In this article I am going to outline the things to consider before starting your model railway project. Due to the logistics of building a model railway, mistakes early on can really bite you in the butt later on down the line.
Space
The first thing you need to consider before all else when building your layout is space. How much space do you have and how long will that space be there for? Not only how much space do you have, but do you have enough space to do what you are planning on doing with your model? Lack of space is a common problem, but there are a couple of solutions.
Firstly you can create more space. A common way to do this is to build a shed in the back garden, or board up the attic! If you are serious about your hobby and you want to keep your layout in a fixed position you could be better off doing this first as last.
The second option is to have your layout on a board. This is ideal for a spare bedroom that is rarely used because the whole thing can simply be put against the wall while the room is being used. Depending on size it could even be slid underneath a double bed. If your board is particularly big you could have it in two pieces, and design your layout accordingly. This way the two pieces can be detached and stored more easily.
A more complicated version of the board is the folding board. This means that your board has two joints with hinges. This allows you to fold your set up and put it up against a wall or under a bed.
This second method requires a reasonable amount of forethought and planning. The distance between each joint must be double the height of anything you put in your layout. As if it isn't it will get crushed once folded together. Also you can not have any terrain or buildings between the joints. This method was mentioned in the interests of thoroughness and is not recommended for a beginner.
Layout - Scenery
If you are a beginner you may not even want to have scenery at first which is absolutely fine, if so skip this section. However if you are going to have scenery it is best to think about it before you start.
There are some questions you must ask yourself before you start your layout:
Is your layout going to be an urban setting or a rural setting?What time period will your setting be in?What country will your setting be in?Do you want your setting to be built up, or do you want it to be very green?Is the layout going to be designed by you or are you going to replicate somewhere in the real world?Do you want to be able to change your layout in the future?You can just decide how you want your track and then simply start building the layout around it and decide as you go. This can be very creative and is a good approach if you are starting the project with a child.
All of these different options must be taken into account with the consideration of your budget and the amount of time you want to spend.
As a general rule of thumb a rural theme with rolling hills will be easier and cheaper to produce than a city theme. If you have the time and patience a city theme can also be produced on a shoe string.
When considering a time and place think about the buildings in that period and place and whether or not they would be hard to replicate with your own hands. There is no point in deciding on replicating a gothic city if you don't want to spend ages making the models or buying them off the shelf.
If you decide to replicate somewhere in the real world this can often be more expensive because there is no compromise. This is also a more time-consuming option.
If you would like to change the layout of your scenery or your track then a rolling hills setting is not ideal for either of these. An urban setting or any scenery with movable parts is better suited for this.
You do not have to move your scenery to change your track layout!
Not if you plan your track well in the first place.
An oval track is difficult to change without moving most of the pieces of your track. This is because like a circle the bits of track are as far apart from each other as they can be. So the idea is to be able to change your track by moving as little pieces as possible. This is done by making a track that crosses or runs very close to itself in a few places! This way you can change the dynamic of the whole track by only moving a few pieces.
As with most things in life you must think about time and money, as your decisions now, will effect these in the future. Build or Buy? That is the big question. Building is cheaper but time-consuming and buying is the opposite. So think about what you want and use the information here to design a layout that suits you perfectly.
Trains
The final consideration is trains. When buying trains there are a few things to keep in mind but generally speaking BUY WHAT YOU LIKE!!!!
A lot of train manufacturers make some great starter sets and these are perfect for the beginner. They are matching, they work together and they are usually very good quality.
When buying any model train it makes more sense to buy better because it will be cheaper in the long run. I wont go into the details of what is collectable and what is not as that is beyond the scope of this article.
If you buy the good brands you can't really go wrong, MTH, Lionel, and Atlas Industrial Rail make some great starter sets.
And never forget: KEEP THE BOXES THEY COME IN, and keep them in good condition. This will affect the resale value if you decide to sell or swap them in the future.
Electrics
The last essential consideration for your train set is the electrical side of things.
There are two main options - Analog, and Digital.
As this article is aimed at beginners I would recommend going digital. Its just easier!! And if you don't have any experience with wiring or you have a child that will be using the set it could be the safer option as well!! Whatever you choose you will also need to buy a power pack.
Although I have tried to be as pragmatic and concise as I can in this article don't forget that this a hobby and requires passion. So read the rules, take the advice and then do exactly what you want to do!
Model Trains is a great hobby and is fantastic for anyone who has a creative or technical flare.
I really hope this article has been useful for you, if you have any questions on model railroading don't hesitate to post them on my blog - trainsoscaleus.com
Happy Railroading!
Alex
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