ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY

foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] for a brief time during the early fall and winter the hunting season is open and the thrill of bagging the first bird of the year is what every Hunter Longs for yep he got him and you can bet his dog Jeff will be right on the job to retrieve the prize for some men spring and summer means relaxation on the golf course or angling in that favorite stream for the big one who somehow always seems to get away others prefer photography developing and printing of prized pictures they have taken while enjoying a restful vacation but today hundreds of thousands of men young and old have found a new hobby model railroading model railroading is a year-round hobby it combines all the realism creative ability and Fascination men have sought for in a hobby [Music] thank you foreign [Music] with the understanding of a few basic principles you will be on your way to building a model system that will provide many hours of enjoyment you your family and friends operating trains is only part of model railroading there's also the building of the many varieties of cars and locomotives from Giants articulated engines down to small powerful Diesel switch engines to complete villages with miniature trolley cars and town halls this is all part of the enjoyment of building a model railroad [Music] in a sense the model builder is an all-around Craftsman it doesn't have to be a professional just good enough to build a framework to support his track the wire simple electrical control panels that will operate his miniature layout with all the realism of a true Railroad model railroading is a hobby but all the family can enjoy the teamwork of father and son has laid hundreds of feet of track and installed switches patterned from real railroads many a modeler's wife has led her Artistic Touch in building scenery common patching plaster mixed with water and applied over old window screen provide an excellent foundation for mountains Hills and tunnel portals realistic trees either purchased from hobby shops or made from dried weeds add the finishing touch to a Suburban residence however it's usually dad who assembles the cars and locomotives he builds them up from kits complete with motor and all parts ready to assemble [Music] some men enjoy making their own locomotives they fashion each part from steel and Brass yes everyone is handmade it takes months of fitting and filing of each individual part to transform it into a finished locomotive complete in every detail when the locomotives move out of The Roundhouse onto the turntable ready to be coupled to a long Freight it's pretty hard to tell they are only models The Originals of this man's beautifully detailed models are operated today on the New York Central bno Santa Fe Chesapeake and Ohio Pennsylvania and many others miniature railroading really began with the toy trains but then like today they were used primarily at Christmas time but you know what happened dad became interested he began to think of trains not only as a seasonal toy to be put away with the ornaments and lights but something that could be developed into a hobby for men as well as older boys before long a new hobby was born this new hobby was to become known as scale model railroading it wasn't long until model manufacturing companies were formed their designers began to scale down the blueprints of real locomotives and cars the scale they used was termed O gauge the idea of scale model railroading spread rapidly it wasn't long until men were building and operating well-detailed miniature railroads as model railroading grew more and more men realized that it was a fascinating hobby something a man could show to his friends something he could really be proud of by 1935 4 000 hobbyists were building their railroads the growth of the hobby was steady reaching 18 000 active Builders by 1941. during the war the hobby growth was slower but doctors in rehabilitation centers found that assembling locomotives and cars was a great help in therapeutic treatment after the war model railroading began to grow more rapidly than ever before by 1947 there were over 38 000 Builders throughout the country an interesting fact is that at no time has the hobby leveled off in its popularity new modelers are enthusiastic they often get together over the luncheon table where a newly assembled car kit gets more attention than the apple pie in 1950 there were a hundred four thousand model layouts in operation today more than 200 000 men and women from ages 15 to 80 and from all walks of light skilled workers clerical men farmers business Executives salesmen professional men and many others are building and operating model railroads in their own homes students in secondary or High School find that electrical problems are more easily understood through their experiences in model railroading many school directors and teachers have found that model programs develop teamwork and good Fellowship among students as well as having educational values thank you [Music] on the campus of numerous colleges and universities students have started their model railroading career they have found it to be an excellent means of relaxation from study [Music] today throughout the country there are more than two thousand model railroad clubs takes a lot of careful planning to develop a track plan that will keep all the members busy each man in a club is often a specialist in his field but it takes the teamwork of all to build a club-sized railroad whether you build at a club or in your own home you will want to incorporate all the realism of actual railroads into your plans [Music] the three-rail tin plated track sections of the toy train has been replaced in scale model railroading by authentic two-rail track with more attention is given to detail solid metal rail is fastened to wood ties or solid track supports providing a smooth running surface fine gravel resembling stone is often added for ballast just as is done in laying track in real railroads tin plate cars and locomotives like those in the foreground are made so they can negotiate the sharp curves of the tin plated track switches but in scale modeling proportions are exactly reduced from real railroad equipment [Music] much of the material used in building model railroads can be obtained in one of the nation's 4 500 hobby shops enthusiastic model railroaders often incorporate ideas sketched along the right-of-way or in yards of many railroad systems take John Boyd for example he knew his dealer would have a model similar to The Calling station that he sketched in the engine yards of his local terminal many manufacturers have scaled down the varieties of buildings used by the railroads these buildings like the calling station that John was interested in using on his home railroad are reduced in correct proportion to the cars and locomotives they will be used with [Music] it was in this same shop three years ago that John began his model railroad Hobby it all started when he noticed the attractive cover of the Model Railroader magazine at his local news stand the interesting ideas and plans became part of his imagination this was something he'd often thought of building for himself he wondered if Ruth and Jerry would be interested in building this together as a family project the magazine had many articles about laying out a track Plan Building scenery and many other interesting ideas the classified directory of the magazine was John's introduction to his local hobby shop John found his dealer to be more than a Salesman he was a model builder himself and could offer many suggestions he showed John the various gauges or sizes that he could select from in building his model layout [Music] he explained which gauge was the most popular among many of his customers and suggested a gauge that would best fit the space that Jon had available the many varieties of car kits that dealers carry in stock are easy to assemble and inexpensive in model railroading you don't pay for production line assembly you are the Builder you build and add to your equipment over a period of years many model railroaders Freight cars are the most popular they too are designed in every detail to resemble actual cars of many railroad systems as well as cars leased by individual corporations for their use these are only a few of the many models that can be built which will make your layout more interesting [Music] locomotives too play a big part in model railroading your local hobby dealer will Aid you in choosing one of the numerous types of locomotive kits he will know which kit would be best suitable for you and his experience in building all types of equipment will Aid you in starting your model railroad hobby right [Music] for the model Builders who prefer to spend time in building scenery many materials such as colored Stone grass trees and many other articles yes even to lamp posts garbage cans and fire hydrants are all available in actual scale many varieties of buildings also come in kit form such as industrial buildings loading docks stores farms and houses some ingenious Builders have even created a village fire complete with ladder wagon Pumpers and ambulances in model railroading there are several ways to build your Trek some Builders prefer to use ready-mounted track While others prefer a solid wood base with simulated ties to which the rail is fastened into position whatever your choice might be you'll find either to be highly realistic with curves in any shape or degree your track plan may call for switches model railroaders call them turnouts also come in kits ready to be fastened to the road bed or if you prefer you can make them by shaping pieces of scrap rail to operate your railroad you must have power in model railroading power packs replace the tin plate Transformer these power packs furnish safe low voltage direct currents to drive your locomotives connected with simple toggle switches they control the throw of your turnouts and operate block signals that direct the flow of traffic in your yards and along the right-of-way [Music] from the time you begin building the framework to support your track you'll be surprised to see how your layout will grow in a year or two your skeleton framework will be transformed into a beautiful miniature railroad Empire foreign foreign the throttle of your own railroad you become a part of this miniature Empire you're the engineer of a cracked diesel Limited you're the man in the control tower directing the flow of traffic through a busy yard you're a Brakeman routing a switch engine through the terminals and make up a long Freight in fact you're the president of the road the more than two hundred thousand model railroad Builders are serviced by an industry of over 150 manufacturers the industry has created jobs skilled machinists have found new job opportunities in making Precision dies so cars and locomotive Parts can be turned out by the thousands to supply the demand of the builders [Applause] model railroaders have their own monthly magazine comprised from their suggestions and ideas [Music] line of type operators and makeup men are kept busy supplying the giant presses so that the more than 150 000 copies each month of the Model Railroader magazine and other Publications will reach the hobby shops Across the Nation on time [Music] in the Magazine's testing laboratory in Milwaukee new equipment is put to rigid tests the reports of these tests are a guide to the model builder regarding the quality of new merchandise the national model railroad Association holds a convention each year here hundreds of leading model railroad hobbyists gather to discuss new equipment and exchange ideas and plans Regional conventions are held in many smaller areas of the country throughout the year John's model railroad began with two inexpensive car kits the health of his dealer articles he read and suggestions and ideas from his many interested friends John's plans grew over the years into a beautiful miniature layout the calling station was just what he needed to put the finishing touch to his busy Freight yard John's model is typical of the work of many model Builders throughout the country track plan which began with a simple oval was gradually improved and now permits the operation of several trains at one time [Music] while a giant articulated engine hauls a long Freight over the mountain section is fast diesel limited clears the tunnel and heads for the straightaway of the main line [Music] thank you the industrial and Freight yards of John's model are a busy place as his diesel switch engine makes up a long Freight [Music] thank you you know it's odd but once you become a Model Railroader you never stop your interest grows Through The Years along with your hobby each new car you build adds a new pleasure each locomotive whether it be steam or diesel will provide many hours of operating enjoyment no special talents are required to build and operate a miniature railroad system an elaborate supply of tools is not necessary and very little space is needed foreign the vast experience of the people in the 4500 hobby shops throughout the country have shown many potential Builders how they too can build a layout within the small space of an apartment basement attic or Recreation room most important model railroading is inexpensive it's a hobby that all the family can enjoy let your hobby dealers show you why these and many other reasons have placed model railroading at the top of the nation's hobby list you'll enjoy a better tomorrow if you start your hobby today [Music]