Railroad Catalog

Getting Started with Lego Trains book review

More than just a guide, author McKee takes readers to the world of advanced LEGO building and the culture of model railroading. Sometimes the lingo takes a wacky turn: How could a model be built with SNOT? Connect the LEGO bricks in unorthodox ways to have Studs Not On Top, or SNOT, perfect for advanced constructions. What about the chapter on reefer? That’s the refrigerated rail car model, the type of train car called a reefer by model builders and train buffs in the know.

Interviews with expert builders and a section on advanced track layouts are sure to inspire the master builder and budding train enthusiast alike. With this book, newbies and old pros all have something in common – a great book to help them grow with their hobby. As author McKee explains, “LEGO trains are the ‘hub of the spoke,’ so to speak. LEGO trains are what bond a LEGO universe together. Once you set up your first starter train set, you want more track. More track leads to more train cars. More cars leads to city. City leads to airports. Then space, then …”

Since the first steam engine ran in the early 1800s, kids and adults around the world have been fascinated. Trains, then as now, hold a special appeal to many, and over the decades thousands of train models and toys have been created. Model railroads built by kids and adults alike have a long and rich history.

The model railroad community consists of literally hundreds of thousands of fans of the railroad industry, especially those who enjoy building model railroads and running their trains throughout their house. Many readers may have had experience with HO or N scale trains, but they may have not had much experience with LEGO trains. Perhaps these fans have had experience with other LEGO kits and models, but with LEGO trains you have the chance to build scale model trains that actually run at your command!

Why Build Trains With LEGO Parts?

LEGO trains are built with only LEGO elements, so the train designs are close approximations of the real-life design. Because of this, LEGO trains require a whole new way of looking at the train design process.

In addition, with LEGO parts, you can use and reuse these parts over and over and over again, assuming of course you can bring yourself to take apart some of your creations. With other railroading materials, over time you usually have to continually purchase and repurchase expendable resources, such as paints, sheet plastic, hobby wood, and so forth.

Because of the re-useability and non-specific scale of LEGO trains, it is possible to build all kinds of creations and train layouts. One week, you can build 6-stud-wide hopper cars, and the next week 8-stud-wide circus trains.

Note that common LEGO train widths are 6 studs and 8 studs, though all official LEGO train models are 6 wide. A few builders even build 12 or 14 studs wide!

LEGO Trains Development

LEGO trains had their beginning in 1965, when LEGO released the first LEGO train set – a push locomotive that ran on popular LEGO wheels and did not include track. This locomotive was not powered, and in 1966, this push train was replaced with a powered version.

The original LEGO track was plastic and was held together with special 2×8 plates. The gauge, or distance between the rails, was six studs (1.5 inches, or 38 mm). The gauge was determined by the width of the wheels mounted on the ends of one 2×4 brick.

The powered trains have been going strong since 1966, and have included not one by three separate systems of train tracks and sets, each defined by their voltage requirements.

The first powered LEGO train was in the 4.5 volt range, and the set used the standard LEGO motor, with power coming from batteries in a car directly behind the locomotive (motor).

Building on the success of the 4.5 volt line, a 12 volt line was introduced shortly after. Like Lionel trains, the 12 volt system used a “third rail,” a rail down the center of the track, which in this case was actually two smaller rails, to feed power to the motor, rather than using batteries. This third rail was available separately, which allowed older batter-powered layouts to be upgraded to the 12 volt system.

The 9 volt system was introduced in 1991 and is still in production today. This line introduced stability and ease of use to the LEGO train line. The 9 volt motors are a major leap forward because of the improved design and because the metal wheels on the specially designed train motors safely pull power directly from the metal rails. These wheels have minimal friction on the axle, rubber rims that help grip the rails, and a brilliant system of rubber bands that constantly push the metal wheels against the track for good contact.

The 9 volt line also introduced the new track system – straight, curved, crossover, and switch tracks that include both the two rails and the ties in one-piece track modules.

In author McKee’s book, he focuses entirely on the 9 volt line.

Fundamentals

Author McKee starts out with a marvelous chapter on the fundamentals of building a LEGO train. The system is simple in design, and with his background, anyone will be up and running in no time.

He covers how to get one of your very own first LEGO train sets, and then describes the variety of LEGO train sets from which you can choose your first set. The LEGO company offers several great starter train sets, complete with all the components you need to create your first LEGO train layout. Everything you need to get started is in the box, so you will be up and running in no time.

He follows with a helpful chapter on the basics of building LEGO t rains, discussing and explaining how to use various LEGO train parts, including couplers, buffers, wheels, bogie plate, and train base plates.

Customized LEGO Trains You Will Build

Author McKee includes 3 chapters that thoroughly describe how to build three LEGO trains. These include a GP-38 locomotive, an old-style refrigerator car, and an intermodal container car. In each chapter, he explains the various types of LEGO train parts you will need, and the number of each of these pieces, and in an amazing array of 4-color, high-gloss diagrams, shows you each step of the design process. These layer by layer design steps follow the classic tradition of all LEGO building systems, with extensively detailed drawings of the parts used in each step with clear lines indicating where the parts are to be placed.

After obtaining the various LEGO train sets that contain the parts included in his three original designs, anyone can follow these easy instructions and build their very own working LEGO train. This fantastic one of a kind Train Guide is available while supplies last in our Catalogs and Books section of our website www.BrickTrainShop.com

About the Author

Son of 2, Brother of 1, Father of 6, Friend to all, Bother to Many.  Born and raised all over the world I now reside in Southern California near my true love LEGOLAND.  My wife and I operate a Lego Store in which we sell all things Lego.  Stop by our store anytime and drop us a line www.BrickTrainShop.com

RAILROAD & BOAT SPKIE ANTIQUE CATALOG AD 1919 $9.99

1926 Smith Pavers – Road & Railroad Catalog on CD $8.95

1966 Lionel Classic Model Railroad Science Catalog Toys $15.99

Walthers 1976 HO Railroad Catalog & Craft reference Manual $10.36

Walthers 1975 HO Railroad Catalog & Craft reference Manual $7.99

KATO 25-000 KATO N-Gauge HO-Gauge Model Railroad Catalog 2012 Book JAPAN $39.99

1987 Audio Visual Designs Catalog Trains Railroad Books Postcards $2.99

Tru-Scale Vintage Catalog HO Scale Model Train Railroad $19.99

THE ELECTRONIC AND HOBBYCRAFT STORES INC 1952 CATALOG MODEL RAILROAD DEPARTMENT $3.00

*VINTAGE 1962 CATALOG OF MODEL RAILROADS TRAIN SETS KITS LOCOMOTIVES MAGAZINE $9.99

LOT 1960′S MODEL RAILROAD CATALOG INTERNATIONAL INC ENYA ENGINES TAKARA AIRPLANE $6.99

VINTAGE 1945 WALTHERS RAILROAD LETTERING DECALS CATALOG & INDEX 48 PGS *EUC* $9.99

*VINTAGE 1949 DECAL CATALOG O HO OO GAUGES MODEL RAILROAD LETTERING K. WALTHERS* $9.99

*VINTAGE MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT BUYER’S GUIDE MAGAZINE CATALOG KALMBACH* $9.99

VINTAGE ATHEARN HO RDC-1 & 2 CATALOG 16 PGS 1950′S? MODEL RAILROADS & EQUIPMENT $6.99

1966 HO MODEL RAILROAD CATALOG TYCO – I 6424 A $20.00

RAILKING 1 One Gauge Train Railroad Catalog Book 2007 $3.50

JMC N Scale Trainalog 1974 Model RR Train Railroad Railroading Catalog Magazine $11.97

TRAIN BOOK LIONEL TRAIN CATALOG RAILROAD 0-27 SCALE $9.00

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $7.99

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $7.99

1976 Walthers N Scale Railroad Catalog – Rare Counter Copy – Very Nice Condition $7.49

1949 MODEL TRAIN O GAUGE CATALOG – RAILROAD EQUIPMENT AND REFERENCE MANUAL $9.95

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $7.99

2000 Union Pacific Railroad Company Store Catalog $19.00

1991 92 Railroad Technical Training Catalog LOOK $19.00

1997 98 Union Pacific Railroad Company Store Catalog $19.00

HO Gauge Model Railroad Equipment 1948 Catalog MANTUA Metal Products Company $14.49

MR Prefiled Catalogs Railroad Equipment 1961 $74.95

Vtg Hegenscheidt Catalog~Lathes~Railroad Wheels~RQ/-NC $13.98

MARKLIN Model Railroad Trains 1998 EXPORT MODELS Catalog 31 Pgs Item # & Desc $4.99

1994 ATLAS MODEL RAILROAD TRAIN Fall/Winter CATALOG HO & N Pics Desc. Prices $4.99

MARKLIN Model Railroad Trains 1990 New Items CATALOG & 2 Different Price Lists $5.99

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $5.99

RARE ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $9.99

LIONEL CLASSIC 1998 TRAIN Railroad CATALOG w/Prices NEW $4.99

1927 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 100 Yr Catalogue CENTENARY EXPOSITION Iron Horse $53.99

ALCO RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE 1ST ED CATALOG ILLUSTRATED $17.99

2003 RAIL KING READY-TO-RUN MODEL RAILROAD CATALOG Sets Accessories PRICES $3.99

1940 Walthers Model Railroad Supplies Ho Gauge Catalog $9.95

1927 Baltimore & Ohio Railroad B&O Catalogue CENTENARY EXPOSITION Book $53.99

FALLER / AMS Vintage 1965/66 Model Railroad Accessory Catalog $7.50

Industrial Works Railroad Crane, Pile Driver Catalog/Promo Book 1919 VGC $15.00

Two vintage “O” scale railroad catalogs, 1961 & 1976 $11.21

ADLAKE Trimmings for Railroad Cars Catalog No. 134 from the Pere Marquete R R $15.00

Model Railroad Shop 1945 Catalog Sheet Trains Cars HO L $7.75

1950 Walthers HO Model Railroad Model Building Reference Manual & Catalog $4.95

Stephens-Adamson Box Car Unloader 55′ Railroad Catalog $3.99

Stephens-Adamson Loader & Piler 1955 Railroad Catalog $3.99

Baldwin Locomotive Works {Railroad History Catalogs Story of Eddystone} on DVD $7.00

1999 Pentrex Holiday Catalog Railroad Entertainment. 62 Pages Mear Mint $7.00

The Catalogue of the Centenary Exhibition of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad $15.00

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $6.99

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $6.99

LIONEL Electric Trains Catalog 1980 Model RR Railroad $2.50

LIONEL Traditional Series Catalog 1982 Railroad Trains $2.50

LIONEL Collector Series Catalog 1986 RR Railroad Trains $2.50

LIONEL Collector Series Catalog 1984 RR Railroad Trains $2.50

LIONEL Collector Series Catalog 1983 RR Railroad Trains $2.50

LIONEL Collector Series Catalog 1982 RR Railroad Trains $2.50

LIONEL 0/027 Catalog 1974 RR Railroad Model Trains $2.50

LIONEL 0/027 Catalog 1977 RR Railroad Model Trains $2.50

LIONEL 0/027 Catalog 1976 RR Railroad Trains $2.50

Door & Step Control Railroad Pamphlet Catalog National Pneumatic Co. Locomotive $49.99

KATO N scale Model Railroad Japanese Catalogue 2012 NEW !!! $22.80

1917 Wine Railway Appliance Railroad Equipment Catalog $24.00

GILBERT AMERICAN FLYER 1961 S GA MODEL RAILROAD CATALOG/AD FLYER IN POSTER STYLE $9.99

American Flyer Gilbert Model Train Railroad Catalog LOT 1939 $79.99

1911 Railroad Trade Catalog: THE WILLIAMS ALL-SERVICE CAR DOOR COMPANY *Illinois $29.99

Three Lionel Model Railroad 2012 Catalogs: Signature Ed, Ready-to-Run, S-Gg, New $6.99

Vintage Union model 28 railroad car retarder catalog 1928 business industry $1.99

1940’s Sante Fe Railroad Grand Canyon outings catalog $7.95

Model Railroad Equipment Buyer’s Guide 1966-67 Catalog $40.00

Railroad Mill Hardware Factory Supplies Book Catalog $137.10

VINTAGE AHM MODEL RAILROAD TRAIN CATALOG HO SCALE ASSOCIATED HOBBY MANUFACTURE $9.99

NEW Catalogue Railroad and Warehouse Commission Library $29.99

NEW Catalogue Railroad and Warehouse Commission Library $26.12

NEW Catalogue Railroad and Warehouse Commission Library $14.68

LIONEL Postwar 1960 Railroad Model Train Consumer Catalog 56 Pgs Collectible $12.99

1934 American Flyer Toy Train/Railroad Catalog Book AD $4.38

1935 American Flyer Toy Train/Railroad Catalog Book AD $6.78

1953 November 23 LIFE Magazine – Christmas Toy Catalog – Railroads – ADS! $12.50

Vintage Ives Toys, catalog, model railroad, reprint published by L&W Book Sales $12.04

Lionel Catalog 1994 Railroad Toy Trains RR Electric $8.99

ANTIQUE BUDA CO. RAILROAD / RAILWAY TRACK PARTS Catalog $25.20

ENGINEERS RAILROAD OILER ANTIQUE 1896 CATALOG AD $9.99

1975 Minitrix N Guage Model Railroad Catalog – Trains – Boxcars – Diesels $4.99

Vintage 1950s AMERICAN FLYER Gilbert Model Railroad Catalog Vista Dome Cover $4.88

Vintage 19XX AMERICAN FLYER Consumer CATALOG Toy RAILROAD Trains by A.C. GILBERT $4.95

ESTATE SALE OF RAIL ROAD BOOKS LIONEL TRAINS HOBBY CATALOG – GOOD CONDITION $6.99

1993 Lionel Model Railroad Train Catalog O O27 Gauge i $9.99

LIONEL CLASSIC TRAINS 1998 CATALOG Model Railroad O Scale Layouts Prices Part No $3.99

4 PACIFIC FAST MAIL 1960’s HO Train Railroad Model Catalogs Engines Tenshodo ++ $29.99

NEW Catalogs of Supplies for Railroads, Steamships, Mac $15.32

2005 VOLUME II RAILKING 0 GAUGE 0 SCALE FULL COLOR TRAIN RAILROAD CATALOGUE $0.99

2003 VOLUME II LIONEL TRAIN RAILROAD CATALOGUE $0.99

2004 FIRST EDITION K LINE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAILS TRAIN RAILROAD CATALOGUE $0.99

2005 RAILKING 1/32 TRAIN RAILROAD & ACCESSORIES CATALOGUE $0.99

2004 RAILKING ONE GAUGE TRAIN RAILROAD CATALOGUE $0.99

VINTAGE TRAIN SET AMERICAN MODEL RAILROAD COMPANY SALES CATALOG 1937 $9.99

The Call of Trains: Railroad Photographs by Jim Shaughnessy $39.95 A majestic collection celebrating the life and work of one of the deans of railroad photography.Jim Shaughnessy is a revered name among railroad photographers. This collection, the best of his work over a forty-year career, features 170 duotone photographs taken between 1946 and 1988, with an emphasis on the railroad culture of the fifties and sixties. Jeff Brouws—a railroad authority and photo …

Collector’s Guide to Postwar Lionel Trains, 1945-1969 $19.99 Numerically arranged listings allow for rapid reference of prices during auctions.This compact and comprehensive guide provides you with 2,000+ accurate and easily accessible listings, with secondary market values for the legendary Lionel trains cherished by a majority of today’s toy train collectors, including Baby Boomer-age collectors reliving the joys of their youth. This handy and numerically…

Baldwin Locomotive Works: Illustrated Catalogue of Locomotives The Baldwin Locomotive Works dates its origin from the inception of steam railroads in America. Called into existence by the early requirements of the railroad interests of the country, it has grown with their growth and kept pace with their progress. It has reflected in its career the successive stages of American railroad practice, and has itself contributed largely to the development of the loc…

3D Railroad: Concept and Design $29.99 System Requirements: Power Macintosh, System 7.5 or later, 24MB RAM, 15 to 80MB hard drive space, CD-ROM, 256 color monitor or better. Please note: This product runs in OS X only in Classic Mode and requires OS-9 compatible print drivers. Using theliquidateher’s 3D Railroad Concept & Design for Macintosh to create model railroad layouts is both easy and fun. As you draw precise 2D layouts in any s…

Hamilton Men’s H76646533 Khaki ‘Aviation X-copter’ Black Chronograph Dial Watch $1,462.00 Rose gold-plated case with a brown leather strap. Fixed black ion-plated bezel. Black dial with luminous hands and Arabic numeral hour markers. Dial Type: analog. Luminiscent hands. Day and date displays at the 3 o’clock position. Three – 12 hours, 30 minutes, 60 seconds sub dials. Automatic movement. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Screw down crown. Skeleton case back. Case diameter: 44mm. Ca…

Thomas And Friends Wooden Railway – Sodor Chicken Cars $14.99 Slide the boxcar door to hear fun chicken sounds. Includes a character card explaining the unique personality and job on Sodor. Vehicles aid in developing fine motor skills, color identification and counting skills. Requires two 1.5V AD13 button cell batteries, included. Measures 1.5″L x 8″W x 5″H….

Walthers 2012 N And Z Reference Book $14.99 Your #1 Resource For Information & Inspiration Not only are Walthers Reference Books #1 in providing model railroad product information, they also provide tons of ideas with each new issue. It’s the perfect modeling companion on your workbench, bookshelf or dealer’s counter. A complete package that showcases the newest and best products on the market today, you’ll also find Information Station…

Walthers 2012 HO Reference Book $15.98 Walther’s Reference Book is full of the things that make modeling dreams come true. It’s your planning guide for future projects and it’s your personal history of model railroading for 2012. From locomotives to rolling stock, scenery, structures, power supplies, details, how-to books and much more, Walther’s Model Railroad Reference Book showcases thousands of products from manufacturers located a…