Model Railways - Where do I start?

2004-3-23

If you ask a model railway enthusiast. " What appeals to them about the hobby?" You will receive many different answers, from re-creating a childhood memory, building a world in miniature or overcoming the technical problems of building an electronic control system. You can model in the solitude of your shed or garage workshop, sit in a sun lounger and watch your trains run around the your garden or stand in front of hundreds of people at an exhibition as part of a team. This is a hobby with universal appeal.

This article is aimed at those people considering taking up a railway modeling as a new hobby. I have tried to highlight the main areas that need careful consideration when starting out. I have by no means covered every aspect in detail. Once you have read and digested the options you must go out and read/talk to/question as many of the publications/people involved with model railways as you can find. Visit exhibitions and talk to the exhibitors, visit web sites (always making "Total Model" your first port of call), read the model railway news groups, ask questions in your local model railway shop.

Points to consider:

• Where is your layout going to live? The amount of space you have will influence what you end up modeling. There is no point in trying to build a layout with several stations, goods yard, bridges and villages etc., if the only space you have is a corner of the spare bedroom. Not that you can't be ambitious as long as you are realistic. Another point to bare in mind, is that, when you find yourself really bitten by the bug. Have you room for expansion? Finally, on location, the site will need a good electrical supply, be dry and comfortable to work in all year round.



• How much of your hard earned cash are you prepared to invest in your hobby? Model railways are not cheap! Although today with the internet and sites like "e-bay" you can pick up some real bargains in the secondhand market. Again it is matter of balancing ambition with realistic objectives. The same considerations apply to how much time you can allocate to building your layout. Many a layout has gone unfinished due to lack of time and money.



• What scale? Scale is the relationship between the size of the model to the original i.e. 1:76. The one represents the original and the 76 the model. A model constructed in this scale will be 76 times smaller than the original. There are a number of the scales available in today's marketplace (see my article "model railway scales/gauges"), but here I will touch on the 3 most popular that are available in the UK.



• OO gauge? A ratio of 1:76 equaling a scale of 4mm to the foot. The most common scale modeled in the UK. a wide range of ready to run stock is available from many high street outlets. The popularity of the scale means that there is a good secondhand market which can considerably reduce the costs of modeling.



• N scale? This is the smallest of the popular scales modeled. It has a ratio of 1:148, or two millimeters to the foot. When a layout has to be squeezed into the tiniest of spaces, this may be the correct choice. There is a good range of rolling stock available, though in my opinion the detail is not as sharp as that of OO gauge. The buildings and scenery accessories are of equal quality.



• O gauge? A ratio of 1:48, or 7mm to the foot. This is a relatively expensive way to enter the model railway world. Many modelers are attracted to this scale because of the impressive detail on the rolling stock.



• What time frame shall I model? You may have a favorite period in railway history on which you want to base your layout, or you may want to cover a wider time scale. The most popular time frames are steam. A wide range of rolling stock and scenic accessories are available in both the new and secondhand markets. The transition period or late steam early diesel, which gives the best of both worlds to the modeler. The current scene means you can run the very latest rolling stock, along side steam if you include a branch preservation line in your layout.



• What theme shall I model? Here are a few ideas that you may want to consider. They may be used in isolation or as part of a more grand design. First the main line. These layouts tend to be larger than average and more expensive to build. By definition they are busy layouts and so need more rolling stock. If modeled well they are without doubt spectacular. A quieter alternative requiring less rolling stock is the branch line. This theme allows you greater flexibility in the complexity of your track plan. This is my particular favorite because I think it allows greater scope for including small dioramas within the layout. If space is at a premium the industrial line may be the answer. This may be a dockyard or colliery. This kind of layout is ideal if you want to run unusual stock and enjoy scenic modeling.



• How will my layout operate? Do you want several trains to be on the move at the same time? Do you enjoy shunting wagons around a good yard? Maybe you just want to switch on and watch your train go round and round a circle of track. What type of rolling stock do you want to run? Do you want to run to a timetable?

No doubt as you give consideration to each the above areas further questions will be raised. Understandably new modelers are full of enthusiasm and want to start building as soon as possible, but a little time spent now will hopefully prevent frustration in the future. Most layouts are a combination of ideas and compromises built over a period of time. Above all do not be afraid of making mistakes because they can always be rectified, and in reality only you will notice they even exist.

David Dibb