Railway modeling is as popular as ever today. Its diversity and richness of interest ndash; often with a degree of nostalgia ndash; make the hobby the ideal antidote to the stresses of modern life. This book, a completely new version of Norman Simmonsrsquo; long-lived Railway Modelling, first published in 1972 and updated through eight editions, is the ideal companion for todayrsquo;s railway modeler, as it combines traditional modeling techniques and advice with full details of all the new technology that has transformed the hobby in recent years. There can be no better handbook for any model railway enthusiast, novice or expert.

Collector's Guide to Classic O-Gauge Trains provides you with the vital information you need to accurately assess and value classic O-Gauge trains. You'll find listings for the most highly-collected trains and accessories including Lionel (prewar and postwar), American Flyer, Ives, Marx, AMT, Hafner, Hoge, Dorfan, Unique and Wyandotte.

Enhance your layout with digital command control! This collection of articles and columns from Model Railroader magazine's "DCC Corner" takes the reader through a series of DCC projects, including setting up a DCC layout, decoder installation, lighting effects, sound effects, layout wiring projects, advanced decoder programming, and tips and ideas for advanced DCC projects. For beginners and experts alike, this book includes tips, techniques, and photographic instruction. Also includes a glossary and a list of important considerations for choosing a DCC system.

Formed in 1900, the Lionel toy train company has delighted generations of children and adults with detailed and realistic replicas of locomotives. Featuring over 1,400 color photos, this resource for collectors and enthusiasts covers the company's postwar heyday (1945-1969). Hobby store operator Doyle provides meticulous descriptions of each model or item, accompanied by data on current market pricing and relative scarcity. A special appendix contains tips on cleaning and preparing trains for operation following long-term storage. Annotation #169;2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Includes bibliographical references.

You could say that my railroad, the Madham Line, is almost the most important thing in my life. Next to Andy Morrow, my best friend....I guess you could say that I'm not only disturbed, I'm obsessed.Lots of people think Doug Hanson is a freak -- he gets beat up after school and the girl of his dreams calls him a worm. Doug's only refuge is building elaborate model trains in his basement and hanging out with his best friend, Andy Morrow. Andy is nothing like Doug: He's a popular football star who could date any girl in school. Despite their differences, Doug and Andy talk about everything -- except what happened at the Tuttle place a few years back.As Doug retreats deeper and deeper into his own world, long-buried secrets come to light -- and the more he tries to keep them invisible, the looser his grip on reality becomes. In this fierce, disturbing novel, Pete Hautman spins a poignant tale about inner demons, and how far one boy will go to control them.

Why do grown men play with trains? Is it a primal attachment to childhood, nostalgia for the lost age of rail travel, or the stuff of flat-out obsession? In this delightful and unprecedented book, Grand Prix legend Sam Posey tracks those who share his "passion beyond scale" and discovers a wonderfully strange and vital culture. Posey's first layout, wired by his mother in the years just after the Second World War, was, as he writes in his Introduction, "a miniature universe which I could operate on my own. Speed and control: I was fascinated by both, as well as by the way they were inextricably bound together." Eventually, when Posey's son was born, he was convinced that building him a basement layout would be the highest expression of fatherhood. Sixteen years and thousands of hours later, this project, "the outgrowth of chance meetings, unexpected friendships, mistakes, illness, latent ambitions, and sheer luck" was completed. But for Posey, the creation of his HO-scale masterpiece based on the historic Colorado Midland, was just the beginning. In Playing with Trains, Sam Posey ventures well beyond the borders of his layout in northwestern Connecticut, to find out what makes the top modelers tick. He expects to find men "engaged in a genial hobby, happy to spend a few hours a week escaping the pressures of contemporary life." Instead he uncovers a world of extremes-extreme commitment, extreme passion, and extreme differences of approach. For instance, Malcolm Furlow, holed up on his ranch in the wilderness of New Mexico, insists that model railroading is defined by scenery and artistic self-expression. On the other hand, Tony Koester, a New Jersey modeler, believes his "mission" is to replicate, with fanatical precision and authenticity, the way a real railroad operates. Going to extremes himself, Posey actually "test drives" a real steam engine in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, in an attempt to understand the great machines that inspired the models and connect us to a time when "the railroad was inventing America." Timeless and original, Playing with Trains reveals a classic, questing American world.

Designing a successful model railroad calls for much more than drafting a trackplan and arranging benchwork. Creating realistic towns, industries, and "work" for your trains to perform will improve any layout, regardless of its size, scale, or gauge. Within the pages of Realistic Model Railroad Design, notable Model Railroader Magazine columnist Tony Koester offers insight into making plausible choices for the concept and construction of your own great model railroad. Photographs of his own layouts, and those of other respected modelers, illustrate his concepts throughout. Open up the pages of Realistic Model Railroad Design, and you'll find a wealth of helpful and insightful concepts to get you on the road to designing your own realistic model railroad. Book jacket.