you get off track? how do you mean? like when you want to work out you stop and eat a large pizza and super large diet coke and forget about it? or that you forget to move your legs when you are suppose to run and you just end up standing in one place looking like jabba the hut?

Model train track layouts – the do’s and don’ts

There are many things that you need to consider when starting to plan out a model train track layout. In order to create something that works really well and ensure the success of the track you have you do certain things in the right sequence.

 

The train track layout always starts from the first step. The first step is planning. This needs to be in order to ensure that you have enough space available to you. If you begin to build a track that is larger than the space you have available, then you are setting yourself up for failure. This may seem obvious but many people overlook it.

 

The next step is designing the shape of the track. You need to do this so that you can figure out if your plan is workable. If you are not able to turn the trains around at some point in the track, then you will not succeed. Likewise, you need to know which sections of track you are going to use as you might need to buy extra sections that you don’t currently have.

 

This is important as you want to know exactly what you need and what you don’t need. When the time comes to buying sections of track, scenery, buildings and accessories, you will not be able to plan your budget unless you know exactly what you want and need to purchase.

 

The plan is also crucial because it will give you an idea of how to use the track that you currently have. If you have a tight budget, but want to create something new, then you will be restricted to what you are able to create. You can still create some great layouts with a limited number of track sections, but there will some ideas that you will not be able to implement. Keep this in mind if you need to stay on budget.

 

The next thing that you need to know about is the type of track to build. If you are a beginner, then many people advise you to create using sectional track, as they think this is much easier for the less skilled hobbyists. There are other people who think flex track is the best choice. If you have friends that are in the hobby then ask them first, and see what they use. It is good idea to have a practice with some sections of track before buying. This will let you see which is best suited to your needs.

 

When designing a model train track layout it’s always best to keep thing simple. This is the case even with a complex track. You need to have a simple plan that makes sense. This is the best way to expand your track and make sure that you are able to complete it. You can have complex sections of track, but don’t try to over complicate the overall design.

About the Author

Philip Redfearn is an avid model train enthusiast. For more great information on model trains, and to sign up for a free Ultimate Model Railway Secrets 11 lesson mini-course, visit http://www.ultimatemodelrailway.com

call ur local model train store and they can help u

Track Layout Ideas for your Model Train

For the model train enthusiast, purchasing the rolling stock is only the start of what will become an extensive, and possibly life changing project - maybe very costly, certainly very time consuming, but thoroughly enjoyable.

The major part establishing a model railroad project is the design and implementation of the layout – the diorama with scenery, structures and appropriate scale track for operating the trains.

The size of the layout you can design, build and operate depends on the amount of room in which you have to set it up. Some layouts can be quite small - shelf-top designs that can be accommodated in a very small space. Others can fill part of a room, or even a whole room or basement.

For a small, simple layout, a table will usually be adequate but most model railroaders aim to establish larger, permanent layouts. These will usually require construction of suitable benches, often fixed to the walls of the room to provide a high degree of stability.

An important aspect of any model train setup is the arrangement of the track itself. There are at least four basic layout patterns for setting out the track, and countless variations of both track configuration and subsequent station placement.

Four of the more common basic patterns are:

* point to point - this is merely a straight line of track with a station at each end, with trains going from the station at one end to the other station;

* continuous loop – in its simplest form this is either a circle or an oval and the trains move around it continuously, but it could be modified into a ‘dogbone’ shape by pulling two opposite sides of the circle or oval together, giving a double track appearance in the middle with a smaller circular shape at either end;

* out and back – where the train leaves the single station, travels around a pear-shaped layout and returns to the original station;

* station yard only – where a single station is surrounded by a number of short, interconnected tracks, providing great opportunities for shunting.

From these four basic patterns, there are countless variations. Some possibilities are:

* combining two or more of the four basic patterns, for example adding an ‘out and back’ at one or both ends of a ‘point to point’ layout;

* adding double track to any of the first three basic layouts to allow two or more trains to operate at the same time;

* adding branch lines, allowing an increase in the number of stations;

* arranging a continuous loop as a figure-of-eight, even elevating one track over the other rather than having the crossing at the same level;

* using multiple levels, allowing the use of more track, and thus more activity, in small areas;

* adding station yards, with adequate standing tracks, to any of the configurations.

The number of possible variations you incorporate into your track layout will only be limited by the space you have available, your time [and your patience] and, of course, the size of your wallet.

About the Author

John Vanse is a model train enthusiast who has a number of websites related to ‘the greatest hobby on earth’.
You can find more information about these at The Model Train Guide

i do, i truly felt it for them

How to grow your model train track without moving house

If you want to build your model train collection then you need to start by building more model train track. This is the first step, as your trains need something to run on. It is best to start small and then build up from there. You can find all the train track that you need in the model stores, online or in discount shops.

You should also think about joining model train clubs in order to learn form other members and enthusiasts. Often you can buy trains, track and other accessories from them for a good price. The price that you want to pay is the first consideration, as well as the space that you have available to build in.

If you have limited money then you need to look for discounted prices. As such, you can find old collectors that may be unable to continue, have passed away or want to sell their collections. You can often find these people in newspaper adverts, on auction sites, or advertised in model train clubs.

If you are able to find these old collections then you can get a great again. Otherwise, you can choose to buy all your trains and track brand new. This is a nice way to build your collection but it is going to cost you a lot of money.

The next thing you need to think about is the space that you have to build in. If you have a large space or room in your house then you are set. Also if you have a garden that you can use, then you may want to opt for the garden railroad scale trains. This is a luxury that most hobbyists simply don’t have.

In order for most people to keep building their model train tracks, then need to think of new innovative ways to expand. This can be done but it requires a certain level of skill and planning. You need to know the basics of track building and also have the skill to execute your plans.

You can think about adding more ovals, curves and bends into your track. You can also have two-tier track layouts in order to maximise your space. Another idea is to use straight track to replicate a train station. This is often the most difficult type of model train track to setup, as it requires skill to allow the trains to change direction.

Still, with practice and planning you can certainly achieve these results and ensure that your train collection keeps growing. You can also have great fun within a small area. If you have very limited space then you should think about using the smaller scales of trains and track. Use the N scale.

The N scale is very popular because of the details that are given to every locomotive. The result is very life-like and realistic. The trains also look great when they are running around the track.

As you can see, there are many options for expanding your model track within the space you have. You just need to be creative and use some imagination and skill.

About the Author

Philip Redfearn is an avid model train enthusiast. For more great information on model trains, and to sign up for a free Ultimate Model Railway Secrets 11 lesson mini-course, visit http://www.ultimatemodelrailway.com

I wondered about that myself, so I looked it up on wikipedia. Basically they are welded in place while hot, and the only problem is cold weather -- and then they just stretch.

Continuous welded rail

Most modern railways use continuous welded rail (CWR), sometimes referred to as ribbon rails. In this form of track, the rails are welded together by utilising flash butt welding to form one continuous rail that may be several kilometres long, or thermite welding to repair or splice together existing CWR segments. Because there are few joints, this form of track is very strong, gives a smooth ride, and needs less maintenance. The first welded track was used in Germany in 1924 and the US in 1930 and has become common on main lines since the 1950s.

Flash butt welding is the preferred process which involves an automated track laying machine running a strong electrical current through the touching ends of two unjoined pieces of rail. The ends become white hot due to electrical resistance and are then pressed together forming a strong weld. Thermite welding is a manual process requiring a reaction crucible and form to contain the molten iron. Thermite-bonded joints are also seen as less reliable and more prone to fracture or break.

Because of the increased strength of welded track, trains can travel on it at higher speeds and with less friction. Welded rails are more expensive to lay than jointed tracks, but have much lower maintenance costs.

Rails expand in hot weather and shrink in cold weather. Because welded track has very few expansion joints, if no special measures are taken it could become distorted in hot weather and cause a derailment (a condition known in North America as sun kink, and in Britain as buckling). In North America a rail broken due to cold-related contraction is known as a pull-apart.

To avoid this, welded rails are laid on concrete or steel sleepers, which are so heavy they hold the rails firmly in place. Great attention is paid to compacting the ballast effectively, particularly the shoulder over the ends of the sleepers, to prevent them from moving. Even so, in extreme weather, foot patrols monitor sections of track known to be problematic.

After new segments of rail are laid, or defective rails replaced (welded in), the rails are artificially stressed. The stressing process involves either heating the rails causing them to expand, or stretching the rails with hydraulic equipment. They are then fastened (clipped) to the sleepers in their expanded form. This process ensures that the rail will not expand much further in subsequent hot weather. In cold weather the rails try to contract, but because they are firmly fastened, cannot do so. In effect, stressed rails are a bit like a piece of stretched elastic firmly fastened down.

Engineers try to heat the rail to a temperature roughly midway between the average extremes of hot and cold (this is known as the 'rail neutral temperature'). If temperatures reach outside normal ranges however, welded rail can buckle in a hotter than usual summer or can actually break in a colder than anticipated winter. In North America, because broken rails are typically detected by the signaling system; they are seen as less of a problem than heat kinks which are not detected. For this reason, and because it is harder to break a rail than displace the trackbed, CWR is usually installed at a temperature of 90 °F (32 °C), to cope with rail temperature extremes of nearly 120 °F (49 °C) in the summer sun.

Joints are used in continuously welded rail when necessary; instead of a joint that passes straight across the rail, producing a loud noise and shock when the wheels pass over it, two sections of rail are sometimes cut at a steep angle and put together with a gap between them - a breather switch (referred to in Britain as an expansion joint). This gives a much smoother transition yet still provides some expansion room.

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Different model train track arrangements to inspire you

Model train track can be arranged into a number of different variations. There are now some model trains tracks that almost defy belief. They are huge and span large warehouse. Of course these are not generally created by model train hobbyists, but it shows what’s really possible when you experience with different model train track arrangements.

 

If you are new to the hobby then you are best to stick with the oval model train track arrangement first. This will allow you to build it quickly and get a feel of what’s involved in the constructing process.

 

From here, you can see your trains and locomotives running around the track while you envisage the next creation. Many people move from the oval to a covered oval next. This is really the next logical progression from the oval. You simply need to find more track as well as some scenery to add to your current layout.

 

The covered oval is known as the most popular type of model train track. It is very simple to build and once you have some experience, it should be well within your capabilities. Many people like to stick to a covered oval for many years, while simply adding and expanding small sections of the track.

 

It is sometimes best to do this as you make your track larger. While some people like to start from scratch and design a completely new and original model train layout, others play it safer. They keep the covered oval and simply add extensions to it where needed. This means you can always have some trains running while you add and test out other possible features that you have been thinking of.

 

The covered oval looks far more realistic that the simple oval and you can add a lot more scenery. For example, you might want to create urban scene, or a courtside scene. You may want to add mountains, rolling hills or something else entirely.

 

You can easily do this as you have the basic oval already in place. The only drawback of the covered oval is the obvious costs involved. It can be quite expensive to buy all the scenery you need in order to create a great looking model train track layout.

 

However, if you are able to get some scenery for friends, or find it in a discount store then you are in luck.

 

From here you can move to the straight model railway layout. This is very hard to create and design correctly as you will have to be able to turn the trains and locomotives around at some point. The huge benefit of the straight track is that you have a very realistic setting and you can keep space to a minimum (as long as you have a long room).

 

I would not advise creating the straight model railway layout unless you have enough experience with model trains. Keep it simple to begin with so that it fits your needs but stays within your current skill level.

 

There are so many model train layouts you can create, so keep your eyes open and look online, in the magazines and at exhibitions. Once you gain experience you can move to creating themed layouts.

About the Author

Philip Redfearn is an avid model train enthusiast. For more great information on model trains, and to sign up for a free Ultimate Model Railway Secrets 11 lesson mini-course, visit http://www.ultimatemodelrailway.com

yes it will. i have two engines, in fact, that run on both, so it is, in fact possible to run an engine on both

Guide to Sectional Track for Model Trains

Sectional track is great for people who want experiment with their model trains. Users can control the shape of their track layout by adding curves and intersections plus much, much more. The following includes a basic guide to sectional track for Lionel trains.

A good place to start with sectional track is to plan your layout. The simplest designs are circular or oval and more complex layouts may include complex crossings. Consider how much space you have available. Once you have a design planned out for your Lionel trains, take the time to invest in a range of track. You want large pieces as well as small pieces so that you can avoid holes. One of the biggest mistakes is not having enough of the right pieces on hand to build the desired layout.

There are many types of track to choose from. There are of course the basic straight and curved pieces of track as well as more complex options. For example, a turnout is a piece that helps a train enter in one direction and leave on two or three other tracks. Crossings are pieces where you have two pieces of track crossed in 90, 45, or even 30 degree angles.

Some forms of model trains sectional track include roadbeds. These pieces have interlocking tabs that will keep your train running without risk of derailment. With or without roadbed, it is recommended to nail the entire track layout to a piece of plywood. This will prevent carpet fuzz and debris from breaking up the track and interfering with the engine of the train.

To position your sectional track, line up the pieces so there isn't a gap between them. Be sure the pieces are level: You don't want one overlapping the other. Do not try and force pieces of track together, especially curved pieces. If you do this, you risk creating a gap or having an awkward section of track that can cause derailment. You want your curves to be tight so that you can run many model trains on your track, but you do not want the curves to be unnatural.

At first, it may take a while to plan and build sectional tracks, even for popular brands like Lionel trains. You may start with an idea only to realize you lack all of the necessary pieces or that its design is larger than you anticipated. Sectional tracks are like pieces of a big puzzle. Assembling the pieces will help with estimating the layout's dimensions and the necessary supplies needed to for its construction.

About the Author

Joe Kanooga is a father of two kids, a successful business owner and the author of numerous articles about lionel trains toys. Click here to download a free model trains guidebook filled with hobby tips, ideas and information.

Something like this?

http://www.scca.org/home.aspx

Forex Trading Systems - 95% Fail Due to Curve Fitting

Forex trading systems are popular just switch them on and turn your computer into a regular money making machine. That's the theory, the reality is 95% or more lose due to curve fitting and if you don't know what it is then you should.

Curve fitting is when a forex trading system is bent (curve fitted) to price data to make a profit.

A trader I once knew likened this to shooting at a barn door with a gun and then afterwards going and drawing a circle around each shot, to make it look like a bulls-eye.

Vendors when testing their forex trading systems on past data, find that it doesn't work or doesn't work well enough, so they bend or curve fit the system, until it does.

A curve fitted trading system will never work in real time trading.

Why?

Because the data sequence will never re produce exactly again.

Clues to curve fitted systems are:

- Lots of rules and parameters.

- Different rules for different currencies or trading conditions.

- Extraordinary profit and low or little drawdown.

Generally, a good trading system should consist of a few rules and parameters and work the same in all market conditions and in all currencies.

While many traders make genuine attempts and curve fit by accident, most don't - they simply make up the track records and curve fit to make a track record look good. How many systems do you see sold for a few hundred bucks that promise you 1,000% per annum $10,000 bucks a month etc - The answer is loads.

These vendors are NOT traders, their marketing companies and they know they can put out any track record they like so long as the disclaimer has the words "done in hindsight" "simulated" Of course we can all make a profit going backwards - but the problem is we have to trade not knowing the future and that's a little more difficult.

The internet means you see them all the time and while most traders pass them by on the basis that, "if it looks to good to be true it probably is", many others let greed, naivety or both get the better of them and buy them.

If you want to buy a forex trading system, your best option is to get one that's got a real time track record, to show it's based on sound logic.

After all, if the vendor does not have the confidence to trade it why should you?

If you buy a simulated one, then it should be one with very few rules which work on all currencies, in all markets and you should understand how and why it will works.

So when you see that track record promising you untold riches - think curve fitting and think losses rather than profits.

Shop Around For The Good Ones

You can make money with a forex trading system but you need to be careful in your selection.

If you are then your time will have been well spent and you could enjoy long term currency trading success with it.

About the Author

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i think it's called the clapperboard or clapboard..'cause the person who usually does the job is called a clapper.

New System Tracks Down Hard to Find Rodent Entry Points

Keeping your property free of rats and mice is a perpetual problem for home and property owners. New York City recently put noted rodentologist Bobby Corrigan on the payroll fulltime to combat its burgeoning rat problem. Heading a beefed-up squad of special inspectors known as the "Rat Pack," Corrigan and his crew are patrolling the city to root out rodent infestations, visiting as many as 200 buildings a day. If cited, property owners have two weeks to evict the varmints or face a fine.

Eviction is rarely easy. Widespread and abundant, rats and mice are considered the second and third most successful mammalian species inhabiting Earth today. Only humans have proved more adaptable. Spread throughout the world by early seafarers, rats and mice are found on all Earth's continents, exhibiting an amazing ability to adapt to extreme and harsh climate conditions. Rodents thrive in diverse environments from swampy river banks and city sewers to the upper branches of trees and the top floors of high-rise buildings. Opportunistic survivors that live with and near humans, Corrigan calls rats "a barometer for human activity."

Rats and mice have long been a problem in large metropolitan areas where food sources and hiding places abound. The low shrubbery, parked cars, construction sites, abandoned buildings, tunnels and sewers common in cities provide ideal cover and harborage. Overflowing dumpsters, trash bags stacked along sidewalks and lunch bags tossed in sidewalk garbage cans provide a never-ending food source. But mice and rats are not relegated to cities. As natural habitats in fields, woods and rivers have given way to development, rodents increasingly seek harborage in suburban homes and multi-family dwellings. A recent History channel special, Life After People, postulated that without man's refuse to feed on, rats and mice would be among the first animals to perish should man become extinct.

The challenge in keeping rodents out of a building is to find and seal off entry points. It's narrow skull and flexible body allows rodents to creep into homes through small cracks, holes and crevices and along sewer and pipe outlets. It's said that if a mouse can fit his nose in a hole, he can squirm his body through it. Adept climbers, they use their long tails for balance. While mice are quite small, often only an inch or two in length and weighing less than an ounce, rats grow to 5 or more inches in size and can weigh a pound or more.

Primarily nocturnal, rats and mice build nests of sticks and leaves or nest in burrows. They live in polygynous groups of multiple males and females, the females breeding throughout the year. A mature female can produce up to five litters a year of 6 to 12 pups. Young rodents reach maturity quickly and are capable of reproducing by 3 to 5 months of age. In the wild rodents generally live 6 months to a year but have been known to live up to four years in captivity.

Aggressive in defending their territory, rodents exhibit many destructive behaviors that create problems for home and property owners. They contaminate food sources with their urine and feces, gnaw through baseboards and walls, destroy farm and garden crops and fruit trees, and spread internal parasites and mites that can infect pets and humans. Rat fleas carry a number of diseases than pose a serious danger to humans, pets and livestock.

In the Middle Ages, the Black Plague (also called the Black Death), carried and spread by the rat flea, decimated human populations worldwide killing more than 20 million. Bubonic plague spread by rats killed tens of millions during the 19th century Asian pandemic. Each year approximately 3,000 cases of bubonic plague are reported worldwide in Asia, Africa, the U.S. and South America. Scientists fear that global warming may increase the incidence of plague which favors warmer climates. In 2006, campgrounds were closed for three weeks in Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah when bubonic plague was detected in field mice and chipmunks. Rats and mice can also spread disease through parasites and feces. In the early 1990s, a deadly outbreak of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in New Mexico was linked to breathing the dust of mouse feces. Characterized by hemorrhagic fever and renal failure, a disturbing number of cases of the untreatable hantavirus have been reported each year in the U.S.

The typical rodent elimination arsenal includes snap traps, rodenticides and mechanical traps. Though these products may be effective in killing rodents, they do not stop rodents from continuing to infiltrate a building. To effectively eliminate rodent problems, all points of ingress must be fully sealed. Now a revolutionary new "green" system helps home and property owners locate ingress and egress points, allowing rodents to be trapped and removed, nests to be located and destroyed, and entry points to be effectively sealed. The innovative Track & Trap rodent control system, available in both mouse and rat sizes, is the smart, "green" way to take care of rodent problems.

The Track & Trap system features a special tracking box that is loaded with a food attractant, surrounded by a powdered, environmentally-friendly fluorescent chemical. As mice or rats scurry around the food trough, their feet and bodies become dusted with fluorescent powder. Ultraviolet light sensors allow pest control experts to pinpoint ingress points and even follow rodents back to their indoor dens. This allows traps to be targeted effectively, rodents and nests inside the building to be eliminated, and entry points to be permanently sealed to prevent further rodent problems.

About the Author

Douglas Stern is the managing partner of Stern Environmental Group and a bed bug extermination expert. His firm serves clients in New Jersey, New York City, and New York. You can reach him toll free at 1-888-887-8376 or by email at info@sternenvironmental.com or at http://www.SternEnvironmental.com.

who cares?