I just retired and I want to build my first layout.
I am looking for an order of doing my layout and I would like to know what 'how to bookws to read first
papasuds
Welcome to the forums and to model railroading.
It appears you are getting off on the right foot. That is asking questions before spending money. (Don’t ask how I know.)
If you go to the top of this page you will find SHOP. Click on that, then on books. There is a section of beginner books, covering the basic topics. Look over the other selections of books too, as there might be something of specific interest to you. You can go to your local hobby shop and see what they have to offer for books, they may be willing to order some for you or you can order directly.
You will have to select a scale. Most modelers also choose an era and location, but it’s your railroad, you do not have to. There are many levels of kits for structures and an increasing quantity of already built. There are also many good scenic material suppliers.
If you can describe your available area and your specific wishes, folks here can start to answer your specific questions. There are many ways of doing things. After you have gotten information, then it’s up to you to decide which method will work best for you.
If you go to the top of this page and the faint gray line you will find RESOURCES. Under that are Model Railroad Groups and Coming events. These will give you places to go and see just what can be done with all the information you get here and from reading. You can search by state or zip code and milage you are able to travel. Seeing and being able to ask questions face to face is a wonderful learning tool.
Good luck,
Richard
Welcome
- Know your space
2.Know your scale
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Know what you like: running trains, making scenes, building models, fancy electronics, engines, cars, contest models, impressding your friends, having a little train set, Etc… You can do it all but not all at once
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Look at mags and books and have a pic of either a track plan, a scene, or a building that you want as the center of your interest.
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Build a plan around your passion.
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Do what you like first to make sure you like it.
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If, after a year of doing what you like best, you have made progress that is satisfying, you can get at the rest.
Art, you forgot to add:
- Come online to brag and show us photos
WE love to eat new Ho train modelers up for dinner! [dinner]
Not really. [:-^] just kidding.[#welcome] to the forum and the hobby.
As any have mentioned, you have the basic path to follow, and we all suggest one READ, READ Again, and READ some more when embarking on our new hobby. The suggested link to “SHOP” at the top right hand page has a listing of Kalmbach books to buy on various subjects for beginners.
It is easy {as it is with any hobby to look at a finish well produced item and say “I want to do that” but there is a learning curve involved to get to where you “can do that”.
There is also the Dream, Plan, Build series if still available on DVD from kalmbach.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions here, That is what this forum is for, is for sharing information and ideas and experiences.
After you do your reading and decide what you’d like to do, try your hand at each facet of our hobby///maybe you like building buildings from kits or not and will only buy ready-assembeled models. maybe you want DCC for ease of wiring. MAybe you like to do a lot of switching work with your trains, maybe you just like to watch them go round and round. SO you build a small starter layout or a diarama to seee what you like to do. Then you plan your “once in a lifetime” layout and begin building following the directions above.
Again [#welcome]
First of all, read the model railroading magazines, Model Railroader and Rail Model Craftsman. Your local hobby shop will have both, and a few back issues too. Then try your town library. They probably have a few model railroading books, a little old, but the pictures can be inspiring. Finally, get a copy of “Track Planning for Realistic Operation” by John Armstrong. This is the layout builders bible, and a thumping good read at the same time.
Then do some planning. You want to get to running trains in the reasonably forseeable future. A huge layout with every feature you can think of will take years to build. You may get tired of benchwork and tracklaying before you get it finished. Think in terms of a “minimum working set”, just enough bench work and track to actually run a train. Divide that massive layout into smaller sections that can be conpleted one at a time. Enjoy seeing the trains running on the first small bit of the layout, and enjoy construction of the entire thing over time.
If unsure of your carpentry skills, consider the humble 48 layout. It’s just a piece of plywood, set on saw horses, or on a pair of 2 drawer file cabinets, or with legs attached. There are a million track plans for 48 layouts. You get to do all the model railroading things, rolling stock, track work, scenery, structures, operations, and signaling. As your skills mature you can expand it, or you can upgrade to a big around the walls layout. If you go the 48 route, get a 48 piece of homasote to lay track on. Homasote quiets the noise of running trains and takes track nails well. Plywood is so hard that track nails bend over when you try to set them into the plywood. Homasote needs a piece of 3/8 inch plywood under it to prevent sagging over time.