| The most common reason people make the decision | | | | address next is where, and what to display them on. |
| to build model railway trains and scenery is because of | | | | You can elect to purchase a pre-built benchwork, or |
| their childhood memories. So many of us our drawn to | | | | actually build one yourself. This is a personal choice, |
| this hobby because of those wonderful past | | | | and relates more to time available and skill set then |
| experiences, and that speaks volumes about the rise in | | | | anything else. |
| popularity of model railroading. | | | | The next stage of building your model railroad involves |
| If you're just beginning in this hobby, or even if you've | | | | the planning and designing of your track layout. This |
| been involved with it for awhile, being provided with a | | | | can be accomplished through doing careful research, |
| few good tips about how to get started, and enjoy | | | | or by purchasing software that will accomplish this |
| model railroading to it's fullest certainly won't hurt. | | | | task for you. |
| You see, the things is, building model railway trains and | | | | Now that you've designed your track layout, getting |
| scenery can be very challenging, and requires that you | | | | your trains to run efficiently and smoothly is the issue |
| set aside a reasonable amount of time to do your due | | | | at hand, and to do this you'll have to bring yourself up |
| diligence. Not unlike any other new venture, being | | | | to speed about the various electrical components and |
| properly prepared will prevent you from spending | | | | how they work. There are a variety of well written |
| money unnecessarily, and will help you avoid future | | | | books on this subject, and your best source is to |
| disappointments as you proceed with this new venture. | | | | browse those that are available at |
| Typically, when you start building model railways, you | | | | At this point, you have the scale models trains you've |
| begin with selecting the model scale for your trains, | | | | selected, your benchwork, you've designed your track |
| and this is where the confusion begins for most | | | | layout, and you have all of the electrical components |
| inexperienced hobbyist. Therefore, the first order of | | | | that are necessary to run your trains. No model |
| the day, is to learn the difference between gauge and | | | | railroad is finally complete until it is complimented with |
| scale. | | | | scenery. This is where you have an opportunity to |
| Scale: The comparable difference in size between the | | | | really impress your friends and family, and maybe |
| model and the real life prototype. This difference is | | | | even yourself with your artistic talents. |
| represented in fraction form for the model. For | | | | You can create all of your scenery from scratch, using |
| example, an N scale model train is 1:160th the size of | | | | any number of things that you can find around your |
| the actual train. | | | | home, or you can elect to visit your local hobby store |
| Gauge: This is simply the distance between the outer | | | | and buy ready made scenery. Once again, this is a |
| rails and nothing more. | | | | personal choice, and its possible that you may want to |
| After determining your choice in model scales, the next | | | | combine the two. Ultimately, your goal is to create the |
| step is to decide which of those model scales, and | | | | most awesome scenery that you can to surround |
| there are several to choose from, that you would like | | | | those mighty little trains that you have running around |
| to display in your layout. | | | | that great track layout that you designed! |
| Having chosen your model scale, the question to | | | | |