Advice for a novice...

[Anonymous]

Hello Everyone,

I have always had an interest in trains however today it was solidified after I went to my first model train show. The thing is I am a total novice and do not know where to start. I live in an apartment so space is limited but I do look forward to having a house someday where I would have more room.
Any words of wisdom is appreciated, from what I have read so far I think the HO scale would be the best bet.
Thanks![:)]

[tree68]

1. Read (MR, RMC, Trains, Railroad & Railfan).
2. Continue to visit train shows and other rail related events
3. Find your local hobby shop(s) and visit
4. Find any local model railroad clubs (or railfan orgs) and join. This is especially useful if you don't have room for a layout.

As for the best scale, the answer is yes. [:D]. HO is by far the most popular. N is great if you have limited space. O takes a lot of space (and can be expensive). Z is tiny, and doesn't have a lot of stuff available yet. Your choice will be based on too many factors to list here. That's why you want to visit shops, trains, and clubs.

Don't forget to visit the Model Railroader forums, and the Trains "Railroad" forum.

Good Luck, and welcome to the hobby. Have Fun!

[ndbprr]

You could also visit the local hobby shops and find one that you relate too. You can build some friendships there and possibly either join a club that can use some help or someone will let you visit and run theirs or work on it to gain some exprience. Clubs are probably the best way for new people to be exposed to as much as possible in a short time.

[cnw4001]

I agree with the earlier posts and then add one more thought. It is your railroad, so please yourself, not somebody who has "all the answers." You need to enjoy the hobby for yourself, not to please someone who will let you know that their way is the only right way.

Have fun and ask questions. Also be prepared to make some bad moves during the learning process.

[Anonymous]

I am also a novice,I bought 3 atlas gp 40's off of e-bay to start off with,before I new how much space it took to build a small simple layout,I wish I had of wint with N Scale now,that way I could have a more cpmplex,realistic layout,I dont live in a apartment but my space is very limited.cosider how much detail,and how many box cars ,and loco's,you want to run,and if you want to make it easy on yourself go DCC,Digital Command Controle,theres a lot less wireing envolved.it cost alittle more but much easyer,if you can hook-up a home stero system,buy reading the instructions,you can opperate a dcc,system.P.S what do you want your Rail Road to do,do you want to make a name up,or model a real RR.do you want it to run in circles,or do you want to controle,ithow many turnouts to use,for passing lanes ect.

[snowey]

get some of the EXELLENT how-to books on Model Railroading from KALMBACH PUBLISHING. They're readily availible at your LHS (Local Hobby Shop), online & by mail order through a number of dealers, through Kalmbachs web site at WWW.KALMBACH.COM/BOOKS, or through this site.
Also, visit the Atlas forum at WWW.ATLASRR.COM That's a really GREAT forum, and is really helpful. Another good site is the website of the N.M.R.A. (National Model Railroad Association) at WWW.NMRA.ORG They have a section just for begginers.
I know you've already decided to go with HO, but in a limited space, you might want to think about N scale. It's true that HO has the most stuff avalible, but N has almost as much, and it's really improved in, say, the last 5 or 6 years.

One more thing, I know you must be "chomping at the bit" to get started (you'll also be, once you start to read about it) but, please, don't rush into it. At least have SOME idea of what you want before you start. You'll make a lot of mistakes, eccspesially at the begining, but don't let that discourage you. We all make them (I've made some, and I've been in it for 20 years now), even after being in this hobby for years!

[IRONROOSTER]

HO is good scale to start, but don't commit a lot of money early on. Build a small layout with some rolling stock kits, some structure kits and some scenery. As you get experience and see what you like and don't like you can make a more informed choice later on. The small scales N & Z are good for long trains and more scenery, but less so for model building. The large scales O & G are good for model building and being right up next to the trains, but not scenic settings. The middle scales HO & S are in between. While HO has the largest selection, all of these scales have sufficient commercial support to be a viable choice.

I started in HO, moved to O, and now work in S scale. This represents for me the best compromise for model building and layout building in my 11x18' train room. I like the size of the parts when building and yet I can run a 15 car train and have some scenery.

Enjoy
Paul

[ironhorseman]

The publishers of Model Railroader have good intro magazines for beginners, sometimes you can get them at train shows and hobby stores or in the mail.

Also use the search engines provided by this website and use the links at the left on the main front page.

[Anonymous]

Ive been into the hobby for 15 years . My recomendation to you is to start with a ho scale train set and a sheet of plywood. Thats all I started with and now 15 years later half my basement is filled with trains. As for brands just remember the amount of money you spend usually signifies the amount of quality. (unless you are being ripped off) . Buy a Walther's catalog at a hobby shop. They have everything you would want to buy in that catalog.

[Anonymous]

Its your railroad. ( period ) The only thing I will say to you is this,
play and have fun.;)