Do you want to know anything specific?

This BLOG is for answering specific questions about the Choo Choo Barn display.  They can be most anything you can think of from the history to "How do you...?"  There maybe some things we don't devulge like financial stuff and business info, but I'll try to answer most anything else that I can.  I grew up here so I pretty much know what was done and how it was done from stuff my father made back when we just got started to the present time.  I even have some photos (actually, really bad photos!) of our early layouts in our home in Strasburg.

A couple months ago, I answered an email from a guy that wanted to know what I used for the Strasburg Rail Road cars. I also have been asked where the sky ride at Dutch Wonderland came from.  Another question I get often is how do we make our creek beds?  Well, this one will be answered on the Choo Choo Barn Display blog because we're rebuilding one of them this year.

So, don't be afraid, just ask!

Comments

[Christopher Flynn]

Ok, a few questions, silly in nature, but things that I've always and recently wondered!

I have always wondered if you are any way related to the Groff of Groff's Grove on the SRR?

So Modern Marvels came to the Strasburg Railroad - I think Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs should come to you when your doing the winter work! Besides the dirt we deal with, imagine the fun of talking about your fake dirt, and all the miniature dirty jobs taking place on the display!

[andrew]

Do I have a question. I managed to acquire a 1988 N scale Christmas car.How many were made? What type of couplers did you originally use? What type of chassis came with the original? Mine has a fishbelly(lack of correct name) the kind of chassis that you see on old time cars.

[Tommy]

Hi, I was so impressed by your layout and I like the way your vehicles move on the road I want to have vehicles move on my layout.Any way you can post something that can give me an idea how to go about this? Thanks very much and keep up the great work!!

[David A Burroughs]

What kind of power do you use, for lights, animations, and motive? I need to get some kind of power supply for lights, separate from my engines.

[Tom Groff/Choo Choo Barn]

All of our trains are powered by home-made power supplies using Variacs and 24 volt, 6 amp transformers. We went to this type of control over 30 years ago. We use the Variacs as our "step-down" transformer. The voltage out of the Variac goes into the primary side of the 24 volt transformer. The secondary side of the transformer then goes through a full-wave bridge rectifier that is also filtered and then goes to the track. So, if there is 110 volts going into the Variac and it is turned to 50 (50%), there is 55 volts AC going to the transformer. Since we are only supplying 50% of the normal voltage to the primary side of the 24 volt transformer, we get 50% of the output or 12 volts AC. This is then converted to DC via the rectifier, filtered using 1000 mfd capacitors and then connected to the track. All of our trains use filtered DC voltage for operation.

We use mostly 110 volt motors for animations. There are only 3 low voltage motors working animations at the present time.

I use a very heavy duty 24 volt DC power supply to power relays and some lighting. Other lighting is powered by smaller train transformers at various places under the display. There a lot of ways to power lights in houses and streetlights. You can actually use "wall worts", the little black transformers that are used as battery eliminators and to power cordless phones, etc. Just make sure you don't overload them or they will get hot and burn out.

[David A Burroughs]

Thanks! I've been using wall-warts, nice to know I wasn't too far off mark.

[David A Burroughs]

Very nice clear partitions. What kind are they, and are they expensive? What kind of complany supplies them?
Thanks in advance!

[Bob Farrell]

How do you get the flashing lights on the emergency vehicles ? Would like to do this on my 1/32 scale slot car racing layout ? What motor do you use for the airplanes ? Could you give me part numbers for the flashing light controllers ? Thanks in advance ! Been to ChooChooBarn about 6 times.great place !

[Robert l Kirschbaum]

Tom how did you mount the lawn tractor to the drive chain what did you use?.

[Robert l Kirschbaum]

tom can you send me the information for the timmers that you use on your lay out you said you use burgular alarm system timers thank you Bob Kirschbaum.