Model Train Beginners Need This…
Model train beginners need clarity!
Why do model railroaders need clarity?
Because the model train opportunities are endless!
You can build a layout in your basement, attic, shed, garage or garden.
You can run steam or diesel locomotives.
You can have multilevel railways with rivers, dams, mountains, snow… You get the idea!
The opportunities are truly endless in this wonderful hobby.
Some points to consider are:
Where are you going to build your layout?
In my case it’s "Where will my Wife let me?" 
I find that I prefer being in the shed where I am out of the way and can enjoy lots of "me" time. I have a friend who has a large model train layout in his front lounge area.
How much space have you got available?
The entire layout needs to be easily reachable by the operator to correct derailed trains, line faults, etc. "Against the wall" layouts need to be restricted to 3 feet wide.
A layout size of at least 3 feet 6 inches x 4 feet would allow space for a continuous loop railroad in HO scale.
A layout space of at least 6 x 4 feet would be a better option. This would allow room to have a reasonably interesting model railroad.
Which scale are you going to use?
This is largely dependent on the space you have available and how much detail you want. Detail is easier to see and reproduce on larger models.
HO scale is the most common and has the widest variety of accessories available. But if space is at a premium then consider N scale.
You can build an N scale layout in an area about 30% of that area needed to build a similar layout in HO scale.
Will you model a real life layout or create your own?
Most model train enthusiasts will eventually create models of real life systems. It can be challenging to model real life systems, but is very rewarding.
Google Earth provides us with the perfect tool to check layouts, sizes, scenery, buildings and more. Being clear on what you want will make your life so much easier.
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I really prefer O gage scales, but space is limited. HO scales give me what I need . However, I am building a suspended system using O gauge that will be my pride and joy.
I am a beginner but am recieving advice from more expeerienced model railroaders.
Informative post!
I agree model railroading is an endless knowledge hobby — doing some research could be more effective and because it has too many to learn newcomer modeler become confuse and don’t know where to start. So, doing a little research can be a great help.
Happy railroading!
When I was in my teens I had a simple “O” scale layout. When I was in my mid thirties I had switched to HO and built a modest layout. Now I am in my sixties and am building a rather involved “N” scale layout. How is it that as I get older and my eyesight gardually grows weaker I am gravitating towards smaller and smaller scales. At this rate when I am eighty I will be building “Z” scale layouts. I think not.
The one thing that I am experiencing now is that as I learn new techniques I am tempted to tear the old stuff out and start over. I have a three foot hight cliff in the back of my “N” scale layout with a modified dogbone running 18 inches off of the main board. I was quite happy with my plaster rock cliff, but am now working in styrofoam on a pair of modules. The styrofoam mountains look so much better and are so much easier to form. No, I am not going to scrap my plaster cliffs, but the thought is in the back of my mind.
I guess the moral of this story is to learn as much as you can before jumping in and starting to work.
A layout in the shed? Great idea…out of the way, rest of the family has to go out of their way to pester you, sawdust can just remain on the floor, etc. Sounds like a great idea, except…..
Trying to wrestle the tractor up and down the basement stairs….I think not!
The greatest advice is to do research before starting
I am fortuneate that husband loves trains too. He built me my own train room above the garage. I have 3 HO layouts in various stages of ” completion”. ( if there is ever such a thing) My advice is to do some reading and ask questions! Just don’t let the reading paralyse you into inaction. Just get used to the idea that you may have to do things more than once.
i will put it in the garage, it is 28 by 32 feet. been playing for years i just set it up one way for awhile and change the layout at any time. different trains for different seasons. o gauge is what i perfer but do have some ho sets. i do not have any exspensive trains just a lot of them.
I have a large layout using HO trains. I have four trains running. I started out using DC with block construction but would like to convert to DCC. I Need some advice on how to proceed. Do I start by taking out all the little plastic rail connectors or what…>? I have my layout on the second floor of a Lowes Storage building.. 21X16. I also need some advice on building mountains,etc. Any help will be appreciated.
My wife and I are foster parents and I am using model trains as a type of reward for theiir good conduct and good grades. One child wanted a train set for Christmas.I am in N guage my wife allows me to have a layout in the family room. My problem, such a small detail, is that one child destroyed my trains and now I am looking for used trains so any of my good equipment is safe. It was worth the lose because he opend up to some problems and a happier child. SO HERE IS A NEW REASON FOR TRIAINS, AND IT WORKS. MY WIFE VEN SAID SO!!! I JUST WISH THERE WERE SOMEONE IN MY AREA TO TALK TO AND ADVICE ON DOING THINGS RIGHT.
Wow Ed… If your Wife says so, then she must be obeyed
We are here waiting to provide any help you may need. Also we have a forum at:
http://modeltrainsforbeginners.com/members/community
There is a huge amount of experience there wanting to help you out.
Regards
Dan
Yes, I agree wholeheartely. I would have prefered HO, but the space to get started is small. I hve started a layout with my father recently. We started at his home. The space we have available is 40″ x 60″. We have planned it with a seam down the middle. In the future when I move from my current home ( I have no appropriate place in this one ) we wil take it down and move it. But at present it is a good size to start an N gauge layout. It has been good quality time for dad and I. I am sure we will have many hours of enjoyment. Even the problems are fun solving when you have a partner who is a big help, gets along with you, and you enjoy their company,
i started my HO quest by buying a few starter kits… they are all analog but i want to have a dcc layout… what would you suggest for me as a good starter kit for dcc?.. i was thinking about going with the bachman setup as it seems very user friendly but my cousin has told me there are other better setups out there as bachman is limited?… and what type of layout would you suggest i start out with that is not a traditional figure 8 or oval?.. i need something small (for the room) yet will keep my attention… please help!!!
I have been a model railroader for 40 yrs. I have had a layout as large as 225sqft. My space in my current home allows me on the 3rd fl. @ 130sqft. Once my son goes away to school in fall I will be going thru the wall and onto the other side an pick up approx 160sqft. This expansion should take a few yrs to build.
You have to plan these thing out. I have been in the planning stage for about a year now. I have drawings of what I want where. I also have a list of everything that I want or need for the expansion. I have that list for my kids to purchase gifts from. Gotta go have a great day. ALL A BOARD
@ vince.. it would be nice if you’d take pics of your progress and keep us up to date….
I am a novice would-be railroad hobby person. My problem is that I have to understand what I am doing before I do it which slows progress.
I am now laying track for my nine year old grandsons train layout. My current problem has to do with the cushion underlayment for the track. I’ve tried the foam material and now would now like to try the cork.
The cork that I purchased (strips) had some strips with a beveled side and a straight side. Some had both sides beveled. Why the difference?
Also, space limitations put us into N gauge..I would like to know how wide the underlayment should be on the strips with beveled sides…………….
Thanks in advance for your help.
Paul
In answer to Sam about a layout in a shed, I have a 8 x 15 shed with an around the walls layout. Its heated, lighted and most of all, “MINE!!”
I go out there early in the morning with my coffee and just watch the trains run. It is built on modules, in case I decide to move someday.
I have the key to my train room, so the grandkids can’t enter without the trainmaster.
After all these years, I would never go back to a bedroom or garage layout, both of which I have had. If you can build in a shed, do it, you’ll never be sorry!
How do you make a Helix in HO scale? Been trying with no luck,
Hi Robert,
Ask in the forum at http://modeltrainsforbeginners.com/members/community
There are a few members in the forum that will be able to help you out.
Regards Dan
As I said before I’m coming back into the hobby. I had an area of 7′x3′. Had to take it down . Now my wife is asking if 4′x3′ is enough. I guess I could use it but possibly need a turntable and elevate some area .I would like a point to point with some switching. Most ly same steam switchers this area will have a tight curve or possibly switchbacks.
Bob
Model railroading does not have to be real expensive. Sure you may have to spend a little on quality locos but the rest can be had with a little imagination. Look around there are lots of things that can be used to get the dream layout you want. When searching about be mindful of scale and then make people wonder how did he do that.
Railnut
I have to disagree with Dan Morgan when it comes to where to put the layout and which scale to use if you only have a small space. When he only has a small space, he uses N scale. But N scale isn’t very popular and it’s too hard to find, so I think I’ll use O-27 instead. Mum doesn’t want her living room turned into a full-on model railway, so I might have to put it in the tractor-shed. The problem is, the tractor-shed is very small and dusty, trains and dust don’t go together, and I have an allergic reaction to dust that can temporarily impair my vision, so I think I’ll use the coffee table instead.
hi everybody im daniel new to modelrailroading i only have 1 train set. its a santa fe flyer.
Ward, my companion off 33 years (age 75) just started his first HO train. He has chosen a Bachmann Spectrum Explorer, New York Central railroad. But he has added a red, Santa Fe caboose! We understand in the real world, these cars would probably never meet. But in Ward’s train world, he is happy to have them together, and that is what matters most!
As for space…he built a plywood platform 4′x6′, painted it, and reinforced it. Now he is attatching steel legs screwed into a flange on the platform’s underside. He will position it above the bed in the guest room. On the rare occasions that we have overnight guests, he can easily unscrew the legs and remove the platform, since nothing is fastened to the platform yet. He has a 16′x16′ shed, but in the Florida heat, it is too hot to work outside, even for fun!
We are getting A LOT of valuable ifo from various web sites. Thanks to all.
Something else to consider about layout size, how much of a layout can one maintain? Make sure you can take care of what you build; it is good to have younger and more limber hands in the neighborhood as we age…just a thought. Besides the rails and wheels, you’ll need to remover dust and the occasional cobweb from the scenery; replace light bulbs and such that burnout, and fix details that some heavy handed guest (or the pet cat) might mash. Think access, access…..access.
Enjoy your trains!
Subject: Helix Loops in HO
If anyone wants discussion about, or to see in person, helix loops built in HO scale, they are welcome to contact me. I have built two on my present layout and they operate flawlessly. Patience is required to construct them well. My location is northeast Ohio.
Dave
how can you cave the mountains carefully in those photos. the hill side too?
I was intrigued by my cousin’s HO scale Tyco layout back in the mid 50s or something like that. I wanted one, and I ended up getting an American Flyer, much too big, and I think I insulted my parents when I told them.
I’ve thought about HO scale for years. Everywhere my wife and kids went, I’d claim a particular room, usually where I thought no one else wanted to be, and say, “OK, this is where the train layout will be” … well, then my blankety-blank wife would commandeer the room before I could even get anything started: so I’ve never built a layout before. ever.
Yesterday I talked to a guy who ran a hobby shop here in MD northwest of DC, and he said that a LIONEL ready to roll set (shake ‘n’ bake type) would be best for my grandson of almost 3 years, since little kids aren’t that good with details yet.
So, here I am: I’ll be 63 this October, and still don’t have a train layout.
The only “toy” a grown man could want has slipped out of his hands for the last 50 years or so.
I have been in the hobby nearly all my life starting out with a Marx clockwork train set. I still have it and it still works.
I moved up to Lionel 0-27 which I sold to get into slot cars when I was 15. My father bought a Lionel HO set complete with rocket launcher and exploding boxcar.
Funny how a slot car would hit the exploding boxcar at the railroad crossing by “accident”. After getting out of the Navy I went to an open house at a train club in NJ and I was hooked again.
That was 35 years ago. I am still hooked on Erie, Lackawanna, and Erie Lackawanna. In that time I aquired about 80+ engines and 400+ cars. I messed around in my NY basement for 22 years and never really got anywhere with my “dream layout”.
5 Years ago I moved the benchwork and all my stuff to SC. My new layout is in a 2 car garage.
I sat there pondering my first step and had an epiphany. Make a plan! Sounds simple! I sat down and I wrote a history and a concept for the Empire Lines.
The basic plan sports a PORT – YARDS – ENGINE FACILITY – PASSENGER STATION – CITY on the top level. Next a helix to the lower level with towns and independent industries that ship to the port.
I have reduced the number of buildings (didn’t actually want a Jersey City), engines (can’t run 80 at a time), and cars (400 cars looks like rush hour in LA) to a more realistic level. I decided to model the late 70′s so many my cars are 50″ or less.
I have narrowed my focus and the results are promising. Piggy backs, box cars, coal cars, gondollas, and some tanks cars all fit in. Log cars etc did not. I’ll justfy a couple steam engines for a tourist line.
More focus! I’ll let you know how it works out.
Hi I’ve been playing with trains for over 50 yrs now. My favorite scale is HO. A couple of years ago I decide I wanted to model my home town from back in the late 40′s to early 50′s. This would be Sidney, NY where the D&H and O&W crossed paths. I’m limited to a 4′ by 8′ area. I tried doing it in HO but it just wasn’t looking right. Now I’m working in N scale and it is looking better. The problem I’m having is I’m doing from memory of when I was a little kid. I don’t have very many pictures as a guide. At age 61 my eyesight is failing and I have big hands. Oh well I’m still having fun and that’s what it’s all about.
Hello, m question is,iam doing a farm scene,ruaral. how do you make small and large hills??
thank you
Dan, tell me when mantua stopped making metal cars. i’m interested in purchasing them instead of plastic ones. bought a nice crescent loco on ebay. 4-6-2. runs great. also bought a super heavy caboose it’s ok but would like to stick with metal. am i going to find it hard to get them. thanks, Steve
i still say its the cost of stuff