Crafty or not:

Please consider this first before you get started. You may be a genius at wiring and laying track, but if you don’t think you are of the crafty type then you may not want to attempt creating your own buildings. In which case you could buy your structures ready-made or in kit form, or rope someone else in to help with that side of things. Many husband and wife teams work together building their layouts, with each one focusing on different aspects of the project.

Some hobbyists like to do everything themselves, and in all fairness, there is a great deal of satisfaction to had from taking this approach. If you do enjoy crafting your entire model train layout from scratch, then it will certainly be an enjoyable project for you.

If you are thing of crafting buildings on your own from scratch then here are some ideas. There are a number of different construction methods and the following is one way to get started:

Click here for lots more clever ideas for model railway layouts

• What you need before you get started – a computer with animation or picture editing software. Some of the recommended software are Adobe Photoshop or Corel Photo-Paint which allow you to edit your image in greater detail. This is important because you will be downloading building images from the web and then printing them. You will obviously need a printer along with your computer, so that you can print and cut out your walls, roofs, and other parts of the building.

• Another option is to browse the internet for websites on model trains that offer downloadable already-designed paper building cutouts. Once you have found the ones that you prefer, download them to your computer and open them through a particular image editing software. Once you have them opened within your software you can edit and format them to your liking. If they print out at on a weird scale, simply adjust that within your software and print them for the scale that you want. Try and keep the scale as close to your other features so that nothing will look out of place.

• Another option is to purchase some software that creates images of buildings that you can print out. This software allows you to select the wall surface design such as stone, brick, wood etc. and to select the style of roof, doors, and window frames. It then creates a printable image showing each elevation of the building (e.g. side view, front view etc.)

• Scissors or a craft knife would be very handy as well. You will want a very reliable and strong paste for your printouts. For your printouts to turnout well you will want to get stronger paper that you can print the images on to; and then balsa wood so that you can paste them to a frame to hold them up. This will ensure the durability of your structures.

Actual construction of buildings:

• To create very stable buildings you will want to include the balsa wood that was listed above. The wood will be the frame of the house and something to attach the image to that you printed out.

• Print your images on to durable paper or cardstock. You might want to paste the image on to plastic or foam to add strength. Begin to cut thin strips of balsa wood according to the scale of your building. Cut a strip that will lie on the bottom of each wall and at the top. You will also want to cut strips that will run from the ceiling to the bottom of each wall and support beams. The support beams should be toward the end of each wall, or you can add more along the wall for extra support.

• As you finish laying the supports on each wall, you will want to begin to connect the walls. Paste the end support beam of one wall to the support beam of another wall, perpendicular to each of course. Make sure the side without the beams, on the outer side, is the one that you want to be visible.

• For the roof you will want to lay thin strips as well along the roofing pieces you printed out. Lay the strips parallel with the roofing, and begin to attach them to the support beams of the walls.

• Allow enough time for all of the walls and roof to dry and then inspect and repair any weak sides.

This is a simple way to assemble your own buildings for your model railway layouts for any scale you are operating in.

You may want to check out The Model Train Club by Robert Anderson for some great scenery and model railway layout ideas.

Technorati Tags: model train layouts, railway layouts, trains O scale

There are all sorts of scenery accessories you can purchase from online model train stores, but many things can be made from everyday items around the home. You do not always need to spend money when there are things around you for free.

Twigs from your back yard are a good example. They can be used for making small trees and shrubs, or be cut to resemble logs. There is no need to paint them, because they are already the right color. Small wooden meat skewers (from the supermarket) can also be used to make logs and they are very inexpensive to buy.

The same goes for adding grass to your layout. You can purchase some very good products such as “Static Grass Flock” to provide ground cover, or you can make your own. Some model railroaders use a mix of ready-to-use grasses from the hobby store, and combine this, with their own home made grass recipe.

Gather some fresh mulberry leaves and dry them in a microwave oven. After they are dried out, drop them in a kitchen blender and you have instant ground cover. The best thing is; it costs you virtually nothing to make. Store it in a plastic bag for when you need it.

The only disadvantage with making your own ground cover is you will not necessarily know how long it will last when compared to the bought stuff. Many of the ground cover products from a hobby store will have been treated to help them maintain their color and withstand temperature and humidity variances over time. Some of them are non-flammable and nontoxic, so you need to decide what is important to you.

A lot of model railroaders use dried kitchen herbs for leaves and ground cover. They mix different herbs (e.g. thyme, oregano and parsley) for different effects. When doing this it is best to lay some newspaper underneath, as it can be a messy process. That way you can catch and reuse any herbs that do not stick the first time.

Sea Foam (also called “Forest in a Box”) is a popular material for making small inexpensive trees. You can bend it to look like trees and then spray on some adhesive and sieve on some flock. It is usually best to mix a few little pieces together rather than use just one piece for an entire tree.

Click here for lots more clever model train layout ideas

Fine brass wire can be used to strengthen the trunks and branches. Torn up pieces of masking tape can be wound around the tree trunk to add some width. This can then be sealed with a mixture of wall filler and PVA white glue.

You can even add sprinklings of kitchen herbs as mentioned earlier. You can then spray the trees all over with matt varnish, or spray them (upside down) with a mix of white glue and water. You then leave them to dry overnight.

Lichen is also ideal for making shrubs and trees. It is very versatile and looks good as mass foliage and undergrowth on a train layout. It is also inexpensive and easy to work with. You can purchase it in a range of colors that can be used separately or mixed together.

So, there are many, many ways to make ground cover and trees for your model railroad layout. It is a lot of fun and you might want to try some different options to see what works best for you. The point I am really making here; is that things on your train layout do not always need to be expensive. You just need to be a little creative in your approach. Have fun!

Join Robert Anderson’s popular online Model Train Club to get lots of clever model railroad ideas to help you build the model train layout of your dreams!

Technorati Tags: ground cover, model train, train layout

A Digital Command Control or DCC system permits multiple model railway locomotives to run independently of one another. Your railway layouts can therefore have a number of locomotives and you can control numerous functions like the speed of your train, direction, lighting, sound as well as movement.

You will find some engines labeled as “DCC Ready” or “DCC On Board.” DCC Ready means that the locomotive has been setup to accept the DCC decoder. DCC On Board means that the chip has already been installed. If you want sound, it’s best to get it preinstalled otherwise you should get DCC Ready because converting DCC On Board is not easy.

When buying a DCC system bear in mind that the scale of your railroad will determine how much power will be needed. Different train sizes will have their own unique power requirements. Additionally, there are various other options which are available for different DCC systems and they will have a direct bearing on how much the system will cost.

In the end it all boils down to what you want and what your skills sets are. DCC is not the easiest thing to work with, so start with something simple and be certain that you really like it first. Even though DCC may look wonderful at train shows there are many people who favor the good old-fashioned DC system for their layouts. Only time will tell which system you feel is right for you.

Wiring Your DCC Railway Layouts

In case you are fed up with the traditional DC approach for operating your railroad, Digital Command Control can be a viable alternative. DCC calls for highly accurate electrical wiring and it can be a little restrictive.

When constructing model railway layouts you will have to run wiring all through the benchwork, and in case you’re not careful you may wind up having immovable benchwork. For instance, should you wire your layouts so the wires can’t be disconnected, or if the circuit boards can’t be dismounted, then there will be quite a problem should try to take your display to a model train show.

When it comes to your locomotives, the first thing you must do is install the decoder. Decoders are electronic chips which are fitted inside the locomotive. The chip picks up the signal from the track which then routes the power for the appropriate application.

Typically a beginner will only have one locomotive in which to install the chip, however, if you have more than one locomotive you will need a decoder inside each one of them. It is very important that you buy the correct one for your train size. You may run into a problem with small scale trains as there may not be enough space inside the locomotive for the chip.

If you happen to use steam engines, you could always install the decoder behind the locomotive in the tender. Your main goal here is to hide the chip so it is not noticeable. Since trains are all different there may be a specific installation method for each one.

In case you are uncertain on how to install a decoder, you can take it to your local hobby shop and have them do it. Naturally they’ll probably charge you for this but at least you won’t screw it up and possibly ruin the decoder before you’ve even had the opportunity to use it.

When wiring Digital Command Control railway layouts, it needs to be done carefully. Don’t forget that you’re working with electricity, and there will probably be power running through the tracks. Quite simply, don’t stick your tongue on the tracks.

Should you need additional details on DCC wiring, you can check out model railroading forums, ask your local hobby shop for information or get a book that will provide you with detailed info.

Wiring your railway layouts for DCC can be tough, however if you’re able to pull it off you’ll have a model railway which will provide a very gratifying experience not only for you but for everybody that comes to check it out.

Technorati Tags: DCC, dcc systems, Digital Command Control, model railway layouts, railway layouts

Regardless of how many model train layouts you have built it inevitably happens… your train derails. It is one of the most frustrating things about this hobby.

You may have just fixed a portion of track where derailments occur and everything is looking fine and you think all is well and then “bamm” your train derails again somewhere else on the layout.

It’s enough to make you want to toss the locomotive against the wall or take a baseball bat to your layout (I’m speaking from experience here).

But with a little extra attention to detail you can avoid derailments and have the smoothest running model train layouts you’ve ever dreamed of.

8 Steps to Stop Derailments

1 – Make sure the tracks are clear

I’m stating the obvious here but eyeballing model train layouts will sometimes be enough to diagnose the problem. Are there any obstructions on the rails? Is there any plaster, glue or other obstacle attached to the railing? Have any sections of track come apart?

2 – Make sure that the rail joints are aligned, seated properly and level.

This may sound like a no-brainer but it’s the most common cause of train derailments. It’s simple to check, just take your finger and slide it along the joints.

If you feel any lumps a small file can readily solve that problem. If the gaps are two large between the tracks you may want to solder them together to keep them from spreading apart as the train passes over it.

3 – Lubricate

Sometimes all it takes is a little oil to cure your derailing woes. If your wheels and couplers aren’t lubricated it can create a slight jarring which can cause the flange of the wheel to catch the rail thereby causing a derailment.

DO NOT over lubricate! Only a tiny amount of oil is necessary. You don’t want to use too much since oil attracts dust, which can also create problems, and it may also damage any paint that it comes in contact with.

4 – Add some weight to freight cars.

You will find that many freight cars are light and as a result all the wheels may not have proper contact with the rails which can cause the car to jump the railing on your model train layouts. This can be fixed by adding a little weight to all your cars and should help avoid derailments especially around tight curves.

Where you put the weight is very important. Make sure you place the weight as low on the cars as possible and centered otherwise you might make them unstable.

5 – Check your turnouts

The movable section on turnouts can cause derailments if it is not flush up against the side of the railing. If that’s the problem just file the points until they are flat against the rail.

6 – Check out your wheel sets

If your wheel sets are not moving freely or aligned properly they may cause derailments on your model train layouts. The carriages should move freely in order to absorb minor imperfections in the rails. If they are tight and freeze up it can force the flanges of the wheel to grab the track and derail.

7 – Make sure track gauge is right

Believe it or not this is a very common problem especially on turnouts. A gauge that’s too tight will force the train wheels to climb up and over the rails. A gauge that’s too wide will cause the wheels to fall between the rails.

You can adjust the gauge on some types of track by using a soldering iron to heat the rail then moving it into the proper position and letting it cool. Other types may require the use of pliers.

If all else fails then just replace that section of track.

8 – Check your couplers.

Check to make sure that the couplers on the locomotive and cars are centered and are the proper height. Instructions on how to do this are normally provided by the manufacturer.

Conclusion

Hopefully this will solve all your derailment problems. If you’re still having problems over a certain sections of your layouts you may want to add a guard rail to the inside of the rails which will keep the wheels in line.

But I think you will find that if you follow these steps and provide a little bit of maintenance once in a while derailments on your model train layouts will be history.

Technorati Tags: model train layouts, train derailments

Themes Are Important

So what exactly is a theme? A theme is what defines model train layouts. It is the basis for everything you have in your display including the rolling stock and scenery. A theme connects all the elements of your layout together and can be based on a certain era, a specific location or a certain time of the year.

Picking a theme is a matter of personal choice and can be very simple or highly complex depending on how much time and effort you are willing to devote to your project. Choosing a theme is a crucial element in creating model train layouts as everything in your display revolves around it.

Whichever theme you choose, pick the one that you find is the most interesting. Since you will need to do some research about your theme and build the layout, it would best if you find one that holds the most fascination for you.

Theme Factors

When choosing a theme to use for your model train layouts you should take these factors into consideration:

Purpose

You need to determine the purpose behind your display… what message do you wish to convey? Do you want your layout to depict passenger trains whisking people from small towns to large cities? How about a logging layout or one with coal trains or long freight trains winding through industrial areas? Or perhaps you just want to show your trains traveling through some beautiful countryside.

Logging Scene

Era

You should pick a general time period to model after in order to achieve more realism, but you have to make sure the trains you pick match that time period. For example, if your era is modern day you will need to go with diesel locomotives but prior to the 1940s steam engines were the norm. Or you can have the best of both worlds by choosing the transition period from the late 40s to the early 50s when both steam and diesel locomotives were in operation.

Of course, when choosing an era, it’s important that the scenery surrounding the model train layouts match that period. Take care that the buildings, people and vehicles in your display are accurate representations of the period.

Old West Theme

Location

The location you choose is also a major element in your model train layouts theme. Why not pick a location based upon the type of scenery that you prefer to model after? You can choose the Southwestern deserts, the mid-west plains, the Rockies, a large city, the North Pole (remember the Polar Express?) or even a specific stretch of track between two towns. Your choices are nearly endless.

Season

The season that you model after also impacts your overall theme. The idea is to create a layout with a realistic atmosphere and the time of the year you choose has a big impact on the look of your landscape.

For example, if you pick wintertime in the northern states you’ll want to use specific trees like evergreens, add snow for groundcover, make your lakes and ponds frozen for ice skaters and perhaps even add some holiday decorations.

Winter Scene

In the summertime you’ll have lush green vegetation and flowers along with people swimming and fishing in your lakes and ponds.

The whole point is to enjoy what you are doing. Creating model train layouts should be fun and if realism gets in the way then you should always choose fun. Just don’t tell the purists I said that.

Technorati Tags: model train layouts, model train themes

One thing that railroaders have a difficult time with when creating their model train layouts are track grades. Everybody knows that grade refers to a train going up or down a slope, but calculating the proper grade and putting it into their layouts is what confuses many people.

Math Time

Grade is always expressed as a percentage which is calculated by taking the rise of the track divided by how long the run is. For example, let’s say your track rises one inch for each 100”, that grade would be 1%.  Using the same formula, a one inch rise over a 50” section of your layout would equal a grade of 2%.

The length of your layout really doesn’t matter, it’s the percentage or angle of the grade that can make or break model train layouts. Never make your grades too steep, you’ll be surprised what affect even a slight grade has on the performance of your locomotive.

Adding Grades

For those who are building benchwork you need to be certain that the grade you are building is what you planned. There is an item called a “Grade Gauge” which you can find in hobby stores which simply fits on the end of a 24” – 48” level. Just set it to the grade you want, put it on your roadbed and then raise the roadbed until the bubble reads level.

3% incline foam

If you’ve already built solid top benchwork, don’t worry, you can still add grade. Places like Woodland Scenics sells incline foam sets which are available in grades from 2% – 4% as well as foam risers. All you need to do is glue it to your tabletop and then add the roadbed and track and you’re ready to go.

Below is a nice video showing how you can create more levels to model train layouts just by adding foam inclines and risers.

Maximum Grade

So what is the maximum grade? Well that depends on who you ask. The answer most commonly given is to use nothing steeper than 2%. Many model railroaders will argue that the maximum should be 4%, so who is right? It depends… the maximum grade is based on a number of factors which are different for everyone.

The first factor depends on how powerful your locomotive is, this is just common sense. The more power your engine has the more cars it will be able to haul up a grade and the steeper that grade can be. If you have a weak engine you really shouldn’t get overly ambitious.

The second factor is common sense as well. It’s based on the number of cars as well as the weight of the cars that your engine has to pull. You may see some large model train layouts overcome grade problems by using two locomotives if they are pulling a very large number of cars.

The last factor in determining maximum grade is the weight of the locomotive. The heavier the locomotive is the better the traction of the wheels on the rails will be. Lighter engines may slip when trying to climb a steep grade.

Although there is no easy formula to determine it, the pulling power of your engine climbing a grade will also be affected by curves. If you curve a grade, it has the same effect as increasing the slope and the tighter you make the curve the steeper the grade effectively becomes.

Final Words

Before gluing your incline foam to your tabletop be sure you test run your trains. You need to be certain that your locomotive is able to climb any grade you build while pulling as many cars as you plan to use in your model train layouts.

Also, because you’ve added some height to your layout make sure your train has enough clearance through tunnels or where one portion of the track passes over another. Model train layouts are great but not when your train keeps coming to a halt because it gets stuck.

Technorati Tags: model train layouts, track grades

Figures and Vehicles

It can be quite a challenge to give the appearance of movement to model train layouts when using molded plastic figures. Because of this many modelers won’t even give it a try, but it is definitely worth doing.

If done properly a well placed miniature person, animal or car can add the semblance of movement to your scenery. So what is the best way to go about this and add that ooh and aah appeal to your layout?

One method that works well is to position your miniature people in the act of carrying on with their normal lives. For example, one figure can be a fireman climbing a ladder while another figure may be painting the side of a building. It’s a lot more realistic than just placing frozen people on a landscape and having them stare at each other.

The good news is that we modelers have a wide selection of figures we can use and they come molded in just about any position you could want. Some come with movable parts so you can pose them any way you’d like to.

When you place any kind of vehicle on your landscape just remember that in real life some of them are usually moving. Here are some tips to make your vehicles appear to be in motion:

- Try and place a driver and maybe even a passenger inside the vehicle. I’ve seen too many model train layouts where modelers just plunk cars on the road… but they’re empty, cars can’t drive themselves.

– Take the front tires of a vehicle and rotate them to the left or to the right to simulate a turn. Of course, make sure your car or truck is at an intersection or it won’t look realistic… unless the driver is drunk.

– When you want to simulate a turn, try placing your vehicles at the different angles of a turn.  One vehicle might be about to enter the intersection while another may have almost completed the turn.

Water Scenes

Many of the model train layouts you’ll see contain some sort of water scene. Unfortunately, they fall way short of looking realistic.  The more experienced modelers will stress how important it is to add ripples or waves to any waterfront scene. But how do you make boats or swimmers appear as if they are moving?

To give the illusion that your boats are moving use gloss medium for building up bow waves and to leave a wake. (Gloss medium is a clear, varnish-like protective coating that leaves a glossy finish). You can then use an acrylic white paint to paint the gloss medium and it will give you a realistic looking breakwater effect.

Don’t forget that swimmers as well as geese and ducks also leave behind little wakes as they swim across the surface of the water. You can create these wakes in the same manner as you did for your boats but to a lesser degree.

When adding swimmers or boats, try to shave or cut your figures down somewhat. You just can’t take a boat or figure of a swimmer and throw them on top of the water, it won’t look natural. By cutting them down a bit it will give the appearance that they are partially submerged which is a lot more realistic.

Wrapping it Up

Remember that when building model train layouts you are creating a miniature world and everything should appear natural. This means that some semblance of motion should be part of your landscape.

Naturally, you should still show people at rest because that is normal too. But don’t forget to add some sense of motion as this will make the scenery of your model train layouts more vibrant.

Technorati Tags: model train layouts

Toy manufacturers can either invent something new or re-invent something old. One German toy company chose the latter option and gave us Z gauge.

Small Enough For You?

Märklin is a renowned German toy manufacturer whose name has become synonymous with model trains. It was a little surprising then that they did not get on the N scale bandwagon when it was introduced in 1962.

By 1968, with many manufacturers producing N scale trains, the question still remained… where is Märklin? That question would be answered in 1972 when they introduced their first Z gauge trains.

Gauge is the distance between the two rails of a track. In the case of Z gauge this distance is only 6.5mm (roughly ¼ of an inch) which is 1/220 the size of a real life standard gauge railroad track.

The Z scale model trains they produced were built to the same 1:220 proportion as their track making this the tiniest mass produced model train available. (T scale, at 1:450 is smaller but not as readily available.) So how small are they? This photo should give you a hint.

The letter Z was chosen because it was the last letter in the alphabet and at the time it was thought that no train could ever be smaller. They also coined the term Mini-Club to identify accessories for this new scale.

Pros and Cons of Z

So why would you want to model in Z gauge?  Well the primary reason is that it’s a great space saver. Check out a typical HO layout on a sheet of plywood that measures 8’x4’. You can build the identical layout using the same number of trains, scenery, buildings, etc. in a space that’s only 3.2’x1.6’. In fact they are often referred to as coffee table layouts due to their compact size.

Naturally the small size also allows you to build a massive, sprawling and intricate layout with multiple lines of track which will accommodate locomotives hauling dozen of cars. In addition the scaling will be more realistic as you can put more distance between your industrial areas, villages and mountains so everything is not as cramped.

Another plus is that on an overall basis the quality of these trains is superior to those found in larger scales. This is because all these models must be manufactured precisely and to high standards or else they simply won’t run. There are no inferior “starter” trains.

One of the downsides is that the track has to be kept clean at all times as even the smallest specs of dirt or dust can cause operational problems. Then there is the pulling capacity of these small lightweight locomotives. It can be a challenge for them to pull a number of train cars up a grade that’s greater than 2%.

Also, even though Z scale has been around for almost 40 years other scales are still more popular. This means you won’t have the same variety of options in accessories or rolling stock that the modelers of more popular scales enjoy.

Although Märklin was the first to produce Z gauge, today there are many manufacturers worldwide and that number is growing. This allows anyone to model in virtually any era of their choosing.

Technorati Tags: model trains, Z gauge, Z scale

Hornby trains are the U.K.’s foremost brand of model trains. They are to the U.K what Lionel is to the U.S.

The Early Days

It all began back in 1901 when Frank Hornby applied for a patent for his “Mechanics Made Easy” construction toy. It was an erector set type of toy that became extremely popular and was later renamed “Meccano”. Its great success led to the founding of Meccano Ltd. in 1907.

Hornby trains were built using Meccano technology and the first train set was released in 1920. These clockwork trains were built to the O gauge standard (1:48) and were unique in that they could be taken apart and reassembled. They became a huge success which naturally led to additional locomotives and accessories being produced.

Although electric trains had been produced in America and Germany since the 1900s, Hornby introduced their very popular electric train set in 1925 which operated on 220-240V AC current. There were safety concerns about these high voltage trains so Hornby would later develop much safer 4, 6 and 20 volt motors to use in their train sets.

In 1927, Hornby tried to enter the U.S. market by building a factory in Elizabeth, NJ to produce American style train sets, but that didn’t last very long. The Great Depression, strong competition from U.S. train companies and the fact that their New Jersey plant only produced clockwork trains led to the closing of this factory in 1929.

Setting the Standard

Although electric trains were the wave of the future, clockwork trains still made up the bulk of the Hornby line and that would continue through 1937. Two years after Frank Hornby’s death in 1936, Hornby (now run by Frank’s son Roland) introduced their OO gauge line called “Hornby Dublo”. (Get it? Dublo was short for Double O or OO).

These Hornby trains were almost half the size of O scale (1:76) and were available in both electric and clockwork models with the electric version running on 12V DC current and a 3 rail track. These realistic looking trains sets had locomotives with die-cast metal bodies and cars that were usually made of tinplate. Hornby trains set the standard for OO gauge which has been the favorite in the U.K. ever since.

All train production ceased during the war years but started back up again when the war concluded except that clockworks were no longer being made in OO gauge. As it was for most model train manufacturers, business was robust during the first half of the 1950s but the late ‘50s were another story.

Looking Ahead

Hornby was slow to realize the potential threat from other train manufacturers, especially Tri-ang Railways who used less expensive plastic for their rolling stock. As a “Hail Mary” of sorts, in 1959 Hornby dropped their 3-rail system in favor of the more conventional 2-rail track and introduced plastic railroad cars for the first time.

These moves created even more financial problems because now, in addition to their 2-rail track, they also continued to make their 3-rail variety in order to appease their old customers. To make matters worse, their new plastic train sets did not do well as they were not on par with those of other manufacturers.

In 1964 Tri-ang’s parent company Lines Bros Ltd. bought Meccano and combined the two companies to form Tri-ang Hornby, although most of the trains produced were actually Tri-ang models. This company only lasted until 1971 when Lines Bros itself went bankrupt and sold off its railway unit to Dunbee-Combex-Marx where it was renamed Hornby Railways.

Believe it or not, in 1980 Dunbee-Combex-Marx was liquidated. Hornby Railways becomes an independent company, is renamed Hornby Hobbies and in 1986 Hornby goes public. Today it is simply known as Hornby and has regained the position as the leading model train manufacturer in Britain. Hornby trains had a bumpy road but they appear to be on solid footing again as they themselves acquired a number of other model train manufacturers.

Technorati Tags: Hornby Trains, Meccano, model train, OO gauge

If you are looking to get into model railroading or simply trying to buy a train set, you will find that trains come in various scales like O scale, HO, N or some other scale.

What Is Scale?

Model railroads come in many different scales. Scale is simply the size of the model train as compared to the life-size version. In the U.S. an O scale model train is one that is 1/48 the size of a real-life, get on board and give me your ticket, type of train. This scale varies slightly depending where you are in the world.

Märklin, a toy manufacturer in Germany, originated the O scale around 1900. From the 1930s through the early 1960s, it was the most popular model railroad type in the U.S. I can vouch for this because these were the train sets I had when I was growing up.

These trains were larger than the other popular scales and could take a lot of abuse, trust me. Eventually they were overtaken in popularity by the smaller HO scale trains.

These smaller scaled trains not only cost less but they also showed more detail and, naturally, you could build a more complex layout in a smaller amount of space. For comparison, the videos below show both a 4×8 foot O scale and HO scale layout.

Which Scale Is Best?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The scale which is best is the one most suited to your needs. There are two primary factors to consider when choosing a scale.

Cost – Typically, the O and Z scales are more expensive. The scales which are most cost effective are HO and N.

I suggest you go to your nearest hobby shop to look at all the different train models first hand, then choose the scale you like most and make note of its cost. This will give you a feel for what you will need to spend to get started.

Space – The majority of model railroad enthusiasts prefer the smaller scale trains, and for good reason, these layouts take up a lot less room. This means you can lay more track and have more intricate layouts in less space than is possible with a similar O scale design.

In the end it will all come down to what you can afford and how much space you have available.

Although the smaller scales may fit your budget and space requirements better, I doubt they will ever replace the fun of my childhood O scale model trains (boy… I really sound old).

Technorati Tags: ho scale, o scale