Welcome to DIY Backyard Train! Here we focus on the 1:8 / 1.5" / 1.6" scale trains. Currently this is a link-tree of sorts for getting started building your own train. Hosted information is getting added regularly.
See the links below for building your own engines, rolling stock, etc.
These are some pictures of small engines (usually 25 Ton models) from around the internet. I've compiled them here to give some inspiration on how you might want to paint your engine.