A basic model train set has four types of components: a locomotive, a set of railcars, track pieces, and a power supply (a transformer, powerpack, or DCC system). Beginner sets are nearly fool-proof, so anyone can have a simple working railroad in minutes. This tutorial contains some helpful hints you may not find in the instructions that came with your set.
If you bought any track expansion sets or other extra track, set them aside for now. You want to get your train running on a basic oval before working with a more complex layout.
If you bought any track expansion sets or other extra track, set them aside for now. You want to get your train running on a basic oval before working with a more complex layout.
1. Lay Out Your Track
A basic train set usually comes with the track pieces needed to make an oval. The size of the oval will depend on the scale of your train set, and will be listed on the box and in the instructions. Before starting make sure you have enough room for your oval.
I usually assemble the curved pieces to make two 180 degree semi-circles, then add the straight tracks to complete the oval. If your train set includes piers to raise the track for a crossover, pay close attention to the placement of the piers as shown in the instructions. Placing piers too close together can result in to steep a grade for your train.
I usually assemble the curved pieces to make two 180 degree semi-circles, then add the straight tracks to complete the oval. If your train set includes piers to raise the track for a crossover, pay close attention to the placement of the piers as shown in the instructions. Placing piers too close together can result in to steep a grade for your train.
2. Position Your Feeder and Rerailer
There will be a track with an attached cable or a connector for the wires that go to your power supply; this is your "feeder" track. Place the feeder closest to the electrical outlet you will be connecting your power supply to.
Some smaller scale train sets include a piece of track made to look like a road crossing. This is actually your rerailer. The photo shows a rerailer. Place your rerailer toward one end of a straight area of your track. This will help you rail your locomotive and cars later. And every time your trains pass over the rerailer, any wheels that have come off of the rails will be pushed back into proper placement by the rerailer.
Some smaller scale train sets include a piece of track made to look like a road crossing. This is actually your rerailer. The photo shows a rerailer. Place your rerailer toward one end of a straight area of your track. This will help you rail your locomotive and cars later. And every time your trains pass over the rerailer, any wheels that have come off of the rails will be pushed back into proper placement by the rerailer.
3. Connect Your Power Source
Author's Photo
Connect your power supply to the feeder track using the cable provided; your instruction sheet will show the proper way to make the connection. Before plugging the power supply into an electric outlet make sure that the throttle is set to zero (off or stop) and that there is nothing laying across the rails. Notice that the throttle in the photo is set to zero with the selector knob in the "Brake" position.
4. Short Circuit Protection
Anything metal laying across the rails will cause an electrical short circuit. If your locomotive derails, its wheels can also cause a short circuit. Depending on the type of power supply you have this will either trip a circuit breaker or cause the power supply to emit some kind of buzzing sound. Lionel transformers have a light that blinks when there is a short on the rails.
If your power supply has a circuit breaker, consult your train set's instructions on how to reset it. Power supplies that emit sounds reset themselves as soon as the short circuit is cleared. In the photo, the red button resets the circuit breaker.
If your power supply has a circuit breaker, consult your train set's instructions on how to reset it. Power supplies that emit sounds reset themselves as soon as the short circuit is cleared. In the photo, the red button resets the circuit breaker.
5. Railing Your Locomotive
Author's Photo.
"Railing" means putting a car on the rails. The gray ramp in the photo is a plastic railer; if your train set didn't come with a railer you can buy one separately. The railer has notches that fit over the rails so that rolling a locomotive or car down the railer will place it on the rails properly. Without a railer you will have to rail your locomotive and cars by hand.
6. Railing Your Locomotive By Hand
Railing by hand isn't difficult for O scale locomotives and cars. But the smaller the scale, the more difficult railing by hand becomes. To rail your locomotive by hand, hold it at an angle leaning away from you and place its far-side wheels on top of the rail farthest from you with the wheel flanges on the inside of the rail. Set the locomotive down carefully so that the near wheels lay on the closer rail with their flanges inside this rail. Roll the locomotive back and forth along the track a few inches. Roll it over the railer if you have one. If it's not railed correctly, it won't roll smoothly.
7. Find Your Minimum Throttle; Start Off Slow
Author's Photo
When your locomotive has been properly railed, slowly advance the throttle until the locomotive begins to move. This may not happen until the throttle reaches 30 percent or more. All locomotives respond differently, and different power supplies behave differently as well.
When the locomotive is creeping along the track at the slowest speed you can achieve without it making sputtering sounds, make a note of the throttle setting. This is your minimum throttle for this locomotive; you don't want to set the throttle below this value unless you turn it off completely. The photo shows the throttle at 30 percent.
When the locomotive is creeping along the track at the slowest speed you can achieve without it making sputtering sounds, make a note of the throttle setting. This is your minimum throttle for this locomotive; you don't want to set the throttle below this value unless you turn it off completely. The photo shows the throttle at 30 percent.
8. Find Your Maximum Throttle; Safety First!
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Next, increase the throttle setting slowly until you feel that the locomotive is going as fast as it can safely. This is your locomotive's maximum throttle setting; make a note of it. This is an important number to remember!
Some locomotives have motors so powerful they will jump the track if you enter a turn too fast. The last thing you want to see is your beautiful new locomotive flying off of the table and crashing to the floor. And an O scale locomotive is so heavy that it could break someone's toes if they were standing in the wrong place. The photo shows the throttle at 80 percent.
Some locomotives have motors so powerful they will jump the track if you enter a turn too fast. The last thing you want to see is your beautiful new locomotive flying off of the table and crashing to the floor. And an O scale locomotive is so heavy that it could break someone's toes if they were standing in the wrong place. The photo shows the throttle at 80 percent.
9. A Case of Extreme Throttle Sensitivity
I have a Lionel Atlantic class steam locomotive that was made in the 1990s. When used with a newer Lionel CW-80 transformer, its minimum throttle is 30 percent, and it will jump the track at 55 percent. Of course, this means that the locomotive has plenty of power for pulling very long trains. But I have to be very careful to watch my throttle settings when running this locomotive.10. Test Forward and Reverse Operation
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All power supplies (unless they are very old) have a switch for selecting forward and reverse operation. Usually there is a "brake" position in between the forward and reverse settings. For two-rail train sets this switch simply reverses the polarity of the DC voltage applied to the rails, and the motor reverses. The brake setting turns off power to the rails. The photo shows the throttle at 50 percent with the selector in the "Reverse" position.