Collecting Model Railroads and Trains can be a very rewarding hobby.
It’s not terribly difficult to see why collecting model trains (and building their accompanying railroads) has remained such a popular hobby for over 100 years, as there’s something undeniably thrilling in the conceiving and building of one’s very own miniaturized landscape. Most model-train devotees can trace the roots of their passion back to childhood, with their interest generally sparked by that very first toy train received from their Aunt Gladys or Uncle Steve.
If you have ever paid a visit to a model railroad train hobby shop, you begin to appreciate the hard work and attention to detail that this hobby involves.
Given the extraordinary degree to which some ardent enthusiasts have pursued this global pastime, however, it’s certainly not surprising to note that newbies to the scene find the whole thing more than a little daunting (the Guinness World Record holder for “Longest Model Train,” for example, assembled a track that was more than 361 feet long). However, getting started with a basic setup is actually far easier than one might expect thanks to a myriad of internet-based resources and the presence of model railroading clubs within most major cities.
Many dedicated modelers build their model trains from scratch and they also spend hundreds of hours constructing the railroad track layout as well. You might even consider this type of hobby an art, as model railroaders labor to re-create as much detail as possible. Some large scale layouts include scenic backdrops with sky, clouds and sunsets, model cities and towns with working lights, streetlights and storefronts, flowing streams and rivers, automobiles, model airports and much more!
When it comes to learning how to collect model trains and create model railroading, there’s little doubt that one’s first major decision is in choosing the scale of the trains. With such varied options as O-scale (48:1) and even G-scale (22.5:1), this certainly seems like the most daunting step in the process. Fortunately, model-train experts agree that HO-scale is an ideal place to start for newcomers to the hobby. HO, which operates at a ratio of 87.1:1, just happens to be the most common scale within the model railroading world -- which does ensure that tracking down the corresponding trains and accessories is exceedingly easy as well.
Though it’ll eventually become incredibly easy to get carried away with accessories, it's important to remember when you are learning how to collect model trains that there are a few essentials that must be present for even the most rudimentary track to work properly. First and foremost, every train set needs a locomotive, as it’s essentially the engine that drives the whole thing. Attached to the locomotive are carriages, which -- depending on what kind of look you want for your set -- can be a series of simple freight cars or something more elaborate and specific (i.e., passenger cars, dining cars, theater cars, etc.). And, of course, there’s also the track and electronics that lets you control your new-found miniaturized world. The most important of these elements is the controller, which - as its name might indicate - allows you to dictate the speed and direction of your locomotive.
Since you’re just starting out and learning how to collect model trains, the easiest and most user-friendly way to begin is by buying an all-inclusive set. There are plenty of well-known brands that offer such sets -- Hornby and Bachmann are generally considered at the forefront of this specialized field. These starter sets are ideal because they often come accompanied with at least one locomotive, a carriage or two, a simple oval track, and the required electronics.
It consequently goes without saying that even the most fledgling of beginners will have little problem in erecting one of these model train sets, as they’ve been designed with neophytes in mind (if you’ve ever built a Lego castle or Starship Enterprise model, this’ll surely be a snap). Another nice thing about these prepackaged sets is the price, with the low-end usually running around $50 dollars (of course, the cost does go up significantly as you get more grandiose and elaborate).
After you’ve built one of these starter sets and you’ve enjoyed watching your trains go round and round in circles, but now you feel like you’re ready for something a little more advanced. This is where things can get really interesting. Model railroading, once you get past the baby steps of the beginner’s stage, can be an enormously rewarding and creative endeavor in which you’re essentially able to create an entire city designed precisely to your specifications.
To that end, there are a myriad of accessories that you can pick and choose from when you collect model trains to fulfill your ultimate vision. It’s generally a good idea, however, to have a fairly precise idea of what you want your final layout to look like, as it can get awfully expensive buying the necessary accoutrements. Fortunately, there are a lot of options open to you at this point, which is why most experts recommend visiting your local hobby shop to stock up on parts. Buying online does tend to be cheaper, particularly with the proliferation of auction sites such as eBay and Bidz, but it’s the people that operate and frequent hobby shops that can offer the most personalized and detailed service when you collect model trains.