Brick Model Railroader is proud to bring you our latest product. Our Brick Train Compatible Knuckle Coupler. BMR, in partnership with BrickForge, has been work- ing on a replacement for the old LEGO® 9v era magnetic train couplers. These new couplers are now available for sale in our BMR online store.
Shipping will begin Monday.
So you’ve decided to step beyond just laying LEGO track on baseplates, so you have added ballast and reddish brown or black ties to really make your track come to life. You might even say it is starting to less like a toy train track, and a little more like realistic model railroad track. But even the nicest looking high speed mainline track needs good maintenance to keep it in tip top shape so trains can run quickly and safely, without risking catastrophic derailments. We will take a look at how track is maintained to keep it looking realistic and to keep trains running safely and reliably.
Continue reading Railroad Track Maintenance Part One; The Tie Gang
In the past, we have seen great and highly informative articles from Hod Carrier and Matt Csenge on simple but good-looking details anyone can build to add detail to their track. Today, I’d like to do the same, but for a relatively unexplored genre of L-gauge modeling: Light Rail!
Light rail is a very important mode of public transportation in a lot of major cities throughout the world. Although I will be covering details that aim to replicate things found in America, hopefully this article is helpful to anyone looking to model a rapid transit railway.
Before we get into the larger details, lets look at some simple details that don’t take many parts, but can add a lot of detail that is sure to catch any spectators eye.
Tie Choices
I 100% agree with the things Matt said in his 2nd article about USA Track Detailing. Ties are everything. Concrete ties are quite common on light rail systems, so here are a few ways to do them:
Concrete ties left to right:
Its also recommended that you put ballast in between a double track mainline as well.
Trackside Signs
Whistle Board. Used at grade crossings, it alerts the driver to use the horn in order to warn motorists of the incoming train.
Absolute speed board. Tells the driver the current or absolute speed limit of the track.
Upcoming speed board. The slant of the board indicates that the speed listed on it will be in effect when the next board arrives.
End of Track Bumper
There are many different types and designs of end of track bumpers out there, but this one is modeled after the one used on the DART system, which is the closest light rail system to me. Rest assured, this detail will look great on any layout, and looks general enough to match other designs seen all over America. The end of track bumper is obviously used to stop a train from going too far off the rails when its going too fast. Sometimes it works better than others, as seen in an incident in a Chicago Metro station a few years ago. The bumper is attached to the rails, which is modeled by the 1×4 plates in between the ties, and the 1×2 jumpers hanging over the rails. Also modeled are the rubber pads, which are meant to soften the impact, but don’t really help much if the train is going fast enough to hit the bumper in the first place. I used 1×2 grills for these. Since these bumpers are so common on light rail / rapid transit lines, this detail will bring a lot to any layout, and is sure to catch the eye of any spectator.
Next, we have a simple line side signal that can be found pretty much anywhere on a light rail system. Signals are necessary not only to light rail lines but any type of mainline anywhere in the world. Their job is fairly simple and works much like a traffic light on a road. It tells drivers weather or not it is safe to proceed, and if anything is occupying the right of way in front of them. The most common aspects seen on such signals is as follows: Green or clear = proceed at line speed, flashing yellow or approach medium = proceed with caution and be prepared to stop in the next 2 signals, yellow or approach = proceed at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, and be prepared to stop at the next signal. There are many more aspects, meaning lots of different things, but that should give you a basic understanding on how they work. Light rail signals appear more box-like than signals found elsewhere. It is important to make sure the signal looks like it is set in concrete, hence the LBG bricks at the bottom. This also goes for crossing gates and catenary poles. Some signals have two ‘heads’ on them, which means they display two aspects at one time. The second head can easily be built under the first one if you need it.
Don’t worry, this detail is compatible with the PennLUG style of track ballasting found on L-gauge.org. Light rail lines often have to weave through small spaces to get where they need to go, so on especially tight corners an inner 3rd rail is used to make absolutely sure the train stays on the track. It’s not like the 3rd rails some of you may have heard of; it doesn’t provide power on the outside of the track, it provides stability o the inside of the track. These can be seen in maintenance bases, yards, and on the mainline, as well as be attached to either the inside or outside edge of the rail.
That was my last detail for this article, and although it was a short one, I hope it gave you some inspiration and jumping off points if you ever take on a project involving light rail. If you’re wondering why I didn’t talk about a catenary pole, its because the height usually changes depending on the scale of the train, and I didn’t want to create a size limitation for people who don’t build the same scale as me.
To all who read this far, thank you. I hope you enjoyed this brief look into the world of light rail.
Play well,
Conrad.
The Brick Train Awards 2020 has officially come to a close and now it’s time to announce the winners. This was the first year of the awards, and it was an awesome success. We had some spectacular entries from LEGO® train builders across the globe. The judging was quite a challenge as there quite a few close categories. You can see all the winners via the the Brick Train Awards website Winners Page, or you can watch thee awards announcement video.
We have a very special announcement for you today. BMR, in partnership with Brickforge, has been working on a replacement for the old LEGO 9v era magnetic train couplers. Today we are ready to officially reveal this project that we hope to have available for sale late this summer. We’ve put together a video to introduce you to these new couplers.
Now let us take a look at these couplers in greater detail.
If you’ve got some free time this Saturday, June 27, then there are some cool LEGO® train activities happening online for you to enjoy.
Continue reading Virtual LEGO Train Saturday
Today is the big day. Brick Model Railroader is launching our new and improved online store. And we have three band new Premium Instructions for sale along with an array of new decals for each.
Our old store served us well, but we we starting to out grow it. As we added new products, it was increasingly hard to navigate and find what you were looking for. Also the look was growing stale, and our products were not being show off to their fullest potential. So one the last few weeks we’ve been moving our store over to a new platform, one full of shiny new widgets, and hopefully a much better buying experience for you.
Click Here to Check Out the New BMR Online Store
The Brick Train Awards are a community-led event for the LEGO train fan community, by the LEGO train community. The awards were created by LNUR, a LEGO train club in the UK, and Brick Model Railroader based in the USA.
This week at Brick Model Railroader we are taking a pause from our usual LEGO train blog. BMR endeavors to cover LEGO trains from around the world, but as many of you know, most of us who contribute are from the United States. And well, the US has been going through a lot this past week. In the midst of this health pandemic that the whole world is dealing with, our nation has seen long buried issues of racism brought to light once more. Our country is divided, and it’s led to unrest, protests, and riots.
This is just a simple blog about LEGO trains. We’re not here to advance a political agenda. Our purpose is to promote the LEGO train hobby. However, this week, we didn’t feel it was right to just carry on as usual. Ignoring the elephant in the room is what got us here, and it’s something we as a society cannot do any longer. I don’t have any easy answers to our problems, no one does. But I know we need to talk about what’s going on. And we need to keep talking about it. Talk will hopefully lead to understanding, and understanding will lead to change.
I’m writing today to tell you a story. A story which I hope will be a positive tale, and hope will help us understand that if we just stop and listen, we may find we have more in common than we know.
It was May of 2015, and I was traveling to BrickMagic, a LEGO fan convention held that year in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was driving down to the event and had decided to make a detour during my trip. I wanted to stop and see the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Virginia. I have never been to this museum, but it was high on my list of places to visit. Housed in an old freight depot, VMT sits in the heart of Norfolk & Western Railroad, now Norfolk Southern, territory. VMT is home to legendary locomotives such as the “Spirit of Roanoke” N&W 611, the “Mercedes of Steam” N&W 1218, and many other awesome pieces of railroad rolling stock. The museum also has a nice car collection on display, and even some aeronautical and space artifacts tucked away inside. For me, this place was golden.
I timed my drive so that I got there not long after the museum opened. I spent most of the day walking around by myself, just taking in all the exhibits and shooting as many photos with my camera as I could. Got to document those future modeling projects you know. As I was nearing the end of my tour through the museum, I stopped to rest for a minute on one of the park benches in the museum’s outdoor display yard. The museum sits right on the Norfolk Southern’s very busy mainline through Roanoke, and the outdoor display yard is perfect spot to watch trains roll by.
While sitting on that park bench, one of the museum volunteers came out from inside the museum and spotted me. He was a black gentleman, probably in his late 60’s or early 70’s. He was about my stature, so not especially tall, with short curly gray hair poking out from under his Norfolk Southern Retiree hat. I really didn’t think anything of him until he came over and sat down beside me on the bench, and then it was mostly just my fear of being socially awkward. I’m very uncomfortable with small talk, and with meeting new people. He said hello, and I replied hello in return. I made mention of how nice the day was, and he asked me how I was enjoying the museum. I said I loved it of course, and he asked me where I was from. I said I was from Pennsylvania, and he then asked what brought me down here to Roanoke. I told him I was on a trip to a LEGO fan convention, and that I was a big train fan and model railroader and wanted to see the museum on my trip. He was immediately fascinated by my LEGO train hobby and began asking more questions about what I build, how I make my models, where I display my creations and such. I answered, and even took out my phone to bring up my Flickr gallery and show him some photos of my models. He had never seen LEGO train models before and thought they were pretty neat.
As we talked more, our conversation turned to his railroading career. He was a retired railroad employee, and had spent his entire working life involved with the railroad working multiple jobs for the Norfolk & Western, and later Norfolk Southern. He worked as a trainman, conductor, engineer, and several other positions over the years. He had some great stories to tell about working on the railroad, and I sat there intently listening to each one. His knowledge of the railroad ran deep, and as trains passed by he would identify each one. He knew what it was hauling, where it came from and where it was going. He even called out one intermodal train passing by saying “now in about a minute you’ll see him start slowing down, they’ll be stopping up ahead to make a crew change.” And like clockwork, a few moments later we heard the brakes being applied and the train started slowing before passing out of sight. It was clear to me that trains were his love, and a hugge part of who he was.
The two of us must have spent a half hour on that bench just talking about trains. We were from very different walks of life. Me, an awkward white guy from rural Pennsylvania in his late 30’s and obsessed with a children’s toy, and him, a retired black railroad worker from Virginia spending his days volunteering at a museum. But we connected over a love of trains. In that moment, race, age, and where we were from didn’t matter. We found we had a common interest, and all the superficial differences between us faded away.
I wish I could have spent more time talking to this gentleman. It was the highlight of my visit to the museum. I would love to return for another visit and would like to think we could meet again and talk more about trains. But if nothing else, that day stays with me. I love trains and have had some awesome experiences with them over the years. I often find though, the most memorable train experiences are not with the machines, but with the people who share that love of trains. In those moments, we all share a connection, and we’re all one.
I don’t pretend to be a perfect human being. I know I have flaws, I know I can make unfair judgments of people, and I know I can be better. I recognize that I have work to do to be better. Every day I need to strive to be a kinder, more understanding, and more tolerant human. I need to look past skin color, ethnicity, culture, gender and other differences in people because when I do, I may find someone I have more in common with than not. Maybe that’s where solving our problems should start, with each one of us working to be better each and every day. We need to lead by example because just saying something is not the same as doing something. When we all work to make ourselves better, the good will propagate.
I love this hobby most for the people I’ve met, and the friends I’ve made. I have friends now from all over the world, from different backgrounds, different cultures and languages and lifestyles. But for all the differences we may have, we all share a love of LEGO, a love of trains, and a love for each other. We are one family here. I hope that someday we can learn to treat everyone the same.
If you’ve read through this, thank you. I hope it’s brought some positive light to a troubling time in our history. I hope you too will work to be a better person. This hobby, and this world, becomes a brighter place when we welcome all.
Thank you.
Cale Leiphart
BMR
Hello again, LEGO train fans and Brick Model Railroader supporters! We’ve got some great new articles in the works for you, but today we wanted to update you on a few things going on here at Brick Model Railroader. Let’s dive in.
There will be a Train Community Roundtable for the Brickworld Virtual Event coming up this Saturday, May 16th. Brickworld Virtual features LEGO artists, engineers, and vendors showing their creations via Zoom meeting rooms. A new twist to the Brickworld public shows will be a presentation room where you can learn from the experts. General details about the Brickworld Virtual Convention can be found on the Brickworld website below.
Brickworld Virtual May 16 Web Page
BMR has been invited to participate along with several other LEGO train community members. The Train Community Roundtable is scheduled for 1:00pm – 2:50pm Central Time. The tentative topic list is as follows.
1. Introduction – LEGO Train Roundtable.
2. LEGO New Developments
Come join us for two hours of talking trains.
We recently posted an article announcing the Brick Model Railroader podcast, a short live-streamed discussion on various Lego and train topics. Our Pilot was hosted by Enrico, and all regular episodes will be hosted live on the Brick Model Railroader Youtube channel. Podcast episode announcements will be posted through our social media outlets a few days in advance.
While primarily hosted on Youtube so we can answer questions from viewers, our podcast episodes will also be shared to and available on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcast (pending approval) and iTunes. Just type “Brick Model Railroader” in any of those apps and you should be fine!
The BMR model team has been hard at work designing new Premium Instruction Models. Three of which we will be releasing very soon.
The Gunderson 60′ High Cube Plate F Boxcar is our first BMR model designed by Aaron Burnett and is our most modern freight car to date.
The modern 100 ton, high-cube, 60’ boxcar has become ubiquitous in the modern rail scene. These cars are designed to carry a myriad of loads, from auto parts to forest products and are a fixture to any modern freight train.
The American Car & Foundry 70-Ton 1958 Cu. Ft. Covered Hopper is our first BMR model designed by Matt Csenge.
American Car & Foundry recognized the need for a mass-produced covered hopper car to transport goods and bulk flowable commodities that needed protection from the weather. In 1936 ACF began building this 70-Ton 1958 cu. ft. capacity covered hopper for task. The cars quickly gained wide-spread appeal, with 59 railroads and 16 private and leasing companies purchasing them throughout their lifetime. Many of these car lasted well into the 1970’s, some even into the 1980’s in revenue service. Some of these cars are even still used today in maintenance-of-way service.
Designed by Cale Leiphart, The Pacific Fruit Express R-30-9 and R-40-9 Reefer is a classic wood reefer from the golden age of ice cooled railroad refrigerator cars.
In 1936, Pacific Fruit Express began a program to recondition a large part of its aging wood refrigerator car fleet. These cars had their entire wood superstructure rebuilt above the frame sill, giving them another 10 to 15 years of service life. These cars became the R-30-9 and R-40-9 class cars on the PFE. Around 7,000 cars would go through this reconditioning program and many lasted into the 1950’s with the last being retired in 1966.
As usual, we have a wide range of decal sets lined up for our new models. Final release date for these cars is still pending. We are currently waiting for the new train wheels from Bricktracks before setting the release date.
The three cars talked about above are not all we’ve been working on. Here is a sneak peak at two more models coming later this year.
Speaking of things on the Brick Model Railroader storefront, we will be debuting a new online store for Brick Model Railroader soon. While it’s served us well, we’ve outgrown the old store design. The new store will be much nicer to look at and easier to navigate. We’re still putting the finishing touches on things, but we plan to have the new store ready to go by the time the new Premium Instructions are released. In the meantime the current store is still up and running with all our current products.
Lastly, we have two brief updates from our friends at BrickTracks, everyone’s favorite injection-molded track supplier.
The final mold for the R104 turnouts is in the process of being made. The last details have been tuned and we are closer than ever to having these turnouts on our layouts.
The second update regards the new replacement wheels for bearing wheel sets. The first batch of wheels has been produced and is en route to BrickTracks’ home base. However, the shipment is on the proverbial (or perhaps literal) “slow boat from China”, to quote BrickTracks.
There is certainly plenty to look forward to for fans of LEGO trains.
Thank you for reading.
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