Hobby Tools

I use a milwaukee m12 cordless rotary tool instead of a dremel.  Batteries last a long time and plenty of power. Uses all the current dremel bits and most of the attachments.  Since it is cordless, there is never a cord in my way or catching on anything. Only moderately more expensive, but a whole lot better than my old corded dremel

Bruce

Did anybody ask Bruce what sort of activities he plans on doing?

The tools I use to repair trains are probably not the same tools one would use to build models or make scenery.

I agree with the post suggesting the establishment of a place to work. I do all my fine work at an old office desk (in nice shape) that I picked up many years ago. The drawers are great for tools and supplies.
If you don't have room for your own spot, put together a work tray that you can place on a table while you are working. When you are done, the tray gets put on a shelf.
I made a couple out of luan plywood for my kids when they were small, and sharing a second old desk for their projects. Their trays went on a shelf above their desk. That way they each could have something in progress at the same time.

I would also recommend a "Third Hand"; a magnifier with alligator clips. Some have a light and soldering iron holder.

John

Russell; You mean a neat workbench like this.

Ben; LOL

I have 2 cordless 18V drills & a cordless Dremel. Love them all. They give you the freedom to work anywhere without dragging an extension cord out.

I never cared for cordless tools, until I used my son's Dewalt Max tools. The cordless tools I had always seemed to have low batteries whenever I went to use them, and they seemed to lack power.
I have the 12 volt Max drill and 1/4 inch impact driver, as well as a 20 volt Max drill.

I bought the 20 volt one because it has a larger chuck / more capacity than the 12 volt model.

I also have the Dewalt 12v max drill. impact driver set. Best cordless drill I have ever owned. Lightweight, plenty of power, long battery life, small enough to get into some pretty tight spots and pretty decent chuck. I liked the set so well, I got another one. It was on sale at Home Depot for $99 and I couldn't pass it up. The batteries alone will cost you that much. Now I have two sets, two chargers and four batteries. Then later on, got the LED flashlight to go with it. FWIW, I would highly recommend this set.

Gentlemen,

   Let me add this German Company to the small tool list, Wiha German Precision Tools for electrics, Hobby & Repairs, Screw Driver Sets & Nut Drivers, are some of the best around, light easy to use and never wear out.  Some sets come with their own soft cases for easy access and transport.  Professional quality tools.  Order on the Web WWW.wiha.com

PCRR/Dave

I recently got this mini miter saw from Micromark and have pretty much gone bananas with it. Also the Chopper below is a must have.

This box/work tray has been with me for some time.  Most of the commonly used tools are in the box, along with screws/wire nuts, staples, that are used all the time.  Visual check at the end of the day, before it goes in the truck, to be sure no tools are lost.  I also have a tool pouch for the most used tools. The pouch gets heavy by the end of the day.  A nail/screw apron is also a good idea.  I recently replaced the left end of the box.  The hole, where the 1/2" conduit handle is attached, broke.  Only part that is original, 20 years, is the bottom and the design.  

Micro-tips for the CA

A variable speed drill press that takes a #80 all the way up to 1/4" bits....

An anvil - handy for dealing with coyotes....

Here are photos of some of my most-used tools. I find angle-tip pliers and tweezers more useful than straight tips. The JIS screwdriver comes in a set of five. It's made by Hozan and available from Amazon. The Wiha tools are also available from Amazon, except the Pozi drivers which I had to order direct from Wiha. In the process of ordering the Pozi drivers, I discovered that Wiha sells all kinds of cool tools and they have a good bargain/closeout page. A 12 watt soldering iron is the right size for most work inside a locomotive - you don't need anything bigger to solder components to a board. 

Right side: Small LED flashlight,12 watt soldering pencil, JIS screwdriver,assorted Wiha Pozi-drive, Philips, and straight screwdrivers. Left side: Cross-lock heat sink tweezers for soldering wires, large angled tweezers, fine point curved tweezers, screw grabber, angle tip needle-nose pliers. The bench mat is made by Ransom for gunsmiths. It is made of rubber and has a rib around it and compartments at the top to hold parts. 

Here are two kinds of grabbers. The one on the right is the one you want for setting screws. It has three prongs that open wide. The one on the left has four prongs and doesn't open as wide. It's for nuts and small parts. 

Would these coyotes also happen to be geniuses?  That looked like a pretty neat drill press too.

Mikes tote is great, but is a little different from what I was trying to describe.

The luan work trays I made for my boys had a luan bottom, with a lip around three sides made of door stop molding. The front side was open. Basically they were portable work surfaces.