Buying Model Train Sets
You really have to ask yourself some important questions before you pick out your first model train sets.
What scale (size) do I want?
How much can I afford to spend?
Where am I going to put it?
Do I want to model after a certain era, focus on a specific railroad or just freelance?
All good questions, but no matter what your answers are you are making the right choice. Why? because it’s what you want to do. How many times can you say that in life?
Size Does Matter
Choosing the scale of your model train sets is the most important decision you will be making. This will greatly influence the answers to all the other questions you need to ask yourself.
Model trains come in a number of different scales each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Simply put, scale is the size of the model train compared to the prototype (real-life version). The most popular scales are:
G Scale – 1/22.5th the size of the prototype. These are the big boys. They are also known as LGB trains or a G Scale train.
O Scale – 1/48th the size of the prototype. As you can tell by the name of my Trains O Scale site, this is my personal favorite.
S Scale – 1/64th the size of the prototype. Gained popularity during the American Flyer period in the mid 1900s.
HO Scale – 1/87th the size of the prototype. The HO model train is the most popular scale in both the U.S. and Europe.
N Scale – 1/160th the size of the prototype. A popular alternative to HO due to smaller space requirements.
Z Scale – 1/220th the size of the prototype. Small enough to build a layout in a briefcase. Seriously, it’s been done. Don’t believe me?
And just so you can get a visual idea of the size differences, here are the various train scales compared side-by-side.
Your First Set
Okay, now that you’ve chosen a scale, have you decided where you are going to put your layout? You could just put it on the floor for now or on top of a covered tabletop or piece of plywood, it’s up to you.
Even if you are planning to make your layout permanent I suggest the first thing you do, when you get your train set home, is to play with it (what’s the point of buying it if you can’t play with it?). Try creating various model railroad layouts and get a handle on what can and can’t be done.
You will soon find that the layouts you can create with your first model train sets are rather limited, maybe it’s just a circle. But, if you have two pieces of straight track and place one on each side of your layout, it creates an oval. Okay, not that exciting either but we’re just getting started.
Trying New Layouts
Pretty soon you will get bored with the simple layout that came with your first set and you’ll want to try something different, “Like what?” you ask. Well, you’re about to take your first step to variety by using a pair of turnouts (switches).
Let’s say you’re starting off with an oval track. You’ll need to buy left and right handed turnouts along with some more curved and straight track.
This will transform your simple oval track
Into something like this
Then your miniature conductor has a choice of doing the long route or the short route (and once you create scenery, you have the opportunity to develop an extra town or two at all the appropriate places!). Think about how much fun your kids will have deciding which route to take (that is if you let them touch your layout!)
Now, I could detail a couple of more model railroad layouts here, but I think your creative juices are already flowing. If you have that double oval creation working, and you add two extra turnouts . . . think of all the ways you can use it; two sidings on either side of the other end of the oval. A second alternative curve inside the larger one, so that now you have one complete large oval and one complete smaller one.
Well, I’m sure you’re way ahead of me on this. I’ll keep the rest of my suggestions to myself, as I can see you’re already hard at “play” designing your own individual layout.
You can basically build any layout you can imagine with your model train sets regardless if your trains O scale, N scale, Z scale, etc. The only limitations are space and your imagination.