius of a 1 degree curve is 5729.578' and what's really scary is that I popped that number out of my head without having used it for years. So a Radius 4 curve in OO gauge has a radius of 481.2 mm, or at full size, (481.2 x 76.2) equal to a radius of 36,667.44 mm or 120.3 feet. so the degree of curvature would be 5729.578 / 120.3 or a 47.71 degree curve. A prototype mainline curvature of, say, 3 degrees would need a radius of 2506.38 mm. That is one big room. Don't get me started on spirals in and out of curves - what you call easements. I still have my spiral tables book, and wonder how we ever did that longhand. (In the US, an easement is the right to access or use of property without ownership, say a driveway across another's land.

[@stephendavies6949]

Hi Sam. Sound advice for railway modellers, both new and old. I encountered the "tight curves" issue when building my first layout as a boy with my dad back in 1970s. The only locos that would stay on the tracks were 0-6-0s! But we remedied the problem by investing in a track plans book. Just one point to add, if I may: WD40 Contact Cleaner (as opposed to the regular stuff) is a useful substance for cleaning wheels, gears, pickups, etc prior to re-lubrication.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much Stephen - ahh well, always best to learn through experience! Yes you're right about the contact cleaner - that is good!! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@111greatbear3]

Everything I own is second hand and older but works just fine that goes for track as well

[@LionGorrilaTag]

But be carful of too old track as it can rust (like the old old stuff)

[@adriannash2705]

Same here for the most part, as long as you keep it clean and well maintained it should last for a long time

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh well - glad things worked out for you! I'm all for second hand... just maybe not track haha! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@ralphpotowski-pn5hn]

No Problems with old märklin tracks😊 Just no used points. And Rolling Stock is mixed, used, up to 60 years old and new.

[@111greatbear3]

​@@LionGorrilaTag Hornby dublo 2 rail nickel silver, Hornby dublo 3 rail steel no problems, Tri-ang Hornby super 4 track no problems 🙂

[@SeverityOne]

Excellent script and presentation. I've decided a long time ago to not build a layout (the hottest day of the year is from June to October in the Mediterranean), but I really enjoyed how well this video was made.

[@SarcasticTentacle]

Even track rubbers are too abrasive honestly given they have metal flakes in them and save for removing more stubborn stuff like paint or glue post weathering are way overkill. Even then best thing to do there is to work in small sections and wipe the railhead clean with a paper towel before it dries in the first place. Ideally you want to use something softer than the metal of the rails so you don't scratch it like a block of hard wood for any sort of abrasive function. Chemically a lot of people swear by Inox mx3 contact cleaner, because end of the day you want your track to not be clean but an effective electric circuit. Mineral spirit/white spirit can also work (use in a well ventilated area because of fumes), both of these are non-polar solvents. These can adversely affect traction tires but it should be fine if you wait for the rails to be dry before using locos with those. Just use a small amount on a paper towel and wipe the rails with it once a month or something. Stuff like IPA, acetone and lacquer thinner are polar, don't use them because they will cause you to get black gunk more frequently.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing! I can't say I've had a problem with my Peco track rubber - 10 years on and the track is still perfectly good, and doesn't need cleaning more than once monthly - but people should definitely do what works best for themselves of course! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@RJiiFin]

The last advice is so good. Also applies to more than just railroading

[@pkokkie3]

Well... if there's one thing i have learned by doing, don't start to big! I never finished a big layout. But now i am making small exhibition layouts for shows and it bring me way more fun!!! Keep up the good (model)work folks!

[@marktegrotenhuis]

I have yet to build my first real layout, but I have to go big if I want to run my trains properly. Because I don't have any space for a layout I started collecting trains 5 years ago. Quite a lot of them are full length trains like they run/ran in reallife. A locomotive with 7 passenger cars is not uncommon in my collection. Those trains need about 2.4 meters each to park them. 😅

[@pkokkie3]

@marktegrotenhuis 2.4 meters!!? Wow! That's impressive Mark! Dutch trains i assume?

[@marktegrotenhuis]

@@pkokkie3 Yes, Dutch trains plus a few international ones (Thalys, ICE-3M, ÖBB Nightjet, Rheingold)

[@SamsTrains]

I'd say that's very sound advice - certainly don't start too big! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TrainmanDan]

Pedantic rivet counting nut case!? Hey hey, I'm in the room! Hah hah! I am currently in the process of building, bashing together, an O gauge GMD1 and yes I am counting rivets (although, for reasons, I don't always depict so many). I am sure that after 70 years I have committed many more mistakes than the ones that you have listed. Yes, I committed all of those. Whenever I encounter #10 I just look into my bag of F----s to see if there is any left in there. Almost always I never have any left to give. Cheers Sam.

[@raypitts4880]

my f bag is empty after 72 years i haven't any started in 52 loco 52-6 £2 30 p gramp pa gave me the money now 120-300 lovely still playing by the way loco still runs when it turn comes round

[@DJ_K666]

I absolutely agree with all of these. Especially number 10. I'm building an exhibition layout at the moment and I'm tempted to buy 11 pop rivets and put them in a pot marked 'If you want to count rivets, count these. There should be 10' And watch the results.

[@raymondjackson6069]

Very good video, I like the one one lubricants especially, though I very, very seldom lubricate anything on my railroad. Back from the DC days, it would get into and all over everything. But the the sewing machine oil might have some uses and be a good deal. But the main thing is track cleaning. Dirt is the bane of any model railroad, though DCC has made it much better, and cleaning track is the bane of any model railroader. With DC it was a constant, almost daily chore, even with regular running (which is also a great cleaner!) With DCC, it can still be a problem, but not nearly as bad a DC. When it did become an issue, my internet wandering brought me to the science of dirty rails, and other ways to address this issue. Seems rails are always dirty, and develop corrosion that prevent good contact. The best way I found to address this scientifically was the application of "NO-OX-ID", a kind of grease,but what it does mostly and brilliantly is coat the rails preventing the oxides that inhibit electrical contact. Being a "casual" model railroader, rather than go through the entire layout and coating all the rails. I applied a dab here, and a dab there usually going into and out of very flat areas, with the hope the wheels on the locos and rolling stock would spread it. It seems to have worked, because as a rule, my mainlines do not have electrical issues. It took a minute to determine how much to apply, and where. When I first got it, and applied it in places all over the layout, on my steep grades, there was a lot of slippage. But soon reached a decent balance, and place to apply. I still use the liquid cleaner for track not regularly used, along with a cleaner car/switcher combo to occasionally sweep the rails, especially on track rarely used. My 2¢.

[@dathpo]

Good advise Sam. Your no. one rule is most important. Never let anyone tell you your running your trains wrong! Thanks for the video.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah absolutely - I've always stuck by that rule and have always done well! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@elsbridgeproductions]

Glad to hear you're thinking about building a proper layout at some point, I've always thought for a model railway focussed channel, you're missing half the fun of model railways in building the layout itself! Can't wait to watch that series!

[@jamiea9718]

Thanks Sam. A great first video to watch on your channel. Many years ago, a school friend and I set out to build a model train layout in our attic during the holidays. I had a Hornby Inter-City set with a working pantograph, which ran so fast it would shake any curves apart if you ran it at full speed on a track just pushed together on a hard floor. We wanted to build a layout to do it justice. We managed to lay a very long straight in the eaves, with a turn-around loop at the end, running back to the main layout at one end of the attic. Everything was fixed, the train flew round, and so we were pretty happy. We decided to add a tunnel and some hills and other terrain, made out of papier-mâché - flour, water, and old newspaper. It looked great when painted, and we finished for the day mighty pleased with ourselves. The next day, we returned to play some more on our new layout. It was not to be. When we opened the door, we found the whole layout had been shredded, and was covered in a mix of chewed paper and mouse droppings. We'd inadvertently created a mouse smorgasbord, and hadn't thought about protecting it with traps. It was such a mess and took so much clearing up, that we never did get round to rebuilding it all. Now I've a son of my own who shows an interest in model trains, maybe we'll try again. Possibly with an electric fence around the layout, or even mixing rat poison in with the papier-mâché? Or maybe we should just get a cat!

[@mikgus]

#10 is the most important. The best layout i have seen here on youtube was a complete chaos. Every type of train going in mach 5, slot cars at full speed for traffic and so on. But you could see and hear how much fun he have had building that layout and how much fun he had running it.

[@mharagal9919]

Got a video link? I’d be quite interested in seeing it

[@mikgus]

@@mharagal9919 I tried but Couldn't find it

[@timsully8958]

Well done Sam! That is a very well thought out and comprehensive list which is useful even for seasoned modellers who might forget the odd thing now and then! 😉 I especially like the warnings about track. I had a garden railway which used to get really filthy, so I used to rub the rails with a cloth soaked with either meths or isopropyl alcohol and then use a piece of balsa wood to remove any stubborn bits, especially if I hadn’t used it for a while! Occasionally I would resort to the finest abrasive paper (like 8 or 10 thou) where it was particularly bad, but found that it wouldn’t damage the rail head if done delicately or just used a bit of aforementioned balsa 👍 The oil thing is very important too. I used 3-in-1 when I was younger, figuring it was ok only to find my engines got very gunky in seemingly no time! Thankfully, I had a kindly model shop owner nearby who recommended I go to a local appliance menders who specialised in sewing machines where I bought my first tube of sewing machine oil! I did try the Gaugemaster oil purely for the applicator, and although the oil is certainly ideal, I failed to see a difference to what I already had! 🤷🏻‍♂️ And the advice about the wheels is spot on. I probably seem a bit obsessive when I run stuff on my current ‘glorified test track’ because each item gets a wheel clean before being popped on the rails. I actually like to do this while I am running in locos at half speed after a service as it means I’m doing something useful! I also find packing unboxed stock in an enclosed environment helps, though I understand why people like to leave stock out as boxing it all up is tedious in the extreme 😫 Cheers Sam, thanks for another year of interesting content and enjoy your Christmas 🎄 🍀🥂

[@peterfranks5031]

That was probably the best advice I've ever heard. I run a garden railway, and I have a 6 foot rule. If it looks good from 6 foot, it is. I must admit, my track work is immaculate. Derailments are rare. Thanks Sam, well done. Regards, Peter. Kenton valley railway. ( garden railway that is)

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks Peter - oh that's fantastic - is your railway OO then? Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@Thinkle911]

You are absolutely right about the need of an air gap and that topic cannot be ingored, but don't overstimate it! Luckily, there is a thing called "engineering". Nickel silver has a thermal expansion of 0,000.0165 mm per K for every mm of material: 2000mm track *15K * 0,0000165 ~ 0,5mm. So 2m of track will expand for 0,5mm between 15°C in the winter with the heating turned down and 30°C in the summer baking heat. A sheet of standard 80g/m² paper is 0,1mm, if we go for 15K temperature difference, a slip of paper put in the joint will cover up for 40cm of track in that scenario. A complete 90 cm flex track will need two slips of paper per joint, when 15K is expected. And, lazy as i am: i put a piece of flex into the CAD instead of claculating it: If you solder a 900mm track on both ends to the ground and let it expand by the mentioned 0,2mm, it will form a bow and stand ~8mm of the ground. practically the soldering will kep it down a bit, but it will do stupid stuff and you won't be able to ride it. We had that case on our club railroad and the effect is dramatic! If you want to see it yourself: 900mm straight and a curve with 12250mm radius will match at both ends and show the ~8mm offset.

[@Thinkle911]

@ @Sam'sTrains just after i saw your video and did the nackground check of thermal expansion mentioned above, we set up our modularised railway at an exhibition and one point on one module was complety out pf shape. It looked like it was severly beatne or otherwise mechanically attacked, but how? the modules were safely stored away, protected in boxes! After some invesitagtion and fumbling around i notcied quite some tension in the tracks and no visible gaps between the rails: it hat gotten so warm, that the pushing force of the elongated rail totally "destroyed" the point. After a release cut on one rail end with a track cutter a lot of the tension was gone, but i guess i would never have thought about that option, if it wasn't for your video!

[@billverdon2085]

IMy layout is Hornby Dublo 3 rail from the 50's and 60's and I love the robust engineering of the locos and rolling stock.. I know that the realism and detail is nowhere near the modern stuff but I like it. I have slightly .modernised some things like lamps and fitted carriage interior lighting also modern semaphore signals with led lamps. Love your videos Sam.

[@stephendavies6949]

My favourite loco is a Doublo City of London (2 rail) from 1959, I think. It hadn't run for decades, so I sent it off to OOBill who did a fabulous job of restoring it. Now it can haul pretty much everything piece of rolling stock I own!

[@Lewisbones11]

i bought a Bachmann 57xx at an exhibition for £25, it worked all food with no issues. a few days go by and i thought "oh i bet it pretty dirty on the inside" so i took it apart and cleaned it, however i had accidently got the cleaning solution i used in side the motor without realising. i then put it all back together thinking i had just made the engine run better but when i put it on the track and game it some power, it moved, stopped, hummed then smoked and sparked. i had fried the motor and it being one of the old pancake motors i couldnt find any on ebay so after it being st in the box for about 3 months i decided to make it a loco that was going for scrap which is where is sits 5 years later its safe to say ive been for careful ever since

[@johnbeck3270]

You removed some of the protective coating on the winding wire. You may be able to use a slot car armature in the motor. Try Auto World. They make armatures for the old “pancake” motors like were in the old Aurora Model Motoring Thunder Jet cars

[@Lewisbones11]

@ thanks for the suggestion however the chassis is worn down beyond repair so it’s not worth the money, it would be better just to get a new one

[@heirandspare]

I like the last rule that you mentioned. It can be applied to any hobby (or situation). For instance, take one of the train sets that you featured. Add a switch track to go to an accessory of some sort. Because you happen to have it. So you can find out what theme of your layout you would like it to develop into. After all, it's your layout.

[@TenCJones]

Number 10 is the best advice of all! My biggest regret was putting a diecast Graham Farish loco body on top of a coal fire to see if it would weather it when I was a little boy. It turned black and then dissolved into a grey stain.

[@BSS22193]

Great video! 👍 I got a new Märklin HO scale railway for the Christmas in 2000 when i was 8 years old and i have used it a little bit through the years and keep it in the box it came with when i'm not using it. I'm not that much into model trains as you are but i'm still going to keep my Märklin train and railway and use it from time to time when i want to bring back good childhood memories. 😊

[@williamsquires3070]

Also, try to buy all your track from the same manufacturer; if you decide to go with Hornby’s track, stick to it. Likewise, if you go with Bachmann E-Z Track, stick with that brand. That’s not to say you MUST stick with that brand, you may have to buy a specialized piece of trackwork to fit your track plan that manufacturer ‘X’ doesn’t make, but understand that it’ll involve some work to get it to fit. The main factors are; the rail ‘code’ (height of the rail in hundredth’s of an inch), height of the ties, and whether the track is plain, or has molded-on ballast. I also recommend buying at least TWO turnouts (switches/points) to start with; one L-H (Left Hand) and one R-H turnout if your starter set doesn’t have any. Also buy a like number of straight pieces of the same length as the straight section of the turnout; these will balance out the turnouts on opposite sides of the loop of track! Consider a loop (oval) of track with two semi-circles of curved track joined by some straight sections. There are 4 places where the straight and curved tracks meet. I’m going to label these 1, 2, 3, and 4, with #1 and #2 being the furthest away from you, and #3 and #4 closest to you, and #1 and #3 on the left side of the oval, and #2 and #4 on the right. With two turnouts, there are 2 basic ways to make a passing siding (the other ways are just geometric reflections of the 1st two: 1) place the L-H turnout at #1, replacing the straight track there, then place the R-H turnout at #2 - again - replacing the straight section there. Join the straight routes of the turnouts with more straight track, and join the curved (diverging) routes together with straight sections of track, and the little 1/3-of-a-curve piece that comes with the turnout. The little curved pieces should have their curvature OPPOSITE that of the diverging route of the turnout. Join these two ends with more straight sections. This design is great if you want to put a station for the trains to stop at! 2) place the L-H turnout at #1, replacing the curved section, and the R-H turnout at #3, replacing the curved section. Now, using the little curved pieces, extend the diverging route of the turnout with MATCHING curvature. Join the two ends with more curved sections. Or, you can make a number of designs with two stub-end sidings! For example, place a L-H turnout at #4 replacing the curved section, and a R-H turnout at #3, replacing the curved section. Now extend the straight route(s) with more pieces of track and a bumper piece at the end. You can now place an industry there to be switched (shunted)! Or you can place a small engine house and servicing facilities there, appropriate for the locomotives you want to run (steam vs. diesel.) Finally, you can just use the stub-end sidings as interchanges; a place where different railroads meet, or to represent far away places you don’t have the room to model. 😅

[@marktegrotenhuis]

About the turnouts: There are some rail programs that don't require special curves or straight pieces. For example Roco and Piko have a geometry in which the standard turnouts (15°) have the same length as a standard straight track. The 15° angle of the turnout also matches the 15° or 30° curves, so no special curved pieces are needed either.

[@petersemus4643]

Very good advice. My greatest error was starting in DCC but then adding automation later. Had to take the track up to add the block wiring which took a lot of time. Really think carefully before construction of what you want to achieve.

[@nathanpedersen7151]

Never thought id be taking notes on this and i did thanks for the tips Sam. I started a ceiling layout this past year and a half so far going great but today learned a couple dont's that are really goning to help so much appreciate it. Cheers

[@mikeyratcliff3400]

Superb Sam! The most informative article you have made! As the late David Jenkinson, renowned modeller, author and photographer of our hobby for many years said 'it's my railway and I'll run what I want ( Despite Dapol trying to sell me the rather lovely SECR D class everytime I look at your channel!

[@SimonMarshall-Jones]

Well done Sam. What a great vid. Rule 1 is THE most important thing. It's your layour and you can do exactly what you want to fulfil your enjoyment. The rivet counters are a complete pain in the arse to be quite honest. We all need to enjoy this amazing hobby of ours and encourage the next generation of modelers. Well said sir. Your videos are an absolute inspiration and the reviews are completely fair to all the manufacturers out there. I model N gague but am still fascinated by your oo gague reviews as well. Keep up your fantastic channel. I soo look forward to seeing all your vids. Kind regards. Simon 😀😀😀🚂🚂

[@andrewknights1304]

Track cleaning. Once a suitable rubber has removed dirt/oxides, give the rail tops and inside edges with a graphite crayon (Staedtler 2B- for instance). I have used these for years now (9mm to 32mm gauge) and in the loft track only needs a clean once a year or even less. Be warned, it is a lubricant and if applied too thickly can reduce the haulage capacity of engines (it can be cleaned off readily though). Good news, it may reduce the effectiveness of traction tyres, but it will not affect them chemically. Good video Sam, generally good generic advice there.

[@SamsTrains]

That's a good tip Andrew, thanks a lot for this! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@michaelcarey6019]

After trying most of the track cleaning aids I have settled on the CMXTrack cleaning truck. This cleaning truck uses Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) as a cleaning solvent. The truck is in the form of a tanker which is made of brass and is extremely heavy. The tank is fitted with a fine metering valve which drips the solvent on a pad which touches the rail. they are pretty expensive, but I find it invaluable on a large layout which incoperates tunnels which can be awkward to clean. Also I find it works very well over points etc, No need for abrasives of any kind in my view. And so easy to use, just couple up to your favourite loco preferably a hefty diesel loco. I always push the cleaning truck as this also cleans the loco wheels, job done, and away you go. i have used this for a considerable length of time and would highly recommend one of the these devices. Hope this helps, good luck.

[@Andrew7923]

Thanks for the gap advise, I'm planning on soldering my track for the first time soon and I was totally going to push it all thr waay together. Since it's super cold right now that could cause problems later.

[@Thomas_Antics]

I have friends and KZbinrs who own HO/OO and I’ve wanted a model railway too, and with these tips I’m now gonna start buying stuff, thanks for the tips fan, I’ve been watching for a few years now. 👋

[@pim1234]

I will start my first layout in tt120 in 2025, these kind of vids are a great help.

[@A-zn3wh]

very timely video. used to do HO when I was really little and wanted to come back to it ~20 years later. Thanks for the tips. I never used WD-40, but I remember thinking the more smoke fluid I put in this one train, the more smoke it would make. needless to say did not end well. I can still remember the smell of whatever that stuff was.

[@MervynPartin]

Very good video and sound advice, Sam. I have been railway modelling for 70 years, starting with Trix-Twin on the carpet and during the course of my life also modelled in 000 (Lone Star Treble-0-Lectric, very crude models with rubber band drive), Gauge 1, 5" Gauge, 7.25" Gauge so the pitfalls that you have pointed out are definitely to be avoided. One other thing to be avoided is letting your Father play with your trains after you have gone to bed, damaging your new loco that you had for Christmas! Yes, it happened to me. I now stick to 00 Gauge in the garage. I would add that WD40 does have its uses, however, on a Gauge 1 garden railway. A quick spray on the RAILS does wonders for electrical pick-up and also aids flange lubrication on tight curves. My 7.25" Gauge garden line also had very tight curves and benefited from WD40 to reduce flange squeal and wear.

[@marionbloom1218]

I remember some decades ago when nickel-silver track was a new thing, before that we always had steel track. At the time, quite a few of the more sophisticated Hornby locos had what was called "magnadhesion", using magnets to increase the force between wheel and rail, which resulted in a big increase in traction and pulling power. It worked well! But of course it doesn't work on non-magnetic track! So I stuck with the old fashioned steel track. I guess none of the modern models have Magnadhesion now, probably you've never even heard of it.

[@raypitts4880]

yes iv made a comment up above pain it was all the magnet did on nickel as replace the steel in the body all one could do was keep adding stock till it would not pull any more

[@marionbloom1218]

@@raypitts4880 I remember I had a steep grade to a bridge over the track on my layout, on which the magnadesion locos would pull anything up, but the others wouldn't pull a thing!

[@erikdekuil4629]

Don’t the T-scale trains (1/450) use magnetic wheels for adhesion?

[@BritishThomasGuy]

my first train set was the industrial set which was second hand but never used, it’s great and i still have it today

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh fantastic - new-old stock is brilliant! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@HollenHays-xy5cu]

This is great advice! I’m hoping to start a model railroad myself, and you have offered great advice and tips that can help me out. Thank you so much, and have yourself a great thanksgiving!

[@waev1471]

Great vod dude. Fantastic insights, great perspective, beautiful spirit. It seems you have a great passion for model railwaying

[@PaulPirie-l4b]

Another excellent video Sam! Great advice! Especially the last one! “Pedantic rivet counting nutcase” 😂😂😂😂

[@olivernokesbooth7244]

Thank you for the advice on cleaning track. I had no idea that there are track rubbers and I'm going to get a couple soon. I started with a Hornby blue highlander train set and expanded from that.

[@stephendavies6949]

I have a couple of well used track rubbers dating back to the 1970s!

[@uwekall6281]

I totally agree with all those points and it is a really good topic and well before Christmas. As an exception specifically for newly built vintage layouts with märklin M-type tracks I'd like to add that it's perfectly ok to buy those used tracks and also the tighter curves (Industrie-Gleis): Even the longest steam locos go there without derailment and also don't cut out on points or anything. You can drive the modern rolling stock on it perfectly as well. It's a cheap way to start by using 60'ies stuff from your grand parents attic up to modern stuff with high details (and cost) and you get that true vintage feeling of the trusty full metal toy happily running through the decades.

[@edcrane4438]

Wow, excellent presentation, very informative. I have recently gotten back into O gauge and bought a Lionel set with an 0-8-0 steam engine. It runs great except for when it goes over switch track, because it has no small carriage wheels it would derail every time when pulling cars. Would have been better off with meandering track layout without switches. The other engines work no problem.

[@fyrep0w3r]

WD-40 is designed to be used on things a tad bigger than power tools. Actually, it was designed to be used on Atlas nuclear missiles. It's also not intended to be a lubricant. Its job was to force moisture away from the unpainted steel skin of the missile to stop it from corroding. WD-40 actually stands for "Water Displacement, 40th Formula". It wouldn't be until much later that WD-40 would be sold commercially as a do-anything product.

[@stephendavies6949]

Yes. It's basically a drying agent. The contact cleaner product is useful, however.

[@DEE-o4v]

As always - a great video. Sam - you bring up a damn good point. Trains, nowadays, are expensive....not ridiculous (although sometimes yes, the prices are horrific) but in general, a bit expensive. Having said that, it pays to spend some time and some money for maintenance...and well, not run them on a carpet...ha! They are an investment folks...learn to take of them!

[@PaulinesPastimes]

You use exactly the same sewing machine oil as I do, in the same bottle and everything, just different generic branding. I carefully snipped the spout of the bottle and fitted a syringe to it with a fine needle and I use it on everything. Excellent oil, works as well as anything. My little layout has an inner track with 1st radius curves and I use steel Super 4 track. It all works for me. Good video. 😊👍

[@AtypickyKraken]

Your advice about the curves radius can come in handy - once, some guy from the model railway club I am a member of, brought a steam locomotive - Czechoslovakian Škoda-produced 475.1 "Noblewoman". These beauties tend to be custom-made and expensive, around 1200€ each. And... turned out the wonderful, super-detailed locomotive is incompatible with our club layout, since the curves were mainly designed for short four-axle diesels (these are kinda affordable) or even smaller shunters. Such errors can really hurt your wallet, with you now being stuck with a beautiful, but basically useless locomotive.

[@chanticleer6161]

Excellent video, Sam, many thanks. I'm about to re-enter the hobby after a gap of about 55 years (!), & this was a great help. Keep up the good work!

[@MikayelBousseksou-w3p]

Good advice, never knew people used sand paper to clean their track, obviously not a good idea. The whole point of sand paper is to remove material to make the surface smoother. Great video, great advice.

[@georgewilkinson1068]

Sam, this is a great video! I found it to be more useful than I initially thought.

[@videomentaryproductionschannel]

This is excellent advice Sam as I am thinking of starting my own railway setup. I watch your channel all the time have great Christmas 😃

[@NextEevolution]

While expensive, I would strongly recommend Labelle's oil and grease for model trains. I remember when my collection began to grow and I wanted to properly maintain my models that I spent hours trying to find a plastic safe oil and grease to use for them. The 102, 107/108 oil and 106 grease has definitely helped me maintain my rolling stock and I would recommend them. I'll give the mineral oil a try though, as it's much cheaper than Labelle's oils, but I'll definitely stick with their grease for locos' drivetrain gears.

[@stephendavies6949]

This is an interesting subject. I have a couple of specialist model motor oil applicators, but they're now filled with sewing machine oil, which works a treat. I use either silicon grease or a slightly specialist oil, which is slightly thicker than the sewing machine oil, for gears. 99.9% pure IPA is my go-to wheel/contact cleaner, but I've recently starting using specialist contact cleaner too, although it's quite expensive compared with IPA.

[@NextEevolution]

@stephendavies6949 i spent a lot of time looking for suitable silicon greases and oils when I was first starting out, since I didn't want to pay for the admitted expensive hobby specific stuff like Labelle. Unfortunately, most that I came across was flat out *not* plastic safe or would claim to be but people who used the products found the claims to be false. I'm still very much open to taking recommendations though, if given by hobbyists who swear by it. Like the contact cleaner I also used to use IPA 90% but now use CRC 2-26, recommended by FishplateFilms. It works great on track and helped me get use out of even neglected steel track

[@sculpturekris3548]

The standard Peco power inserts seem to have a profile that can foul some low hanging outer details eg Bachmann Underground. My power points are almost invisible. A 3D printed slide containing a bronze strip. Held in place by its own tight fit under the rails. The tab end has a soldered wire coming through the baseboard. Sam's recommendation of the Mingda Magician X 3D printer has enabled many small custom parts.

[@joezuccardo3245]

I still use brass track and as long as you keep it clean it works for me and has has been working for over 40 years

[@davidchurch3472]

Some of the 'Great Little Trains of Wales' are now run on almost completely on 'second-hand' track. It is also the only way to get Super-4 size track : or one could replace all the wheels on the rolling-stock with newer ones with shallower flanges. Our local railway has a stock of gaps in the shed, that get taken out to swap with the previous season's gaps in the track.

[@martinpattison1567]

Sam, steel track has been used for a very long time. The first layout was built by my father and my uncle when I was just six years old. They used steel track and even as a teenager I used Super Four track and later System Six. Yes, a little extra cleaning may be needed. Some KZbinrs still use steel tracks and old buildings to show viewers how it used to be. Some even use Zero One as a control system. I am using steel and nickel track because of my budget restrictions. If you have not seen my latest layout then please take a look. I had to wait 20 years before I had enough room for a layout. I have not wasted those years as I used the time to make model building etc. (I just had a problem with too many cardboard boxes filled with them.) Martin. (Thailand) "Yorkdale LNER Preservation Railway" (I do not like the sound of my voice in the videos.) Martin. (Thailand)

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing Martin - interesting that others still use steel - I suppose there will still be a market for it then! Thanks very much for sharing, Sam :)

[@gwrtromsoe]

Great video! My tip: Cutting track and aligning track. Never try to freestyle or estimate alignment. It'll never work. A solid base, soldered in place before cutting is the way to go...

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing - that does sound good! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@tcm_tatra]

My first track layout usable for for models with 2 rail pick-up was second-hand , but not used, I'm still using it. My second track layout for 2 rail pick-up was again second hand , but was quite rusty , and in some places bended. After cleaning it a bit with the power drill with wire brush and polishing the fish plates for better contact, I've managed to get most of it to sustain power on locomotives. So I've put my most reliable loco with some heavy wagons with metal wheels to run fast for about 1-2 hours. At the beginning the wheels were sparking a lot and the loco kept cutting , but after a while there were no more sparks , there were less stoppages and the track got visible shinier on the part where the wheels are rolling. I like this realistic effect. My first track that I've ever bought was unusable , as at the time I didn't know there are different models and I bought one with 3rd rail pick-up , which non of my locos had.

[@davehitchman5171]

Love the dont let others tell you about... brilliant. My layouts are really just for relaxation, my main interest is in fixing old stuff I get second hand and not working into something that does, I have draws full of them, more than I could use if I had a 200ft square layout.... but I even tried to buy more this week but just missed sadly on a bargain by working instead :(

[@helmutsandner6964]

Thanks for another very interesting and informative video presentation Sam. On the number 10 rule. I agree with you, people should be able to build and run their model railway as they like. No doubt, running very accurate and prototypical trains is great. But it's also great to mix things up a little. It is possible to have era specific running sessions. Whereas you can just run 1950's trains for example. For the bit of modelling variety. Modelling a transition era can give loads of variety. As I was born in 1960. I remember the mid to late sixties railway in Germany. 1968 was a transition to computer numbering system. This would be my choice of era. If I were to restrict myself to era specific modelling. This was a decade of a mix of steam, diesel and electric locomotives. And the transition of corporate livery on locomotives and rolling stock. This era transition modelling can apply for the various changes in the railway scene. Then moving to Australia. I remember the early 1970's in New South Wales. I was fortunate enough to live next to the mainline between Newcastle and Sydney. I saw the last New South Wales steam locomotives in action. Double 60 class Garrett locomotives on heavy freight trains were certainly a highlight. I have models from Germany, America and Australia. And just for fun. I mux and match these up every now and then. As Sam mentioned, there's a lot of very talented modellers in the hobby. Which are happy to pass on their knowledge and experience. Happy railway modelling.

[@clintwilde1048]

#10 really is the most important one. This is a hobby, not a job, it is for you to relax into, have fun with, be creative, and to not feel pressure from the outside. So, it is OK when you want to have a set of Tyco ACL passenger cars pulled by a Tyco 0-4-0 tank engine and it makes you happy. I did replace that tank engine with a Tyco Pacific when I got the extra money, both engines were Tyco kits that I purchased and built in the early 1960's, $12 for the tank engine, $24 for the Pacific and still running today. Also agree with the WD40 warning, it was designed as a 'Water Displacement' product, hence 'WD", and contains citric acid as a rust and penetrating oil element. Spray it on a stuck bolt, but not your fishing reel or shotgun.

[@gcorriveau6864]

Some good 'food for thought' - thanks! I love seeing the "Mobile 3D Train ART' that many folks create, more-so than just having 'trains running in circles.' But, that's just me as per Rule#10. As for all the 'dirty track/wheels' issues - I long for the day when 'DeadRail (battery) Powered' locomotives will become the standard! (or at least feasible). Thanks for posting!

[@pvtmadmike]

I regreat selling my Ho now looking to get back in with N as I am retiring soon and have grandchildren. thanks for the video.

[@UP-gv9bn]

A fitting video since im getting back into model railroading after taking a break from it a few years ago

[@peterhopewell9431]

Unless you are desperate, never sell unwanted trains en masse to a dealer. They will rip you off!!!

[@SamsTrains]

That's a very good shout actually - pop them on Ebay and you'll do better! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@helmutsandner6964]

I totally agree with you. I can say that your statement is true from personal experience.

[@lonnyyoung4285]

I learned this one earlier this year, but mine turned out well. I was looking into selling pretty much everything I had because my kids had zero interest in the hobby, I didn't have the space to set up a layout (everything had been boxed up since 2007 when my parents moved from my childhood home), and I could have used the money. A few years prior, my parents and my aunt had a garage sale, and a guy bought up a bunch of my childhood toys. They mentioned that I had a lot of model trains. He was interested, but they weren't for sale at that time. Finally, this year, I was ready to sell (he had asked my aunt intermittently if I was interested in selling). I got all of my trains from my parents and cataloged everything, including looking for prices online to see what I might be able to get for them. I was looking at around $3,600 realistically (over 300 items). I got the gentleman's phone number from my aunt and called the guy. I offered to sell him the whole lot for $2,700. As soon as I heard him pause before responding, I knew I was dealing with a reseller and not just "a collector" as he advertised himself to my family. He then told me that he needed to make money, too, and that he would need to see everything (apparently, he didn't really do computers and would be able to use my detailed spreadsheet). One, I was put off at the realization that this guy just wanted to profit off me, but he wasn't honest with my parents and aunt. Two, I wasn't kern on the idea of having unwrap everything AGAIN just so this guy could see everything. The guy never gave me a counter offer (I likely would have rejected an offer anyway), and I never heard from him again. I haven't gotten around to selling much on Ebay (one container out of five), but I already made over $1000. You will definitely get lowballed by resellers.

[@ralphpotowski-pn5hn]

Never sell to a dealer at all. They have to make profit, of course. So they just cannot pay as much as a user. And on top some try to rip u.

[@barrycrews273]

Thank you for your advice and time. I got a lot from it and I would say the best would be rolling stock wheels. Never even thought of that!

[@williamsquires3070]

Also, if you are going to lay track on the carpet (or a wood floor), use one of the brands that has the molded-in ballast (such as Kato UniTrack.) This will lift the track proper up over the actual floor, so the small carpet fibers (or other dirt/dust) aren’t hiding directly between the ties. You should still check it every once in awhile, but it’ll be much better than running bare track on a carpet! 😊

[@michaeldesmondwoods3193]

I am just starting out into the hobby. I am buying my G scale rail road sets from my local Flea market and am enjoying them

[@MattsScaleModels]

Thank Sam, advice for new modellers is really important. Number Ten cannot be overstated, it’s so important to remember that you can do whatever you like on your railway. I think there might be interest in looking at some of the better locos and wagons of the last 10-20 years, for people to consider acquiring second-hand. A great way to increase the fleet on a. budget.