beginer

[Anonymous]

I just purchased fist train set. HO size, would like some information on track layouts. were to go and look and find one that i like and any info you would like to provide to a novice.

thankyou

[AntonioFP45]

If there is a model railroad store or hobby shop in your area, see if there is an ATLAS track plan book. Excellent for beginners. Your choices though are almost limitless! If you're not near a store, there are some excellent books on the web. You didn't say though what are your model railroading goals or themes? You need to ask yourself if you are interested in running and watching trains go by or do you wi***o be able to perform switching moves and pick up and drop off freight cars at track side industries. Will you have a single track mainline or double track? Are you going to have passenger service? Think about what it is about railroading that attracts you to it and follow that path.

For example: I like the late 1960s. My type of layout / scenario - double track, signaled mainline, medium sized eastern towns. Since I like box cars, refrigerator cars and center flow hopper cars, I would have industries along the railroad sidings that use these types of cars (feed mill, juice/dairy company, cement plant). BASIC OPERATIONS: Long distance freight trains arrive into the yard and drop off cars. Switch engines pick up and "block" the cars into local freight trains and go on their way to deliver the cars to the various industries along the railroad. In the meantime, scheduled passenger trains, which have "priority" roll through and stop in town also, so the local freights have to work around them. The local freight would be under pressure as it must "block" and set out empty cars as well for a scheduled long distance freight due to arrive in the yard to pick up the cars and continue to its destination. At the same time the large road locomotives that arrived earlier must take a trip to over to the engine service facility for a safety check and fuel up.

As you can see this is where a lot of the fun is derived from a model railroading! Take your time, do your research and ask lots of questions. You'll find that most modelers can be quite helpful. The above scenario sounds like quite a bit but it's actually simple and most beginner modelers wind up with a scenario similar or even more complex than this after graduating from running trains in circles. So take your time, talk to other modelers and do your research! Happy Railroading!

[snowey]

get some of th model railroading how-to books from KALMBACH PUBLISHING. They're EXELLENT!
The're avaible at any hobby store, or online or through mail order from any number of dealers.

[IRONROOSTER]

In addition to the Kalmbach books which I agree are excellent, look around on this site (click model railroader above, then ABC's of modelrailroading). NMRA's site www.nmra.org has a beginners section also.
Enjoy
Paul

[Hawks05]

go to shows, ask modelers in your area to see what they've done, find hobby shops, read books and magazines, and check out this forum daily. you will learn a lot as time progresses. i've been here a little under 2 months and i've learned a ton. try and figure out what railroads you want to model or what RR you like. figure out how much space, time, and money you have to spend on the hobby. don't go out and build this huge 1 level of your house layout and realize you only have money for 4 locomotives and a couple pieces of rolling stock (boxcars, hoppers, tankers, etc...)

i'm just starting out as well. although i've been buying stuff constantly i don't have a layout as of yet. hopefully over X-mas break i can get that going. so far i have 4 locomotives. and a ton of rolling stock. to me anyways. although i'm looking to buy more. ebay is helping this a lot. i plan to model pre Burlington Nothern to the first locomotives with cascade green. also i may throw in some Chicago & Northwestern and Rock Island as i like those 2 railroads as well. my top 3 favorites are CB&Q, CNW, and RI. also try and figure out how much you're willing to spend on stuff. like for me i'm not going to spend over $50 on a locomotive at all. no matter how much i like it.

the main thing is to read stuff before jumping into something and finding out you don't know how to do anything. i'm planning on getting at least 1 if not 2 books tomorrow when i go to the hobby shop. i'm also getting some Goo, couplers, Trains & Model Railroader, a book, and maybe a kit or piece of RTR rolling stock.

just read and have fun with this hobby. thats what makes it so great.