Getting started

[Anonymous]

If you are just starting in model railroading or thinking about it, it can be very complicated and confusing with all the information, different scales, new products and techniques that exist today. I hope I can help make it a little clearer (click on the highlighted words for links).

What is the most the important consideration and where to start? I my opinion, step one is space. The area that you have to build a layout is going to dictate the track plan you can fit into it. Whatever scale you decide on. Reverse curves use the most space in width. Also be aware that ladder tracks, especially muliti track yards, use up space in length. There are many execlent published track plans available. Here are just a few from Kalmbach Publishing. If you want to design your own track plan, I recommend buying the "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" book.

The minimum radius will limit the size of the locomotives and rolling stock that can operate reliably on the layout, even though they may not look their best going around a minimum radius. (See NMRA RP-11 for different classes of equipment and the recommended practices for track work).
Models of big locomotives and rail cars are very attrative, especially with all the new offerings. You should choose a scale and gage (narrow or standard gage) at this point. You'll have to balance your wants with your limitations. Your wants may not be avalible in all scales or fit your budget or space
Knowing what size locomotive and rail cars you can operate reliably, and be visually pleasing, on your layout will help you decide on the railroad and era to model.

I posted a question about a year ago asking "How Many Layouts Have You Built and What Did You Learn from Them"
The two biggest mistakes new model railroaders make, including me: Too sharp of a curve and too steep of a grade.

Bottom line. Do a lot of reading and research. This forum is a good resource for information and a wealth of experience. Feel free to post your question no matter if you think it's dumb. The only dumb question is one that's not asked. Also search for past posts on your subject of question. Most likely it's been asked before.

[Anonymous]

I make the suggestion that you try and find a local club to join. I have been in one for a year now and although i've had a setback in getting my layout built here at home it's given me lotsa time to ask questions and learn. I've also had the chance to tour some of the other members layouts and gotten lots of ideas.

[Anonymous]

Here's a link for a good place to start- the NMRA's Beginner's Page.

http://www.nmra.org/beginner/

Welcome to the hobby and good luck!

[Adelie]

Welcome to our world, hwypup [#welcome]

You are getting some real good advice from some real good people. Add to your reading "Track Planning for Realistic Operations" and "101 Track Plans." The first is a great referene book, even though it was originally written long ago. The second was also written long ago, and contains track plans for a lot of different space arrangements. In there, you will find a variety of 4x8s if you intend to build a trial layout, as Chip suggested. You will also find a variety of larger layouts and short descriptions of each. I use it as a reference book, too, stealing sections here and there and incorporating them into my own design. One word of advice, if you are inclined to build one of the plans as published or nearly as published, pick one a little smaller than you want and "stretch it" some by using larger curves, etc.

I'd also recommend "How to Build Model Railroad Benchwork" as a reference when you get to that stage, particularly when you are ready to fill the garage. It's not a bible, but you might well find yourself referring to it often during that stage.

The topics are numerous, and a lot of the answers can be found in the books above (plus a few others) and on this forum. You'll wind up being part modeler, part historian, part engineer (the designing kind), part carpenter, part electrician, part artist and a variety of other things you may not have known you could do. About the only thing I can think of that I have not had to do in this hobby is plumbing (thankfully).

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Any ideas on your geographic and timeframe interests yet?

[Anonymous]

Spacemouse had excellent advice. I am pretty much doing the same thing he recommended...

I have an L shaped 8x8 layout (4x4 space cut away from one corner). I started this to get a small layout running for my kids, and to learn how to do things like wiring, laying roadbed, ballasting, etc... and all the while in the back of my mind planning a large 20x15 along the wall expansion this coming winter.

The most important thing that I have learned so far is to NOT take shortcuts or be lazy when laying track (and everything that leads up to it). The benchwork and track are the foundation that your model railroad are built on, just like your basement walls are the foundation your house was built on. If the benchwork and track aren't any good, you'll be lead to untold fits of frustration down the road...

As far as layout designs, I think www.thortrains.com is the site that I originally went to to get some ideas, and essentially I combined two of their layouts into one and customized it a little bit to suit my needs... But there were certainly some good ideas on that site.

Also, if you can financially swing it, DCC is the only way to fly these days... But if you wire your layout properly and purchase loco's that are dcc ready, you'll have an easy migration to DCC down the road if you don't want to start out DCC right away.

[SpaceMouse]

If you haven't done anything build a small layout start to finish. I did this by accident. My son got a toy railroad set for Christmas. Even though I had a larger space, I built him a 4x8 layout to get him started. I had the best advise on this board I could get and even listened a few times. Boy have I made some mistakes anyway. Stuff that you wouldn't have thought to ask but were just plain obvious after the fact.

For instance, all my turnouts are exactly back-wards for easy operation. I used trunouts to make cross-overs and now I have built S-turns ito my track.

I used EZ track--not that it is bad in itself, but I know it is not for me.

And now I'm ready to start the basement layout, but I've decide to do the scenery on the 4x8--so I can make my mistakes there.

So start small and have fun learning about the hobby. You can run trains while you are doing your research.

[selector]

You were just given excellent, in fact the best, advice available on this forum, hwypup. Soumodeler has learned, as I did, that you can save yourself untold aggravation and wasted money by accepting that you have to calmly and methodically learn how to build a layout that will not be boring or impossible to run trains on reliably.

Please do take your time here and 'read-in'. Ask questions, and keep a good grip on the reins of your desire to start putting things together.

Can you answer these questions:

What type of track should I use? How much of it should I have (buy)?

Which locomotive manufacturers enjoy the best reputations for quality and for service?

What type of rolling stock would I have for the type of layout I am building?

Who makes good kits if I want to build structures, locomotives, or rolling stock?

How do I build a mountain?

How do I make a river or a lake? Heck, then I'd need a bridge! How do I build a bridge?

What sort of structure would I build to support my layout in the space I am going to use?

What type of electronic control will I use? I've hear everyone talk about DCC...what is that? Darn, this all means that I will need to wire lines to my layout. How do most of the experienced people do that?

And so on...

It will seem a bit daunting maybe, especially if my questions above seem like obstacles to you right now. Don't worry, we all had to walk that path. Don't get alarmed. You have a wealth of resource here, and you will get lots of support.

Kalmbach produced an excellent DVD that came free with their pre-Christmas magazine special issue called "Model Trains- Step By Step". If you can get ahold of one, maybe by asking them, you will be richly rewarded. I highly recommend it.

Good luck, and nice to see you here!

[soumodeler]

There are several books out there that will help you. If you are new to the hobby, then you should probably not start building a large layout right off the bat. Books like "Practical Guide to HO Model Railroading" and the like are available from Kalmbach Publishing, the people who bring us the wonderful Model Railroader magazine. Trains.com has some good getting started articles as well. Start small and work your way up. And read as much as you possibly can.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I've been contemplating building a large HO model railroad for years. Now that I have a new house with an empty two car garage, I'm ready to play. The problem that I'm faced with is not knowing how to get started. I really don't know how to do any of it, but I have a strong desire to learn. Are there any good books/advice out there that will help me get started on my first layout? I'm lost.

Thanks