:Toy Trains

Toy trains have almost become as much a symbol of Christmas time as reindeer, snowflakes, and hot chocolate. Almost every Christmas movie ever made features the heartwarming shot of a beutifully decorated Christmas tree with an enourmous pile of presents piled under it, and a toy train circling the perimeter. Another gift that people love to give and recieve are the homemade variety. In some households these handmade presents become wooden heirlooms that are handed down from one generation to the next. Designing and making a wooden toy train is a wonderful way to combine two traditions. Your going to have to decide what kind of assembly process your going to use for your wooden train project. A dowel assembly system is the process of using wooden nails and non-toxic glue to hold the peices of wood together. The upside to a using a dowel assembly is that it maintains the purity of the wood. The downside to the system is that regular wear and tear along with changes in weather cause wood to shrink and you will have to periodically have to reglue the wooden train. Many inexperinced woodworkers opt to use nails to hold the peices of wood together. Although experinced woodworkers frown on this method there is nothing wrong with using nails provided you make sure that there aren’t any sharp edges. Screws are a secure way to fasten the peices of wood together. If this is the method you prefer make sure that the wooden train is periodically examined to make sure that none of the screws have worked thier way loose. The use of a good strong glue is especally secure. It is also a safe way to create a toy that you are planning to give to a young child. Check the toy from time to time to make sure that the glue is staying stuck. When handleing strong woodworking glue be sure to take precautions, you don’t want to have your hand permenatly stuck to a wooden train. What type of wood you are going to use? Hardwood or softwood? The first thing you should know is that just because they are called hardwood and softwood does not mean that the wood you will be using is hard or soft, all the terns do is clarify wether or not they are from coniferous or desidous trees Softwood is descious, it comes from Pine trees. Hardwood is coniferous it comes from trees that shed thier leaves everyfall. You should avoid using Ceder, unless it is really well maintained it can splinter. If you are giving the toy to a young child (one who sticks everything in their mouth) avoid the use of Oak, which is toxic when ingested. If you are considering an exotic hardwood check and make sure it isn’t a toxic wood. The wood you are using should be planed into peices of wood that wont break easily, the thicker the wood the less likly it will be to break in the middle of your project. Bear in mind, not all types of wood absorb stains. When you are staining the wood make sure you are using a non-toxic stain that is childsafe. Find a set of instructions that are easy to follow. Keep them in a safe place where they wont get lost and adhere to them. Leave yourself plenty of time. Building a wooden train could be a much larger, and more difficult project then you anticipate. Once you become adept at making wooden trains, you may want to try your hand at creating miniture wooden structues for classic toy train layouts, and garden railroads.

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When you hear the phrase, “I love toy trains,” most of the time you wouldn’t think of a store dedicated solely to toy trains. But that’s exactly what that phrase means in New Buffalo, Michigan. New Buffalo serves as home to the infamous I Love Toy Trains, a toy train wonderland that is every child and toy train collector’s dream. The store carries Thomas and Friends wooden toy trains and accessories and several unique items from Lionel Corporation. If the name of the store sounds familiar to you, it’s because it was derived from the popular children’s video series. The series, “I Love Toy Trains” is an animated show that allows children to use their imagination in the world of toy trains. And that’s exactly the concept the store used in finding a name for their establishment – a place where children and adults can go and just let their imagination run free among the hundreds of toy trains and items for sale. I Love Toy Trains is settled in a 1930’s style home on the bottom floor. You’ll find an assortment of classic, antique, and new toy trains all together under one roof. Several models of common names in the toy train industry are available at the store. For example, you’ll see some beautiful Standard gauge models from the twenties on display, and several manufactures featured include Lionel, Marx, and Williams. You can find classic and simple wooden toy trains ideal for toddlers and small children, and you’ll also find toy trains complete with operating engines and hand-painted detail for those looking to “kick it up a notch.” Not only will you find everything you need to create a toy train wonderland, but you’ll also find rare and unique toys imported from Germany and Czechoslovakia. Where else can you find a duck on a bike, tumbling bunnies, or singing cowboys? I Love Toy Trains also carries several styles of railroad tracks along with accessories to make your toy train system as realistic as possible. The store carries a wide variety of trinkets ranging in price, so even if you are on a budget you are very likely to find a keepsake at a reasonable price. I Love Toy Trains is only open three days a week, Friday through Sunday, from 11:00am to 5:00pm EST. If you’re ever visiting this area in Michigan, make it part of your trip to visit I Love Toy Trains. In addition to the trains, there is a delightful selection of clockwork, tin-litho toys imported from Czechoslovakia and Germany – Duck on a Bike, Space Man Robot, Elephant Balancing Ball, Panda Drummer, Rocking Cowboy, Basketball Girl, and Tumbling Bunnies. In addition to the trains, there is a delightful selection of clockwork, tin-litho toys imported from Czechoslovakia and Germany – Duck on a Bike, Space Man Robot, Elephant Balancing Ball, Panda Drummer, Rocking Cowboy, Basketball Girl, and Tumbling Bunnies.

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In the real world a railway that has a narrower then 1,435 mm is called a narrow gauge railway. Narrow gauge railways accommodate smaller radius curves, and are cheaper to build. They are often found in mountainous communities and in communities that don’t have enough traffic to justify the expense of building a standard gauge railway. Narrow gauge railway’s are often duplicated by toy trains. The smallest gauge toy train available to toy train collectors is the Z gauge. The Z gauge operates on a track that is only 6.5 mm. The Z gauge was introduced by the Marklin Company in 1972, at the Nuremberg’s Toy Fair. The z gauge is so small that a layout can fit inside a standard briefcase. Some Z gauge engines weigh a little as 20 grams. It is very important that a Z gauge track be kept extremely clean, a little spot of dirt can stop the tiny locomotive in its tracks and gum up all the miniature working parts. The most popular size toy train among toy train collectors is the HO scale trains. The train was first introduced to the market in the middle of the 1930’s but it did not enjoy immediate popularity. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that it started to attract the attention of toy train aficionados. Fans of toy trains started to realize that the the HO’s small size allowed them to add even more detail to their layouts. HO gauge trains are typically less expensive then some of the other size train sets. It is a large enough scale that parents with small children don’t have to worry about the pieces getting swallowed. The typical HO toy train runs on a two rail track that is powered by a direct current. Some collectors have designed HO layouts that have a radius of approximately eighteen inches. The eighteen inch radius models a full scale radius of one hundred and thirty feet. The small radius is so tight that in real life it is only duplicated by streetcars and light rail systems. The casual toy train collector generally uses a track that is made out of prefabricated snap together tracks, the same type of track is often used by exhibitors who move their layout from one show to another. Collectors who have permanent layouts generally prefer to use a track that is constructed of hand laid sections. Some little train enthusiast prefer a flex track that is compatible with a snap together track. The popularity of the HO gauge toy train makes it easy for collectors to locate models and parts for their little train set. The HO gauge is approximately half the size of the O gauge. In the United Kingdom the most popular gauge toy train is the OO gauge. The OO gauge was first introduced in 192 by the Bing company. It was called the Table Runway. A 16.5 mm gauge is used for the OO toy train.

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For people who aren’t involved in the model railroading hobby, there’s really no difference between “toy” trains and “model” trains. After all, both hobbies involve small trains that are controlled by some sort of power pack. There is a significant difference, however, to anyone who is an enthusiast. Calling a model railroad a “toy train” is like calling a classic piece of literature a “novel”.

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Toy trains often become family heirlooms, handed down from one generation to the next. This is an especially nice tradition because the nature of toy trains is such that each generation can add something to the toy train, whether it is something for the train, like a new car, or something for the layout like new landscaping. Toy trains are something the family can build on. Sometimes family members want to keep the entire layout looking like it is all from the same era. If the train has been around for a long time that might mean that the family will have to look for antique toy trains. There are a number of ways you can go about looking for an antique toy train. Some people comb estate sales. While some great deals are found here it is not the easiest way to look for an antique toy train. It can be difficult to confirm the age and condition of the train before the estate sale begins. It is not always possible to determine if the train is in good working order until after you have finished bidding on it. It is not uncommon to find a nice antique train set at an antique store. Even if the store doesn’t have the antique toy train that you are looking for it doesn’t hurt to talk to the proprietor. They might be able to find the train you are looking for. Leave your contact information with them, and write down exactly what you are looking for. Some antique toy train collectors comb the flea markets. While some collectors do stumble upon the rare diamond in the rough, most of the trains that show up at the flea markets are in really rough shape. Lots of toy train collectors go to auctions. Lots of times auctioneers will wait until they have several toy trains and then hold a special toy train auction. Hoping to generate publicity, auctioneers generally mail postcards or post notices, listing the various types of trains they have available. For extremely rare, expensive trains, large corporations hold high end auctions. The Internet is an incredibly useful tool for locating and purchasing antique toy trains. There are loads of toy train dealers who have websites that list the types, and kinds, and prices of toy trains that they have available for purchase. Many of these same dealers also have toy train stores listed on EBay. Buying trains through dealers that specialize in toy trains is a good way to ensure that the toy train will arrive in exactly the condition that was promised. Dealers that are members of the Train Collectors Association (TCA) have a reputation of taking pride in the toy trains they sell. Before you purchase an antique toy train know exactly what you want it for. If you are looking for a train that is just for display then you will want to make sure that it looks like it is in pristine condition, that the paint is scratched or chipped, that there aren’t any dents in the casing, if its a wooden toy train make sure that wood hasn’t splintered or warped. If you are purchasing the train on-line ask to see several pictures of the toy train from several different angles. If possible try to get the dealer to guarantee the condition of the antique toy train. If you are planning to add the train to an already working layout, make sure the antique toy train you are about to purchase is in good working order. If the antique toy train includes a transformer make sure the transformer works. If you are still having trouble finding an antique toy train consider joining a collectors club, or attending swap meets.

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