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Trains-N-TownsTM, the Official Newsletter of BIGIndoorTrains.com and BIGChristmasTrains.com
This newsletter is for people who like O scale, O gauge, S scale, and Christmas trains, including people who combine On30 or O gauge trains with collectible villages. It is produced in conjunction with the Big Indoor TrainsTM and Big Christmas Trains web sites.
- If you did not get this Trains-N-TownsTM newsletter through your own e-mail, and you would like to get the newsletters in the future, please join our Trains-N-TownsTM Mailing List
- On the other hand, if you don't want to receive our e-mail updates, please e-mail me with a "Please Unsubscribe" message (worded any way you wish), and we will graciously remove you from our list.
- Also, if you would like to subscribe to our free newsletter for garden railroaders (people running big trains outside), please join the Family Garden Trains Mailing List. By the way, you can subscribe to either, both, or neither, and we will just be glad to be of service, no matter what you decide.
In this Issue
At the end of a very strange year, we are glad to still be here writing about trains, even if we keep getting behind in our schedules. In fact, some recent subscribers will probably get this newsletter AFTER Christmas. Still we wish you the very best holiday season and hope you have (or have had) plenty of time with those closest to you.
This year I alternated between too little and too much work on my "real job" as a technical writing consultant, so I am backlogged on indoor train projects. My apologies to those great contributors whose projects I haven't got to yet. Even so, unique new projects keep coming - check out Bob Anderson's article on Photo-Based 3-D buildings - a technique for quickly and cheaply assembling an impressive downtown district.
The good news: Unlike the economic downturn of the early 2000's, this one has not yet resulted in the loss of any major model train providers. In fact, more quality On30 and O gauge models of more real-world trains are available now than ever before. This newsletter has been signing up new subscribers faster than ever. Our resources (such as the building front photos and textures) are appearing on more railroads of all scales. And we have several great articles and many more resources in the "queue." So, while the jury may be out on the overall economic "recovery" we keep hearing about, the hobbies we serve are still going strong, and we hope to keep providing help and encouragement.
That said, if you're still waiting for the "recovery" to do you and your family some good, please accept our prayers and best wishes for a much better 2011.
Finally, please accept our warm wishes for a great holiday season. And please especially enjoy any time you can spend with your family in these precious days.
Topics discussed in this update include:
Bob Anderson used our building front graphics to create an attractive cardboard Large Scale downtown setting for a local train show. It was so well received that he's already thinking about how he can make it better for next year. If you have an indoor railroad of any kind or scale, this should give you some useful ideas.
For more information, click the link below:
Check out these ideas for putting passengers in your coaches while leaving money in your pocket. I had picked up some cheap Chinese sitting figures a while back but didn't try them out until I held an after-dark open house - in which the emptiness of the lit coaches became obvious.
For more information, click the link below:
This article contains a review and many photographs of the new toys Lionel is selling as "G gauge" trains. Though they're really not much bigger than O scale trains, and not as solid, they certainly have a lot more "play value" for kids than most similarly-priced "toys" these days.
For more information, click the link below:
From our New Boston and Donnels Creek railroad, a report on our third Christmas-Themed open railroad. We were too busy this year to make many additions to our railroad, but we did make every effort to help folks have a very good time. Contains great ideas for ANY open house you plan to have.
For more information, click the link below:
Resource Reminder
As we head into cooler months, some of you will get a little more time to work on your indoor railroad projects. Even if you just set up a Christmas train, this is a good time to get a head start on next year's display. After all, you know you're always too busy before Christmas.
Here are a just a few of our most popular resources to inspire and equip you to add inexpensive, but impressive enhancements to your indoor railroad or Christmas display this year. And remember, these resources and scores of others are provided absolutely free by Big Indoor Trains(tm) and LittleGlitterhouses.com!
- Portable (Foam-Based) Indoor Displays - Use a foam-based portable scenic foundation to display your trains and towns to their best advantage. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Easy Homemade Trees - Make realistic and inexpensive trees using (mostly) natural materials. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Winter Trees from Floral Picks - Quickly add interesting textures to your winter railroad or Christmas village. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Creating Custom Backdrops for Your Indoor Railroad - Bring your blank walls to life with a little paint and free graphics. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Easy Street Scene - Use free downloadable graphics and cardboard or foam board to build up a convincing downtown scene that is only a few inches deep - perfect for tight spots. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Log Cabin Building Flat - Use foam board and free graphics to dress up a narrow corner of your railroad or village. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Building the Tin City Bridge -
Add an eye-popping feature based on the classic Lionel Standard Gauge bridges. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Building a Vintage "Lithograph" Station - Replicate an eighty-year-old lithographed tinplate station. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Building TinPlate-Syle Store Fronts -
Use our free downloadable patterns and plans to add a vintage-style business district on your railroad or display village. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Building a Tinplate-Inspired Railroad Crossing Sign - Use this "crossbuck" to add texture, interest, and period to any model railroad or holiday village. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Tinplate Textures - Download free brick, shingle, siding, door and window graphics inspired by the tinplate buildings of a century ago. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Building a Glitterhouse - Build your own vintage-style cardboard Christmas house, includes bonus "church conversion" plans for making the same core structure into a small church. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
- Building the Union Station - Build a city station inspired by two traditions - cardboard Christmas "putz" houses and a popular Lionel station. Click the following link to jump to the project page:
Keep in Touch
Each month, we get more interest in this newsletter, in the site, and in the trains and towns we discuss. We welcome your questions as indicators of what we should be working on next (also, we always try to answer reader questions quickly). In addition, if you have any photos, tips, or articles you'd like to share with your fellow hobbyists, please let us know. The hobby grows best when we all learn together.
In the meantime, please accept our very best wishes for a great season!
Paul Race
BigIndoorTrains.com
BigChristmasTrains.com
FamilyGardenTrains.com
To view the Trains-N-TownsTM newsletter for September-November, 2010, click on the following link:
http://bigindoortrains.com/trains_n_towns/10_11_newsletter_indoor.htm
To read more, or to look at recommended Garden Railroading and Display Railroad products, you may click on the index pages below.
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New Article: Photo-Based 3-D Buildings
New Article: Affordable Benchwarmers
New Article: Lionel's "G Gauge" Toy Trains
New Article: Third Annual Christmas-themed Open Railroad