a little scared

[PRRT1MAN]

Another option that hasn't been listed is:  Join a Model RR Club in your area!  Most of the time they have a layout in place already and have some knowledgeable people that can help you get started! 

 

Just my 2 cents

 

SamV

[Sapper82]

and remember, it's not the destination....it's the journey.

 

[donhalshanks]

Welcome to modeling and get going!

I found the Woodland Scenics beginners kit to be very helpful to me when starting out.... and combining that with the suggestions to get an oval (or a shelf) and and a train running on plywood makes good sense.  Doing this gives an early feel of accomplishment step by step.

I also concur, don't sweat "everything", and just concentrate on the next step to be done.

Have fun!  Hal. 

 

 

[whywaites]

Best advice I can give is pick up a few copies of MR and some of their books, they're invaluable and contain a wealth of information.

 

Shaun

[arkansasrailfan]

you can start with the Woodland Scenics diaroma kit. you can start with that to hone your scenery skills, plus you can lay a foot of track so you can display stuff. If you want to start with the basics. I recommend an oval of track, with standard DC on 4x8 layout( very common), or a 3x 7, it depends on your gauge, (low cost picks HO and N), how big your oval is. When you feel ready, and you want to have a layout with scenery, you can go 2 ways: build your own layout that came from YOU and get a trackplan, or do it your own way, OR you can get the Woodland Scenics kits that have the layout with them, minus track, structures, benchwork, and of course, trains.


One thing, DON'T BE SCARED OF BENING A MODEL RAILROAD, because practice makes perfect, which nobody is. of course, the "perfect" model railroder would have everything scale, the lighting and scenery perfect, of course, thats impossible, because even the greatest of model railroaders had(have)a few "oops" in thier layouts. in Sam Posey's "Playing With Trains", he mentions that John Allen had tried to disguise a post for a really high restraunt, but that proves my point.

[tgindy]

A couple of companies that offer track-with-roadbed offer a "World's Greatest Hobby" package, including (I believe) a copy of the WGH DVD showing you how to get started (hosted by TV star and real-life railroader and modeller Michael Gross).

 

Dittos.  This is what got me to seriously re-consider coming back to the hobby...

http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=I&MAG=BOOK&MO=2&YR=2005&output=5 

A very well-done DVD came with, "Model Trains - Step by Step," and at $9.95 to boot!  The DVD's "how-to" instructions are literally step-by-step, and would be a self-esteem booster => "Yes!  I can do that too!"

Here's where you can pick one up at Kalmbach's Model Railroader Magazine Special Issues description & order webpage...

http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/model-railroading-model-railroader-magazine-special-issues.html 

P.S.:  "Model Trains - Step by Step," is different from the other "How to Build(s)" on this Kalmbach webpage in the sense that this one is truly a guided-discovery tutorial.  I have also purchased each one of these "special issues," and consider this mag series to be just the right mix of prototype background and model railroading practical application.

By the way, an extra bonus with some small trackplans came with my "Model Trains - Step by Step" at the news stand, and; I am adapting one of the plans, "The Chippewa Central," from HO Scale to N Scale interurban traction with layout extensions coming off of this starter plan.

Take your good 'ole time researching your dream railroad pike.

[wjstix]

It's important to remember that it's never been easier to be a model railroader now!! Bachmann, Atlas and Kato offer track-with-roadbed that is a lot easier than flextrack/cork roadbed. Engines run better than ever before, Atlas, Life-Like, Kato, Stewart and others make engines that out-of-the box look great and run better than anyone would have thought possible 20 years ago - even if you put hours of "tune up" time into them. Buildings can be bought ready-to-use, some even weathered!! Scenery products like Woodland Scenics grass mats make it easy to get rid of that bare plywood. Plus, even though DCC sounds more complicated, it's actually easier to wire up a layout with it than with DC block wiring.

A couple of companies that offer track-with-roadbed offer a "World's Greatest Hobby" package, including (I believe) a copy of the WGH DVD showing you how to get started (hosted by TV star and real-life railroader and modeller Michael Gross). You can pick up the DVD from several sources (check the LHS) if you want to start with that first as research.

[ndbprr]

There are certain things in life that are "acquired" tastes.  They tell me beer is one.  It must be because I don't drink it.  Wine is another.  Model railroading is a third.  Very few people are "Born" model railroaders with all the skills needed from day one.  Experience is gained through doing. There are only two things you need to succeed:

1. Know when to say that it is good enough

2. Know when to say it isn't good enough

Everything else will be easy.

[ereimer]

just relax and have fun . most of us started in this hobby with little or no knowledge of many of the different skills required to build a model railroad . you'll learn them one at a time as you need them , and you'll be better at some than others . just keep trying and you'll get it .

 

the Woodland Scenics kit is probably a great way to get started . add some track and a couple of buildings and you've got a complete scene ready to run a train through. Voila ! a model railroad !

[tomikawaTT]

  Welcome to the forums.

FDR was on to something when he said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."  A little apprehension about trying something new is natural, but don't let it tie you down to paralysis by analysis (Robert McNamara's big contribution to US governmental operations.)

Go ahead!  Jump in and try something!  If it comes out good, fine.  If it doesn't, chisel it off, scrape it up or paint over it and try again.  This is not brain surgery.  No one has ever sued a model railroader for hobby malpractice (which is a good thing, or I'd be armpit deep in lawsuits!)  It doesn't take an artist to build believable scenery, it doesn't take an electrician to wire a model railway (since the directions are so easy to find) and it doesn't take a mechanical genius to put down track that trains won't derail on.  All it takes is a willingness to redo things until they yield satisfactory results.

If you're like me, you may discover that trying new ideas is one of the most interesting phases of this hobby.  Best of luck!

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[loathar]

A good place to start would be one of the Woodland Scenics learner's kits, such as The Scenery Kit, stock number 785-927.

http://www.scenicexpress.com/
Here's another good place to find nice scenery. You can request a paper catalog for free.
Start small.

[pcarrell]

I'm not going to add a lot to all of the great advice you've gotten so far, but I have some very important things for you to remember that will hopefully make it all seem OK.

Here's the thing.......you don't have to worry about all of that stuff at once.  You only have to worry about one thing at a time.

Remember, walk, don't run.

We were all beginners once too!

[reklein]

I like the "get a sheet of plywood and some saw horses and go for it" idea. Thats what I did when I was 13 yrs old. and that was 50 yrs ago.

[atticn]

Start small,try different materails for your landscapes,if possible avoid lower end engines,cars ,track ,etc.Sometimes it's better to spend a bit more to avoid problems that may make you give up. Main thing,keep it fun and enjoy.If you have problems this is a great place for answers and advice.

[mikelhh]

 Welcome justme1001

 As a relative newcomer to model railroading, I have to agree with the idea of starting out small [ish] but if you're anything like me you'll soon want more And as Jeffery pointed out, you don't need to be an artist to make good scenery. It's all in the learning really. If you have at least one working eye you can observe how Nature does it and you'll come up with a pretty fair likeness on your layout.And I reckon the first time you try your hand at scenicking an area you'll be hooked.

 Don't despair - I feel proud when I get my camera batteries in the right way around. I''ve now progressed to being the world's third-worst solderer too and that's no idle boast This hobby will challenge you and educate you in ways you never imagined. Hop on board and enjoy the ride. 

 

 Mike 

[cordon]

I guess no one dared say it because a lot of us consider it "toy trains."  So, I will say it.  When you find an LHS and the 4 x 8 plywood, buy some sectional track, say, enough for the almost simplest layout of all, an oval loop with two turnouts and two sidings or an "inner loop."  If you don't want to add legs to the plywood, get a couple sawhorses to set the plywood on.

Add a dual controller and two track sections with power connectors.

Ask the LHS to guide you away from locomotives and cars that will not run on your curves and turnouts (mostly longer ones).

Choose a locomotive and a couple cars to begin with.

And go from there.

I painted my first piece of plywood with green, brown, black, gray, and white for fields and roads.  It wasn't art, just paint.

Welcome to the hobby! 

Now, before anyone climbs down my throat, let me explain.  OP wants to start with a small diorama, so learning trackwork and wiring isn't the priority at this time.  Sectional track will be the quickest and easiest way to get started.  Plus, it offers the flexibility to change as you go, easily.  And, if the layout grows using other kinds of track, the sectional can still find use in staging or a fiddle yard.

 

 

[ARTHILL]

All good suggestions

My take:Get some pieces of 2 inch foam from a construction site. They give the scrap away. Get some house paint from a paint store, a mistake they will sell you cheap. Get a good earth color. Get a steak knife. Get some woodland scenic ground covers ( this will cost a couple bucks. Get at least 4 colors and textures.

Stack up some chunks of foam and carve a little hill. Don't try to be careful, just chop it up till it looks about right to you. Dig valleys out with the point. Slice great layers. Paint it and sprinkle some ground cover on it while wet and see how good it looks. You will get better, but your first attempt will prove you do not have to be an artist.

Practice making Agrro's pine trees. Make ten and five will look better than you ever expected. In a week you will convince your self you can do this. Lay a little track right on the foam. When you get a little braver, get a 4x8 sheet and lay a circle or a yard. We all learned the same way.

Expermentation is better than instruction. Build something, it will be the best you ever did, but not the best you will ever do.

By the way, welcome to the forum.

[selector]

..I'm not an artist so I know nothing about painting, I'm not an electrician so I know nothing about electricity and I'm not a carpenter so I know nothing about building a train table.... I am kindda wanting to start out small maybe just a diorama of a farm or camping scene...

You sound so much like me it ain't funny.  You are doing fine.  Your innate curiosity, your ability to hold back until you learn and get a good feel for what you have to do, are your best assets in this hobby.  Unlike you, though, I kinda dove right in on a substantial first effort, but I have few regrets.  I am on my second layout due to poo happening, as it does, and was open-minded enough to appreciate an opportunity to build a better layout.

It seems like a palliative and an empty statement due to its being repeated often on this forum, but you are meant to have fun with the entire process, so enjoy the journey....whatever that ends up being for you.  Count on mistakes, and enjoy correcting them when you can.  Enjoy profiting from the errors since none of them are sinful, fattening, or illegal...nor dangerous for the most part (electricity and solvents can be tricky).

And here, when I thought I would never say it, is where a person can plug the noble 4' X 8' sheet of plywood.  It is a good place to start and to practise techniques.  Later, when you move on, scrub it off as much as you can, invert it, and use the other side for part of your next bench.  I do agree in principle with starting a small module or section that may end up good enough to add to something grander in time.

Welcome aboard!

[MisterBeasley]

Look around for an LHS - or Local Hobby Shop, preferably one that specializes in trains.  Be aware that some are better than others, and some are close to useless, but the really good ones can be terrific.  My own LHS had a free seminar series on scenery building and weathering over the summer - what a treat!

I'm not much of a painter or carpenter, either.  Until a couple of years ago, I hadn't done a plaster casting since a plaster of paris model of Dumbo over 50 years ago.  But, I've picked up the skills I've needed and then some by asking and trying.

Welcome aboard!

[Wisconsin Railfan]

Thanks for the suggestion of the S927 kit, I am in the same boat as the poster of this topic, I have been reading for about a year, been collecting all the tools, and I finnaly bought a house, so I can build a layout in the garage.  I think this kit will help me over come my fears, and will be a lot of fun to build with my sons, plus it will give us a place to show off they new Shay we just bought! :-)

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Check at your public library for a Kalmbach video titled 'The Basics of Model Railroading'. It will show you a simple approach to getteing started. One thing. You don't have to be an artist to have realistic scenery.

[NeO6874]

Best place to start (IMO) is your local library.  Leaf through as many MR magazines they have on the shelves, read up on the history of a railroad (or railroads) that you want to model.  After you get a basic idea of WHAT you want to model, then maybe read up on the history of towns/cities along the ROW that were (are) serviced by that railroad.

THEN make up a list of "givens and druthers" - ie things you can't change (givens) and things you want (druthers).  Here's my list as an example:

 

Givens -

• Dorm room, 3' x 6' space available
• Limited funds
• Limited materials (I can't airbrush or solder among other things in the room)

Druthers -

• Roundhouse
• Turntable
• Handlaid Track, possibly powered
• HO Scale

And with that then, I can at least make an attempt to get things to fit.  I know how much space I have as I'm planning, and I also know I can't solder the track, so I need to find alternative methods of getting power if I want that (perhaps the Atlas terminal joiners).  Having this list will also help other people fine tune some of your rough ideas.

After you have that stuff, you can then make a good diorama that may find it's way into a larger layout at some point, or you will find that your intended scale is too large for what you want to do.

 

Now, these suggestions might not help you out with getting artistic or carpentry skills... but I've found the best way to learn that is to take on small projects to increase your confidence in your abilities.  Make a table, paint "backdrops" on sheets of paper, pretty much just do something small that you can complete in a few hours so you won't get too discouraged by any "lack" of progress.

[cacole]

A good place to start would be one of the Woodland Scenics learner's kits, such as The Scenery Kit, stock number 785-927.

[Anonymous]

ok so I recently "found" the hobby of model railroading. I have been reading this site and copies of model railroader for the last maybe 6 months...my problem is I'm more then a little scared to jump in and do anything..I'm not an artist so I know nothing about painting, I'm not an electrician so I know nothing about electricity and I'm not a carpenter so I know nothing about building a train table.... I am kindda wanting to start out small maybe just a diorama of a farm or camping scene...so I guess my question to you all is where should I start in order to get something that looks decent and will teach me the basics of scenery and get me hooked in the hobby....PLEASE HELP