Model Railroading For Beginners

Gain Some Knowledge

There are a lot of details that go into model railroading, so at the very least, it is good to have an understanding of the basics.

1. Learn about the different scales available for model railroad building.
2. Learn what kind of tracks, scenery, and details are available.
3. Read up on how to build the electrical part of a track.

Figure Out A Theme

Every model railroad needs a theme. Where in the world is your model going to be? What kind of scenery is there? What era in time is it? What kind of technologies have been created so far? This is an important step to decide what kind of scale, railroad, and detail parts you gather throughout the rest of the process of building your model train railroad.

Pick A Scale

It is time to pick which scale you are going to use for your model railroading. It is important to choose a scale based on the following model railroading tips:

• If you don’t have a ton of space to devote to your model railroading hobby, then it is important to choose a smaller scale.

• If this is something you decide you really want to devote some time and money to you can go with the more advanced scales that tend to be more expensive. If it is a hobby you are just picking up and want to try out before committing to, you should pick a less expensive scale to work with.

• Different scales include different variations on detail; so if you want to purely focus on the trains, you may want to do a scale that devotes a lot of detail to the trains.

Choose a Railroad

Once a scale and theme have been chosen you can pick the first railroad to be added to your collection. Be sure to choose a railroad to build that is made on the scale that you previously chose and that fits into the theme (era, location, etc).

Build It!

Now you are ready to build it. Put all your new knowledge about trains, train tracks, electrical wiring, scales, decor, and more to good use and make a model railroad track you can be proud of!