Are there any model railway enthusiasts here?

[shelivesthedream]

My six year old son is very keen on model railways. VERY KEEN. We have been to lots of exhibitions and I think they're lovely, and that it's a really charming and wholesome hobby. However, I don't know the first thing about it. Actually, I do know the first thing: it can get very expensive very quickly.

I'd love to encourage him in this hobby as it doesn't seem to be a passing fancy. I am a creative arty type who has done some scale modelling in the past and can see lots of ways we could do gloriously creative scenery together for not much money. (Even if it's something the retired bloke brigade might be a bit sniffy about!)

But I am pretty baffled by the actual track and trains and would love some mustachian guidance. (There is a local club but I think my son's too young for it and they are the SUPER SERIOUS types who I don't think would have the same idea of "cheap" as me.) I get that one can buy things second hand but with no knowledge I feel like I would easily buy something stupid or get locked into a particular gauge or brand I didn't realise was really expensive.

I want to be a cheerleader on the sidelines here, and a facilitator, rather than have this whole thing become my hobby too. (As much as I would love building scenery.) But I also do want to help my son start doing this thing he is so fascinated by.

[ATtiny85]

paging @2sk22

[Siebrie]

My father was a keen (model) railway person. What I've remembered is that train sets and tracks come in different sizes (scale standards); stick to 1 size.
Secondhand is definitely the way to go; throw in a new waggon or locomotive for birthdays and christmas, or buy one as a souvenir on vacation.

[2sk22]

I am more than happy to help out in any way I can. I retired early specifically to work on my model trains :-)

I have been a model railroader since I was a toddler but I have been spending a lot more time on the hobby  in recent years. I have built an HO scale switching layout and am currently building a fully automated N-scale layout running my own software on ESP32 microcontrollers. I am also a member of model railroad club so that keeps me busy among other things!

[shelivesthedream]

I am more than happy to help out in any way I can. I retired early specifically to work on my model trains :-)

I have been a model railroader since I was a toddler but I have been spending a lot more time on the hobby  in recent years. I have built an HO scale switching layout and am currently building a fully automated N-scale layout running my own software on ESP32 microcontrollers. I am also a member of model railroad club so that keeps me busy among other things!

Thank you! What I would really love to know right now is the price difference between different gauges and different electrical options.

 I have been toying with the idea of doing an indoor layout with him on a piece of board slightly smaller than a single bed so we could keep it under his bed. What I think he would most enjoy at the moment would be a continuous track with more than one station so the train could either go round and round endlessly or stop at all the stations and he could make all the announcements.

Obviously one has to commit to a scale. It seems like a smaller gauge would allow for more to be fitted in to a defined space. Are they cheaper? But then one would have more "meterage" of track so maybe it would end up the same. Am I right in thinking that opting put of points/junctions would make things cheaper? Apart from less detail, what are the disadvantages of smaller scales? I presume going for a popular one would mean a greater availability of secondhand stuff, but I have no idea what the popular ones are! (I'm in England, if that makes a difference.)

And then most people seem to have electrified track - is that right? I was wondering whether it would be a better idea to have a battery-operated train so we didn't have to plug things in, and because I have no idea how the electrics work and don't reeeeaaaalllly want to take a lot of time learning myself. But are battery operated trains widespread? Will I be shooting myself in the foot somehow?

[2sk22]

I am more than happy to help out in any way I can. I retired early specifically to work on my model trains :-)

I have been a model railroader since I was a toddler but I have been spending a lot more time on the hobby  in recent years. I have built an HO scale switching layout and am currently building a fully automated N-scale layout running my own software on ESP32 microcontrollers. I am also a member of model railroad club so that keeps me busy among other things!

Thank you! What I would really love to know right now is the price difference between different gauges and different electrical options.

 I have been toying with the idea of doing an indoor layout with him on a piece of board slightly smaller than a single bed so we could keep it under his bed. What I think he would most enjoy at the moment would be a continuous track with more than one station so the train could either go round and round endlessly or stop at all the stations and he could make all the announcements.

Obviously one has to commit to a scale. It seems like a smaller gauge would allow for more to be fitted in to a defined space. Are they cheaper? But then one would have more "meterage" of track so maybe it would end up the same. Am I right in thinking that opting put of points/junctions would make things cheaper? Apart from less detail, what are the disadvantages of smaller scales? I presume going for a popular one would mean a greater availability of secondhand stuff, but I have no idea what the popular ones are! (I'm in England, if that makes a difference.)

And then most people seem to have electrified track - is that right? I was wondering whether it would be a better idea to have a battery-operated train so we didn't have to plug things in, and because I have no idea how the electrics work and don't reeeeaaaalllly want to take a lot of time learning myself. But are battery operated trains widespread? Will I be shooting myself in the foot somehow?

Let me contact you via DM - I have a feeling there aren't all that many people are interested in model trains here :-)

[Just Joe]

I'll read along. Was into trains when I was a kid. Lots of info on YouTube. Also a ton of skills that can be learned from this (or any) hobby. Low voltage DC power for one. A fascination with history and engineering are others.

[LiveLean]

My late father was an O-gauge model railroader. I never caught the bug and, sadly, sold his trains after his passing three years ago. It's an aging hobby.

Which is GREAT for your son because there are no shortage of model railroading clubs, mostly run by older, retired men happy to offer advice, starter train sets, etc. Be prepared, however, for your 6-year-old to move onto other things. My dad got my sons into trains and we went to many model train shows -- here in Florida, we probably have more than most because of our retiree demographic. Our sons also were big into the Thomas the Tank Engine wooden trains. We still put up a Lionel set around our tree but have mostly passed on all of the many Lionel-related gifts Dad got them to others now that our guys are in college.

[MarcherLady]

Hubs says the most popular gauge in the UK is 00 & there should be lots of second hand kit available. All 00 kit regardless of manufacturer should be compatible, and Hornby are still well regarded, even though they don't make anything in the UK any more.

Railway Modeller is a good source of information, both online and dead-tree.

Also, if you are buying second hand engines, make sure you see them moving both forward and backwards and that they move smoothly without stuttering.

He estimates you could build a 00 circuit on a board approx 6'x4', so under a single bed might be a bit of a squeeze, width-wise but he's been out of the hobby for a long time, so his memory could be wrong there.

He also says that modelling shops are generally really good at helping beginners, so don't be afraid to ask questions - they want to get you hooked and build a relationship.

[Boll weevil]

Another option may be Lego. I don’t know what the current sets are, and Lego in general seems to have gone to a lot more molded pieces compared to what I grew up with which remove some of the flexibility of the system overall. The pros would be that they’re sturdy compared to HO and N scale and they can be combined with other Lego sets. Cons would include there isn’t a defined scale and overall size (especially if you start adding train stations, additional track, etc.), and lack of realism if that’s what he’s into.

[RWD]

Let me contact you via DM - I have a feeling there aren't all that many people are interested in model trains here :-)

I want to hear more. Always been a curiosity of mine, even though I'll probably never actually get into it.

[jinga nation]

Let me contact you via DM - I have a feeling there aren't all that many people are interested in model trains here :-)

I want to hear more. Always been a curiosity of mine, even though I'll probably never actually get into it.

I've been to quite a few model railroad shows in FL and NY. Lots of fun. Those folks take it quite seriously; I've witnessed debates bordering on a full-scale punch session. There's a lot of cool modern controllers meshing with old tech, mechanical and electrical gizmos. You've got to be a serious dedicated person for this. Seriously serious.
That's how I learned it wasn't for me. But going to shows is an opportunity I don't pass up.
And if anyone is in NY around Christmas time, go to the train show at the NY Botanical Gardens. Here's the 2023 site link, still active: https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show/about/

[shelivesthedream]

Another option may be Lego. I don’t know what the current sets are, and Lego in general seems to have gone to a lot more molded pieces compared to what I grew up with which remove some of the flexibility of the system overall. The pros would be that they’re sturdy compared to HO and N scale and they can be combined with other Lego sets. Cons would include there isn’t a defined scale and overall size (especially if you start adding train stations, additional track, etc.), and lack of realism if that’s what he’s into.

I've been warned off the Lego trains, actually, by someone with a son a but older than mine. He said its crippling expensive to get enough track and train bits for a decent size layout and quite limiting in terms of what you can build without getting special train sets (again, expensive!). And then very soon they want to move on to a "proper" set.

We have a bit of generic Lego and my son builds some scenery for his Brio set with it, but he does want something more realistic. I feel like I've been dragging my feet on it for four years waiting for him to get into something else and am just starting to resign myself to the fact that he won't!

[Dogastrophe]

Let me contact you via DM - I have a feeling there aren't all that many people are interested in model trains here :-)

I like model trains! :) I have my father's 1950s Gilbert American Flyer set that I'll eventually get onto a display shelf.

I've been tossing around a small N-scale layout, perhaps a switching layout rather than continuous. I have a thing for the London Tube and considered creating a tube layout (even though OO is a bit too large for my space) but cannot bring myself to drop CDN$1K+ on the Bachmann S-series tube stock set.

[2sk22]

Let me contact you via DM - I have a feeling there aren't all that many people are interested in model trains here :-)

I want to hear more. Always been a curiosity of mine, even though I'll probably never actually get into it.

a quick overview: It's a fun hobby but you do need time, space money and some level of craft skills.
- Time is especially important. This hobby tends to be most popular with retired people for a good reason. For example, just yesterday, I spent six hours at my train club trying to track down a bug in the software that controls the turnouts and signals on our layout.
- Money: Many components of a train layout are pretty expensive. For example, one modern locomotive can easily cost upwards of $400. On the positive side however, there is a good second hand market so you can get started fairly inexpensively.
- Space to build a layout is very important of course. Living in the northeastern, US, we have the advantage of having houses with basements. I was fortunate enough to be able to commandeer most of my basement for my model trains when we bought our house :-)
- Skills: You need some basic levels of skills in computers and electronics since we now use digital command control to control our trains. Unlike the old days, we send a modulated square wave through the tracks to the trains that conveys both power and control signals. Each train can be controlled separately. Carpentry skills are essential too - I am generally pretty bad at it but with some practice I can make functional frameworks at least. Finally you also need a certain level of artistic skills to be able to model and paint scenery and structures.

Joining a model train club is not a bad idea if you want to dip a toe in the hobby. There are still a fair number of these clubs around and they are always looking for younger members.

What else would you like to know?

[Just Joe]

Things are much more complicated than when I was a kid in the 1970s. I inherited some of my Dad's 1950s HO train parts and built around that.

I had a transformer that supplied power for lighting (tiny scale brass streetlights) and lights inside the buildings. Very simple, much like a battery. One side was 12V+ and one side was 12V-. Attach the wires and switch it on. As I recall it also supplied power to track switches. Track switches, plus momentary buttons from Radio Shack, and power from the transformer allowed me to direct the trains onto one of two alternative loops. My layout had the main loop, an outer loop with elevation (hills), and another loop through a styrofoam tunnel that cost about $3 back then.

For train control I had a second transformer with a lever and a switch. Lever controlled the locomotive speed, the switch controlled the direction. It was up to the operator to be as realistic (or not) as they wanted to be. Start slow or not. Transformers like those and the one for lighting got warm from use so they had to be unplugged when the train was not used.

As impressive as the new digital controls can be - it might be pretty intimidating for a beginner. Maybe not.

Benefits of starting this hobby in 2024 is all the used trains probably available as people age out of the hobby. The internet is still an amazing resource for hobby information. YouTube videos can either be a source of ideas or wear off the newness of the hobby i.e. satiate the fascination and bring a person's interest to a halt.

As a kid I had a ton of fun assembling buildings and laying out the track and town. I used all sorts of mismatched toys at first. Legos, Lincoln Logs, Matchbox cars, and Erector Set projects. Then I caught a bug that drove me to seek realism and I started studying historical picture books to see what things really looked like. My budget was thin and we lived far from the places where I could source crafting supplies so I used cereal boxes turned inside out, ink markers and later model car paints.

Now you can have fun with LEDs which are much safer than miniature incandescent bulbs of the past. Less chance of a fire anyhow. Power supplies are likely loads better as 2sk22 described. I wouldn't be afraid to use an old school transformer speed control as long as it was unplugged (power strip) when not in use.

Budget 3D printers, hobby grade lasercutters and websites like Thingiverse, GrabCAD and a dozen others can supply free models to print. Open-source software like Linux, Inkscape, FreeCAD-3D, and TrackCAD mean the sky is the limit as your child grows up. The hobby can be as intricate as they want it to be.

https://xtrkcad-fork.sourceforge.net/Wikka/HomePage
https://inkscape.org
https://www.freecad.org
https://kubuntu.org

Makes me want to return to the hobby but I have far too many fascinations already. ;) Have fun!!!

[shelivesthedream]

I'm not sure I'm much less overwhelmed now! I think I need to have a serious chat with my son about what he thinks a "real" model railway would give him that he doesn't have now. Maybe making some standalone buildings together would be more "realistic" (and we could glue them into a model later if he ever upgrades). Or maybe some battery powered Brio trains to get the "running" vibe.

In good news, apparently my friend's husband has a yearning for a model railway and his daughters are not remotely interested. I suggested he and my son team up and she laughed but maybe I can work on that...!

@Just Joe : I love the sound of your makeshift scenery. That's exactly where my strengths lie. Electronics and computing... totally baffling. I barely even understand the words.

[papazita]

I’m interested, but don’t have my own model railway (yet).

The most popular scale in the UK is ‘OO’, by a considerable margin. There are other scales, some of which it could be argued are more suited for limited space, but they’ll lack availability, choice, and value compared to OO.

It can all get very expensive, and complicated, with highly detailed models, electronics, computer control, etc., but it doesn’t have to be.  You should be able to start small and build up.

I think, for a six year old, you should be looking at a “train set” from the likes of Hornby.  Everything you need in one box: controller, track, a locomotive and some wagons. Hopefully the track includes a point and a siding, as well as a simple loop. The back of the box should tell you how big a board it will fit on.  Paint a board green, fix the track down and play. Then start making buildings from cardboard, sponge trees, adding plastic farm animals, whatever you like.

Just about everything in the set will stay compatible as the layout grows or your son’s interest in the hobby evolves. Some sets have digital control already.  For sets with analogue control, provided the locomotive says “DCC ready” somewhere, it can be upgraded to run on a digital layout later.

[2sk22]

Based on my experiences as a little kid playing with my trains set, you don't need to spend a lot to begin with. A lot happens in the your imiganinationi. Get a starter set such as this one: https://uk.hornby.com/products/freightmaster-train-set-r1272m

One important thing to note is that you should not set up the train set on the floor or temporarily on the dining table no matter how eager you are to get started  Instead, create a semi-permanent table on which the layout can remain undisturbed. Every time you assemble and dismantle the layout, the track joiners will get damaged and will eventually stop conducting electricity. Ideally, you want to set up the layout once and solder the track joiners in place to ensure good electrical conductivity. Nothing worse than electrical problems that prevent trains from moving properly.

Also, get simple plastic kits for buildings and stations - these are a lot of fun to assemble and make the layout look more alive.

Useful information here about getting started: https://community.hornbyhobbies.com/topic/27126-getting-started-with-trackmats-and-midimats/

[Just Joe]

I'm not sure I'm much less overwhelmed now! I think I need to have a serious chat with my son about what he thinks a "real" model railway would give him that he doesn't have now. Maybe making some standalone buildings together would be more "realistic" (and we could glue them into a model later if he ever upgrades). Or maybe some battery powered Brio trains to get the "running" vibe.

In good news, apparently my friend's husband has a yearning for a model railway and his daughters are not remotely interested. I suggested he and my son team up and she laughed but maybe I can work on that...!

@Just Joe : I love the sound of your makeshift scenery. That's exactly where my strengths lie. Electronics and computing... totally baffling. I barely even understand the words.

Start simple, one step at a time. I can help with the basic stuff, @2k22 can help with everything more advanced. I'm really excited for you and your son. The start of a big adventure.

[2sk22]

I mainly worked in AI in my career and encountered a surprising number of model train hobbyists. This joke, that was posted on Reddit, perfectly summarizes my pre and post retirement life 😀

[simonsez]

The game has really changed in the past few decades.  If purchasing cars, in addition to gauge - make sure the couplings are similar.  When I was growing up HO was the scale we had (started with a simple circle around the Xmas tree as my dad had a 3' x 3' painted green wooden board attached to the tree stand and then expanded to a permanent setup in the basement) and most couplings were horn-hook.  Horn-hook were cheap (made out of plastic) and ubiquitous.  Now you have magnetic couplers with coils and metals that are more standard so beware if purchasing anything so that your kid can actually connect the various cars together.

https://www.trains.com/mrr/beginners/guide-to-ho-scale-couplers/

Also, if ever on vacation in northern Colorado, make sure to visit the Model Railroad Museum in Greeley!

[Siebrie]

Just as an idea, and not to overwhelm you: my father had a very large 'table' with a folding leg on one end, and attached to the wall at the other. The end at the wall would be attached to rails (not train track) going up, so the table would fold up against the wall, with the train track facing outwards. It was very flat against the wall and hidden behind a curtain. It had to be hideable, as it took up half our dining room when out!

[Just Joe]

Not quite what Siebrie was talking about but:

https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/folding-workbench

https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/folding-workbench/

https://project.theownerbuildernetwork.co/2014/08/27/how-to-build-a-wall-mounted-folding-workbench/

Growing up my RR was in the attic so part of the year it was too cold or too hot to enjoy it. Put somewhere with milder temps - possibly a garage or basement if you have one.

[Siebrie]

Exactly, none of the above :D

I'm searching for a picture, but can't find anything online. My Dad was a practical genius.

[obstinate]

I have also been getting into this a little, although I am going the LEGO route for now. I'm eventually interested in powering my trains via my own programmed system based on Pybricks, which is a variant of Python used to control LEGO smart bricks. I don't have any advice for you except that EBay and saved searches can be used to save a bundle.