First off, let me welcome you to the worlds greatest hobby! My hope is help you along the way, help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls, and have fun along the way.
The great thing about model railroading is that it can be whatever you want it to be. It can be as small you want - a z scale that could fit in a suitcase or a G scale outdoor garden train. It can be very expensive or relatively inexpensive. It’s all up to you!
The most important part of building your model railroad is the planning stage. There are numerous things to plan out. In this post I’ll go over what I consider the basic three things to consider before starting.
1) Theme - What do you want your railroad to be about?
* What geographical location do you want to model? The location will have a huge impact on the scenery you develop later on, such as mountains, rolling hills, rural or urban setting.
* What era will you be modeling? This too will impact scenery, not to mention the type of locomotive you will be running. For instance, steam engines were primarily before the mid 1950’s while diesel engines were mostly used later 1940’s and on. A diesel locomotive pulling up to your late 1900’s silver mine just wouldn’t look realistic. Do a little research on the era you want to model to see what was common for that time period.
* Do you want to model a specific railroad, such as the Union Pacific or the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Obviously these two would require different approaches.
* What services or industries do you want in you railroad empire?
2) Size of your model railroad?
Deciding on what size to make your model railroad will be, like everything in model railroading is totally up to you, but can be influenced by the space you have available. Also size (scale in model railroading terminology) should be considered when thinking about handling the trains. Small parts can be harder to handle and harder to see if you’re like me and the eyes aren’t what they used to be.
Since it’s term you will hear a lot, let’s talk a little about “scale“. Scale refers to the ratio between the size of your model compared to that of the real thing.
To avoid any confusion let’s touch on gauge too. Gauge is the term used to describe the distance between the 2 rails of track - typically 4 ft 8-1/2in (known as standard gauge) for real life rails. Narrow gauge is a term used for rails that are closer together than standard gauge - usually around 3 to 3 1/2 ft.
For more information on scale, check out my Model Railroad Scales page to help you decide on what scale to use.
3) How do you want to display your model railroad?
Do you want to take up the entire basement or garage for a huge railroad, do you want a small table top model you can put away when not in use, a switching layout that fits on a shelf, or something built in sections that can be taken apart and taken to shows?
Who will be using the layout? Is it your getaway? Will there be children helping with the building and viewing of the layout? Friends? Will it be part of a larger club layout. There will, no doubt, be some limiting factors based on space, free time and finances available but it’s mostly whatever you want to do. But it’s always best to start with a pretty solid plan.
I’ll be going over benchwork for model railroads in a later post which should help you design whatever display you choose.
As you can see there are many things to think about. One of the best ways to get some ideas is to visit a quality hobby store that deals heavily in model trains, or get out and visit a model train show. Once you have answered the questions about theme, size and layout type you are almost ready to get that first train.
I hope I’ve got you thinking and have offered useful advice on how to build a model railroad! Keep checking back for more updated information.
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