Saturday, July 31, 2010

Hornby Locos-Start A Collection For Life


By: Norman Stanley

Hornby locos have an iconic status in the railway modelling world. Collectors will pay hundreds if not thousands for that one special model train.

Let us be clear, these are models, scaled down replicas of the real life trains. Modellers would stare at you aghast should you make the mistake of calling these little engines, toys.

Hornby locos were born in the UK around 1920 and were marketed under the name, Meccano. This was a clockwork model and today there are serious collectors scouring the highways and by ways for any of these '0' gauge models.

Hornby released it's first electric model but apart from France it never really took off, it wasn't until 1925 that a revised loco with a much more powerful electric motor that electric powered model trains really started selling in numbers. Can you believe that these little trains were actually powered by 220V AC!

Probably the most sought after Hornby locos are the 'Dublo' range of models, note the clever branding,Dublo-double 0 gauge. The Dublo range were modelled in tin plate on die cast chassis. These were to be the making of the Hornby legend.

The Dublo catalogue was very well designed with attention to detail and life-like characteristics. The range did it's bit to make 12V dc the operating system to have.

The second world war interrupted production from 1940 to around 1948 and huge investment other manufacturers, noticeably Triangle Railways left Hornby wanting. The major problem for Hornby was a lack of foresight and retooling out dated designs instead of going with plastic like other producers.

Still, fortunately for collectors and enthusiasts alike the Hornby Dublo range was bought by G R Wren who developed the Hornby loco range and also started producing highly detailed rolling stock.

After several ups and downs in their fortunes Hornby, now Hornby Hobbies which signaled a move into the 'grown up' train enthusiasts market Hornby locos are still being produced with an extensive range of models of which the Class 60, Class 50 and 31 are leading products.

Hornby has had a couple of master strokes to help along the way producing the Harry Potter model train and every little boys favourite Thomas the Tank Engine.

If you want to start a collection or build a model railway then you can do no worse than consider Hornby locos, you can start small with easily available models and track but when the bug bites you I am sure you will be scouring the sale ads and car boot sales with the rest of us


Author Resource:->  Find out how to build your collection and where to start at Hornby Locos

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Friday, July 30, 2010

How to Get Started Making Money with a Blog Today


By: Chris Crowe

There are a lot of people making money writing online across the globe. The internet has made it possible for people to earn a good living from their living rooms. It really is an amazing thing. It has also made it possible for entrepreneurs and owners of online publications to find writers at good prices to write content for their websites.

This article is about how you can get started in internet writing today. I will write about how you can start working for yourself and where to go to find online content writing jobs. If you don't know what blogging is then you are a little behind the curve--but that doesn't matter. Blogging is short for "weblog" and is basically a personal online journal. Now, it doesn't have to be "personal" per se, it can be on any topic you want.

If you want to write about politics, you can start a blog all about politics. If you are a model train fanatic, guess what? You can start a blog all about model trains and soon enough you may get connected with the rest of the model train community online. This is all fine and dandy, but you're probably wondering how you get started making money with a blog, since that's why you are probably reading this article.

They key to earning income with a blog is to get traffic. The more traffic the better. The more visitors you get to your website, the more liable they are to click on or just see an advertisement on your site. This brings up the next thing I want to talk about. Once you have the traffic, then it's time to monetize your blog, which basically just means putting ads up on it. I will talk a little bit more about how to increase your traffic later on.

There are all kinds of online advertiser networks you can work with to try to make money with your blog. Some of the big ones are Adsense, Adbrite, Commission Junction, Clickbank, and Chitika. The middle two I mention here are both affiliate marketing networks, which means you can select products to sell on your blog and if you are successful in selling them, you get a cut of the total sales price. This can be a very good way to get high commissions. However, actually selling items can be a bit tricky. You need to work on your content and create a sales atmosphere with your blog design and sales copy.

Adsense has proven to be one of the best (and least difficult) ways to make money with a website. The network is owned by Google, so you always know you will receive a paycheck if you are working within the boundaries of the company's terms of service. Adsense, along with Chitika, are pay per click networks, which means you earn revenue every time a visitor to your site clicks on an advertisement you have posted on your site.

You don't only get paid when someone actually buys something, you get paid from $.05 to $5.00 every time an ad gets clicked. There are people who make thousands of dollars each month using Adsense.

Okay, so we know that traffic is very important in making money on the internet. So how do you go about getting traffic to your website? People always say that content is king, and they're right. You want to write very good articles or posts that will attract people to your site. If people like your work, they will probably come back for more and the more they come back, the more of an audience you have. They may also link to your blog from their own blog or website, which will help you site rise up the ranks of the search engines. This is the best possible thing to happen to your site because you will get even more traffic when this happens.

You can get started today writing a blog for free on wordpress or blogger. Why not get started writing awesome link-friendly content? You may be able to make some money in the near future.

Good luck in your online ventures.


Author Resource:->  Learn how you can find high-paying legit online jobs. Read an article about finding an online legitimate job.

Article From ArticleSlide.com

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Revealed: How to Repair and Restore Your Old Lionel Trains Model Trains



By: Frank Keenan

Has your Lionel train seen fresher days? Wouldn t it be good to see it chugging around on its path again, shining the comparable beauty as the day it was revealed that Christmas morning so long ago?

Repairing and reconstructing your old Lionel train can be very accomplishing. You can enjoy in the warm glowing of memories of past times, and so make new memories to go on with them!

The good thing is, you can do this yourself with just a small patience and know how! At One Time you ve mended it, holding your old train s aura is largely a topic of a dab of oil now and then in the good targets to keep it functioning smoothly.

How do you mend Lionel Trains?

The introductory step in restoring an old Lionel train is to make it all cleaned up.

Wipe it all off with a soft cloth to remove debris and stain.

You can take out rust with rust remover or sand paper. Say you see green or cranky white spots, that is oxidation, and you can get rid of it with oxidation remover.

The final part in your cleaning is to wipe down the tracks, the wheels of the cars, and any moving parts with a light oil spray. Use Q Tips soaked with the oil to get into smaller areas, like the wheels, and use a soft cloth soaked with the oil for the tracks. Buff it all up with a clean part of the cloth.

Placed a tap of the oil on whatever moving sections, and function it in so that they run smoothly and easily. You can use a toothpick to collect tiny pieces of oil for the small segments.

You can start to mending it now that it s clean.

Make sure all the pieces of the track fit together tightly. If they don t, then bend the connections back into position with average pairs of pliers. It might take a few tests to get them simply in good order, simply you should be able to get a challenging fit.

Take the bodies off of your cars, and inspect the interiors. Clean them as earlier, and reckon for broken areas. It Is actually simple to exchange these sections yourself. You can purchase them at a Lionel trains specialty storage, numerous hobby storages, or get them from Lionel trains regions catalogs. Only unscrew them and screw in the replacement part.

Lastly, does your train move? Check it after you ve cleaned it all, because built up soil and dirt could cause the link tween the train and the track to be so terrible that it retains it from running. If it s clean and still doesn t move, check to see if the plug is working. If the plug reckons Fine, it may be that the transformer wants repair or substitute.

You can find detailed statements about how to fix the transformer, and each of the different regions of Lionel trains at LionelManuals.com. They have a two CD set of complete guides, blueprints, and plots for all Lionel train ready made from 1906 through 1986. The set also takes on a areas and supplements catalogue for your convenience.

Use the repair manuals to complete any other necessary repairs for your train.

Ready And Waiting to keep your Lionel train, merely keep it clean and furbished, oil the running parts all so often, and it should present you many more yr of enjoyment!


Author Resource:->  Do you want to learn how to repair and restore your antique lionel trains with over 2000 pages and diagrams? Visit http://www.lionelmanuals.com/ download repair guides, service manuals of old trains and vintage catalogs of model trains covering the years 1902-1986

Article From ArticleSlide.com

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

5 Questions You Must Ask Before Buying Lionel HO Model Trains



By: Frank Keenan

If you are crazy experience train collector ,so no question you have the answers to nearly all of the standard queries. Your queries would be more engaged towards an individual dealer who is selling vintage.

The beginner getting in the ho example train hobby will have numerous queries. Even that can be serious, because you want to recognise some thing about the issue you are curious.

Your line of questioning will have to deal with the intention you wish the ho model train for. If you are designing on becoming a collector, or are you only make a primary layout for something to do, but are not going to get overly involved, or is a present for a youngster?

If you are planning on becoming a collector, so your first question would be where can you collect whatever particular information as to the history of the Lionel trains. It would be speculative to pay top dollar for a train set that was not reliable. Several vintage parts can be very costly.

To start with simply a introductory set and go from there, it might be well to go a reputable hobby store ,rather one that only addresses with train sets. Most of the individuals that have these kinds of stores have a love of trains and they have spent ages finding about them. The one bit of knowledge that you do have is you know that Lionel train sets have been on the market for some years, and are acknowledged to be worth the money you are about to invest. So in all likelihood your introductory enquiry should be, which models should you start off with. You will in all likelihood want to start with a easy elementary set and add up to it. Did not make the decision that it doesnt matter if there are add ons or not. It has been said that the train hobby is highly addictive. Which means theres a easy chance you may get to a greater extent involved then you projected.

Plan for the future. Ask the experienced hobbyist selling to you if whatsoever of the ho model train sets come DCC ready. This is new to model railroading, and what it signifies it that it utilises digital computer technology. If the result is no, and then require are there sets that can be upgraded and if so how much would it cost. You too require to know what is a average budget to have to start with the train series. They may have some package deals already defined.

If you are buying a set for a child. Your demands will depend on the childs age. Say they are rather young and so you will require a Lionel train set that is going to fit in with his capabilities to run it. Over Again ask the sales rep what they would recommend for that age group. He will be confident to show you train sets that would be ideal for what you are reckoning for. And Then you can pick the theme that your child would like well.


Author Resource:->  Do you want to learn how to repair and restore your antique lionel trains with over 2000 pages and diagrams? Visit http://www.lionelmanuals.com/ download repair guides, service manuals of old trains and vintage catalogs of model trains covering the years 1902-1986

Article From ArticleSlide.com

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Difference Between The Model And Toy Trains


By: faye bautista

Model train collectors may get offended if you are going to call their trains as toys. Sometimes you may not be able distinguish because they are small in size and are also powered by electricity and other kinds of power sources. You should consider the differences between these model and toy trains.

In the early days toy trains were usually powered by using wind up motors or some with steam. Toy trains in those days were made of cast iron. Then came the electric trains, some of which were powered by batteries and others were plugged through electricity that flows on the tracks.

Toy trains are what could be bought easily from the local toy store. This is cheap and does not necessarily have all the details of that particular train. Most toy trains are made of plastic and that there are generally not enough details to tell what kind of model the train it is.

For model trains, this will be a lot more expensive. Usually it will be made with metal and have several moving parts that resembles like the real train. This is from the engine detail to its paint you will see that the model trains will have all the visual references that could help you distinguish what kind of train it is.

Model trains include realistic tracks and cabins. Some would even have lights in the cabins, while others can be seen with miniature people inside the train. Most cases, the model train enthusiasts will be spending thousands of dollars just to get the tracks and trains as realistically as possible. Some are even doing a bit of landscaping and can dig a tunnel for the tracks. Model buildings can also be added as well as the train station.

These days you can now see model trains controlled by computers. This is how you are able to differentiate model trains from the toy trains. Model trains are very expensive and could be quite a fulfilling hobby for most of the railroad enthusiasts. It offers the realism and great detail of the train like no other can.

Remember the following and you could be sure that the next time you are buying a miniature train you will know the difference between model trains and toy trains. If you are enthusiastic about railroads, you might want to try considering purchasing model trains. You will see that this type of hobby is quite fulfilling.


Author Resource:->  The author is a freelance writer and also writes about business topics such as call centers in the philippines and philippine call center.

Article From ArticleSlide.com

Monday, July 26, 2010

cover the Worth of Your Old Lionel Trains Model Trains Collectors Guide

By: Frank Keenan

Are you counting to trade your old Lionel trains? Possibly you have discovered a goldmine at your neighbourhood garage sale! Or possibly you ve revealed a box in the attic filled with these old Lionel trains. How do you check their worth?

When it gets down to it, their valued, or their selling cost, will look on whatsoever things, not the least of which is how much the buyer is ready to give you to get it. The most affected buyers will course pay more than someone who is not fanatic about it.

The last someone you want to deal your used Lionel train to is one of those someones who post ads saying I buy trains! . These somebodies are in the business of paying the bottom possible price, and then selling as high as manageable. You most likely will not get a good cost presently.

Who you DO want to talk to is proper collectors of used Lionel trains. They are most likely to give you a ordinary cost, and in this group of someones is where you are likewise most in all probability to learn a motivated purchaser. You may have a localized group of collectors in your personalized region. Hobby workshops that deal in old Lionel trains, or supply regions and add on for them, can direct you in seeing the accurate collectors.

Nowadays that you recognize where to find a purchaser, here are whatsoever hints to help you put a price on your antique Lionel train.

The Train Collectors Association has direct grading banners that are observed by the regular train collectors in discovering valuations. They divide the entire range of conditions into 7 categories, ranging from brand new and unused (mint condition) to rubble, with some useable divisions (poor condition). The 7 categories are: Mint, Like New, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor. Your train will drop somewhere into one of these families.

In addition, there are 2 quality leads released every last yr that can help you to fix a rate for your old Lionel train. These publishing companies are well honorable in this field, and have been writing these guides for some yr. The two guides are:

TM s Lionel Price and Rarity Guide Volume 1 or Volume two, betting on the date your Lionel train was constructed

Greenberg s Pocket Price Guide to Lionel Trains

There are certain affairs you can do which can make a primary difference in your selling cost. If your train is in mint condition, plus you have the special package, you will get the steepest price possible. So do not ever so cast away the box if you have one. Also, clean your train so that there is no dust, soil, dirt, or old built up oil on it. A clean and polished train that doesn t move can ofttimes require a high dealing cost than a dirty one that operates. In addition, sometimes just cleansing it up and making minor fixtures can reestablish that old train to a more worthy condition.

You can get an superior guide for fixing your old Lionel train at LionelManuals.com. The guide is actually 2 CDs full of instructions, blueprints, parts lists, and detailed plots for every Lionel train ready made from 1906 through 1986. It makes reconstructing your train simple, and can easily double or triple the cost you can get for your train. With whatever of these payable trains, doing the uncomplicated restores can actually bring you thousands of dollars more when you sell it.

So you see, there is a lot that goes into committing a rate on your used Lionel train. Your well count to get a good trading price is to do your enquiry on your train, check the established guides, make contact with a collectors club, and show a reconstructed, clean and beaming train to a wild gatherer.


Author Resource:->  Do you want to learn how to repair and restore your antique lionel trains with over 2000 pages and diagrams? Visit http://www.lionelmanuals.com/ download repair guides, service manuals of old trains and vintage catalogs of model trains covering the years 1902-1986

Article From ArticleSlide.com

Squidoo: Build a Free, Multi-Media Website With This Web 2.0 Hosting

By: Ron Passfield

A Squidoo lens is designed to be a highly focused window to other directly related resources - blog posts, websites, Flickr photos, YouTube videos, web-based articles or e-books. Hence a lens is not an end in itself but a means to an end - a window on other information about a topic, issue, problem, product or service of interest to the reader. Each Squidoo lens you create has a unique URL.

There is no limit to the number of free Squidoo lenses you can create. At the time of writing this article, I have in excess of 50 Squidoo lenses which are catalogued in my "lensography".

Each lens has AdSense ads and other ads that generate revenue for Squidoo, charities supported by Squidoo and the lensmaster (lens creator). The lensmaster can choose to give all or some of their share of this direct revenue to charity.

Squidoo lenses can be used for endless applications, for example, to promote a cause, support a charity, educate, showcase an artist or photographer or generate affiliate income.

Each Squidoo lens is made up of modules and widgets (like WordPress blogs) that can be accessed by a unique point-and-click technology. You don't even have to know HTML to create and market your Squidoo lenses. There are even lenses on basic HTML and advanced HTML if you want to be creative. The design of each lens is limited only by your imagination.

In a very real sense a Squidoo lens can integrate many elements of Web 2.0 technology - blogging, Flickr, FaceBook, YouTube, RSS feeds and Twitter. Fundamental to Squidoo is the connections it creates - between people, between lenses, between resources and between social networks.

Squidoo enables you to contribute to Squidoo charities as a by-product of lens creation. You can also promote a charity of your choice, a location and community, a local artist or a local business.
You can recruit people to your favorite hobby such as scrapbooking, model trains, electronic toys, photography, model planes or stamp collecting.

You can even create a Squidoo Group, or join an existing group, to link to people who share your interests and passions.

What also appeals to me personally is the opportunity to be creative and extend my "learning edge" or "push the envelope". The numerous Squidoo lens templates, modules and widgets provide endless opportunities to be creative and to develop different lenses for different purposes. For example, I have created a photographic exhibition, a simulated tropical rainforest walk and my e-portfolio.

Squidoo can tap your creativity, build your income, grow your connections and enhance your Internet presence. You learn Squidoo by building lenses - but beware, Squidoo is addictive!


Author Resource:->  This article is written by Ron Passfield, PhD, Top 100 Squidoo lensmaster and Giant Squid.



Ron's Squidoo lensography provides many examples of web design for Squidoo lenses (with free website hosting by Squidoo):

Squidoo lensography

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Sunday, July 4, 2010

Big Book of Model Railroad Track Plans


Item specifics - Nonfiction Books

Author: Robert Schleicher Publisher: Motorbooks Intl
ISBN-10: 0760314233 Subject: Hobbies & Crafts
ISBN-13: 9780760314234 Topic: --
Format: Paperback Language: English
Publication Year: 2003

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Model Railroad Train Layout,Lionel Ross Custom O Gauge

Custom-built O-gauge train layout.

Features approximately 75 linear feet of curved and straight Ross track, including 11 Ross switches, plus 9 Ross signal lights, and an assortment of buildings (2 stations, a barn, signal station, water tower, & propane tank).
Professionally wired by in-home technician from The Train Station, Mountain Lakes, NJ.
Platform is a Homasote top for quietness, mounted on a plywood base. All can be easily disassembled in a small amount of time.
The layout measures 13' long (from the tunnel to the small hill with trees up front) and is 6' wide up front.
The rear portion against the wall is 11.5' long x 4.5' wide.

Friday, July 2, 2010

N Scale Model Rail Road Steam Engine Layout, 10' X 10'

Huge N Scale "10' X 10' Steam Engine" Layout. Complete towns, people, cars and trucks, airport with metal planes, rustic buildings and landscapes, lakes, trees, signs, just to much to name. Over 20 working Locomotives, 100's of Train Cars of every type and name.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Woodland Scenic Model Railroad N SCALE.


You are looking at a Woodland Scenic Model Railroad N SCALE. It is 6 feet by 3 feet. It is fully functional and is really brand new, just built. It has lighted crossing gates that are set off by sensors that have been layed out through out the track. Comes with many woodland scenic people. It is in perfect condition. It was personally made by me and is adult owned.  It also has fully functional street lights going throught the main city and the railroad station. I had a signal/crossing gate computer board professionally made just for this layout. It comes with 3 fully functional locos that have been just tested to make sure they function. The GS-4 and the PA-1 have sound boards in them..Professionally installed. The F3A LOCO is just setup for DCC. The GS-4 has the soundtraxx decoder and the PA-1 has the MRC sound decoder. Comes with southern pacific daylight smoothside 6 car set and santa fe super chief set with lighted caboose. The layout will also include two neon billboards, very nice. NOISE R US FIREWORKS AND BREYERS ICE CREAM. Comes with the NCE POWER CAB to run the locos and any other acc of your choice. This is very nice and you will not be dissapointed. It comes with many extras not listed. 21- N-SCALE TRAIN WOODLAND SCENICS FIGURES HERE IS WHAT YOU GET 1.black bears 2.spectators 3.canoers 4.bicycle buddies 5.childern 6.holstein cows 7.tombstones 8.bystanders 9.2nd shift workers 10.farm animals 11.farm people 12.surveyors 13.backyard babeque 14.horseback riders 15.campers 16.rail workers 17.dock workers 18.engineers 19.train personnel 20.workers with forklift 21.loading dock details.....