Well I am seeing lots of subjects and no trains.
A top ten list for what a new model train railroader should know.
Please add your list! Of course you can be humorous if you want.
[:D]
#1 Model Railroading is an expensive hobby - be prepared for the high cost and all the complaining people will do about it.
A top ten list eh, thats a good idea so here is mine.
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Learn how to be patient, this hobby can be very frustrating. Learn when to walk away.
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Pick an era and Railroad and stick with it. Research as much as you can, I have just as much fun researching the Ontario Northland as I do modeling it.
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Be realistic, sure you want a huge 40x60 layout but its not going to happen, at least not yet. Start small and work up from there.
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Buy QUALITY equipment, good loco’s and rolling stock are expensive but in the long run you will be happier. Buying a TYCO box car at a show for 50 cents sounds like a good deal but its not.
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Kadee couplers, buy them in bulk, put them on your rolling stock and loco’s and then forget about them. I bet this will be on everybody’s top ten list.
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Get a NMRA gauge and a Kadee coupler height gauge.
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Ask lots of questions and listen to the people here, they know alot more about the hobby then you or I do. The knowledge on this site is just incredible.
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Get yourself a little tool box and fill it with tools your going to need. We had a thread here awhile ago about “Whats in your tool box”. Do a search and you should find it.
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Look for and join a club, the hands on experience you will get at a club is great. People are going to complain and cry sometimes but they get over it. Going to shows as a club is usually a pretty good time.
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Last but not least you should know is how to have fun. If your not having fun then its not really a hobby so why even bother.
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Read, read, read. Pickup as many books and mags as possible on the hobby and join a few forums.
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Never, ever buy without research. Because of the wide range of products, ask before you buy.
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If you want DCC in the future, then go with DCC now.
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Standardize coupler straight away.
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Dont build ‘big’ right away…you will need to grow first.
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Join a local train club.
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Make sure the Wife and Kids are involved from the begining.
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Buy some tools.
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Try to focus on one era and railroad.
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Most important!!! Dont ever pay attention to “Top ten lists for new model train railroaders”.
David B
Before I am able to make a responsible response to this topic I need to know if we are talking about an HO Scale list or an N Scale list; it wouldn’t really make a hill of beans to me but there are some who take offense when they feel that their space is being intruded upon by members of the great unwashed. I want to make sure that, as an N Scaler, I don’t offend any HO Scalers out there by treading into an HO Scale environment!!!
Learn how to take criticism. (constructive or otherwise)
Look at how things are laid out and work in the real world. You can’t put a steel mill on your layout if you only have 1 square foot of space. (unless your Z scale)
RESEARCH! Google and the Internet are your friends.
Don’t go out and buy a bunch of stuff without a game plan.
Cheap stuff is not always a good deal.
Tools are a necessary investment.
Have fun with it. This IS a hobby.[:)]
I have found that doing this up front before doing the research is tough. It’s better to not lock yourself in too much at first, and leave yourself the option to change your mind later once you learn more.
Or you can do it as I do on my HO Siskiyou Line and model a decade instead just a specific year. I model the 1980s SP and have set my railroad to be exactly 20 years in the past. Right now it’s 1987 on the layout, and once 2010 rolls around, I’ll go back to 1980 and the layout will be 30 years behind.
I find this “moving decade” approach keeps the scope small enough I can manage it, but dynamic enough I can have some fun. For example, in 1986 Kodachrome units began appearing on the SP, and in 1988, DRGW units started to appear. There were also rolling stock changes through the decade that can be interesting to model.
#1) Study the prototype. Research, research, research. It’s not only essential, it’s totally engrossing, fun and interesting. It’s the thing that expands your hobby the most.
#2) It takes time to do it right. Research. Buy right. Plan thoughtfully. Build carefully. I’m closing in on a year now, and though I have my overall ideas and plans in place, I’m just beginning to complete the execution of the basic track layout, so it’s not a quick thing with a well-done layout. That’s something that I’ve learned, I expected to be further along, but oddly, I’m pefectly happy with this pace since I think I’m going about it right…at least I’m trying to.
#3) Plan for growth, if not in layout size, in ambition. And pace yourself in stages. You constantly learn things, and as you understand more, you progress in your standards and your desire to model more accurately. A lot of the stuff I thought would be fine and good enough really bother me now. Because I’m starting to know better. So put off buying stuff until you reach the stage where you need to buy it.
#4) It’s not just an expensive hobby, it’s a bloody expensive hobby. If you think golf or skiing are expensive, try again. And it never seems to end.
#5) But don’t go cheap, because quality matters, especially in the long run. And I think this hobby is about a long run.
#6) Rely on the accumulated advice of people who are expert and master modelers. There is a lot of collective wisdom out there (and here).
#7) A quality hobby shop or a quality, service-oriented online hobby shop matters. Again, the cheapest alternative is not always the best alternative.
#8) Don’t put off looking at DCC or be overly intimidated by it. I did for a long time, and I regret it.
#9) Be prepared to
I won’t generate a list, so I will just say that one of the Top 10 things to know about model railroading is that how you approach the hobby will result in elation, frustration, disappointment, excitement, fun, tall expenditures of cash (credit or available), negotiations with others (mostly anyone else with whom you share living space), great expanses of time, learning, skills-building, and large draws on your patience. These come in no particular order, and revolve through in a never-ending loop.
Okay, I have thought of another: it really is true in this hobby, not unlike other pursuits, that it is the journey on which you will look back fondly. The finished product is merely the sum, not the whole.
I’m seeing lots of topics, too, and they’re almost all about trains…
Top of my list of things a “new model train railroader” should know is how to recognise when trains are being discussed.
And maybe next on my list would be: don’t presume to tell experienced modellers what they should be discussing… [:)]
All the best,
Mark.
Learn how to properly build roadbed and lay track. Bad track = no fun!
Learn self control!.
Don’t run out and constantly buy up rolling stock and locos until they’re running out of your ears in order to keep you interested in the hobby. Be selective about what you buy, and try to make sure that’s what you really want for the long term and not just for the moment - like my buddy Rob did before he finally burned out…
Tracklayer
Huh? I have enough trouble sticking to one SCALE.
OK. Here goes…
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
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Have fun.
Who says Model railroading is not fun? It’s supposed to be.
Oh, I was supposed to be serious? OK, how’s this?
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Don’t go out and buy every new thing you see, you’ll probably only end up using about 10% of it when you decide “what” you want to model.
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Don’t skimp on locomotives, cars, track, tools, or electrical stuff. Go ahead and spend a little extra to buy good quality items.
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Feel free to ask questions. If your local hobby shop doesn’t answer you properly (for whatever reason), ask here on the forum. Not a bad idea anyway, since you’ll have much more expertise to draw upon.
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Of course, read a bunch. Use books (ok, admittedly expensive to buy, maybe you can borrow), historical societies, libraries, and the internet.
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Don’t get overly ambitious too soon. Who says a 4x8 make for a bad starter layout?
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Make sure any locomotives and cars you buy can go around your sharpest curves. Don’t expect a large 8 axle locomotive to go around an 18" curve (in HO scale). Ideally, for those of us who use 18" curves, use short, 4 axle diesels, or short steamers.
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Try, early on, to pick a “prototype”. This goes for your chosen RR, location, and time frame (era). You can be as general or specific as you like. You could say “Erie RR, 4.2 miles north of Pittsburgh, August 14, 1948, 11:51 a.m.”, or you could say “Any RR east of the Mississippi River, from 1950-1979”.
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There is no “one correct way” to do everything. Sure, there are right and wrong way
This isn’t really in order but I don’t care.
#1. As everyone above has said, HAVE FUN!
#2. Come here to the forums to ask questions and get answers (NOTE: Coming here will apply for all the lower questions)
#3. Have a plan. Without a plan, you basically can’t do a thing.
#4. Select some average to good quality equipment. Tyco/Mantua, Model power, old Lifelike and Bachmann Locos and cars are NOT recommended. Pick some stuff in the middle range (Locos, under $150. Train Cars, under $30)
#5. Lay your track well. Many newer trains are picky on certain track.
Apparently I’ve run out of stuff to say.
Mine’s just a TOP5 list.
#1)[and the most important] HAVE FUN!
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There are lots of ways to do just about everything in the hobby and lots of ways to approach it. As long as you stay safe and are having fun, it doesn’t matter. You will have many decisions to make and lots of people telling you that you have to do things this way or that. You don’t HAVE to do anything except stay safe and have fun. Some people enjoy modelling a specific place and time, others prefer their own made up prototype, while some just like to collect some of everything regardless of prototype or era. They are all valid if that person enjoys it. Most Americans have one scale, time frame, general prototype and one layout, usually as big as they have room for. A different approach more often found in europe is to have several small layouts of differing scales and prototypes. Maybe 1 G-scale US layout, a British layout in HO (yes there is british HO) and a french prototype in N scale. or others. Each of these would be a small layout maybe just a switching district or one town. This approach lets you try a little of everything. If you decide you don’t really like one or the other, sell the stuff off and concentrate on the others.
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Start small. Get your feet wet with a small layout to try different things and see what you like. By small I mean 4’x8’ or less. A continuous run (circle) is nice for breaking things in and seeing how they run, but not absolutely necessary.
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This can be an expensive hobby IF you let it. You can keep costs down somewhat if you exercise restraint and research your purchases.
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A good local hobby shop (often abbreviated LHS in the forums) can be a terrific resource. If you find one, try to buy there as often as possible. You sometimes will find better prices online, even with shipping, but it is usually worth the little extra for the ability to actually see the item before you buy it and get advice on how to use it. LHS are also a good way to connect with other modellers.<
I respectfully disagree. Pick an era and railroad and stick with it if that what intersts you. I am loosely modeling the SP around Truckee and Donner Pass in the 80’s, but I also will run whatever the heck I want on the layout, steam, other lines, European trains, you name it. My intersting isn’t in necessarily modeling a specific time and place as much as it is to collect model trains and watch them run a round. I could just as easily build a generic layout and run whatever I felt like, if that’s what I find fun and interesting.
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The 4x8 sheet of plywood was not dictated by God. There are other sizes of layouts that may, and probably will, be more useful to you. Shelf layouts have a lot of potential.
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Do you want to see trains go around in circles or do you want to run them prototypically? Decide early as this will push many other decisions such as track planning, layout size, and control (DC vs. DCC) methods.
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It’s your railroad - create it for your enjoyment.
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Keep a bucket handy for the rivet counters to soak their heads in.
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Even if you are running prototypically point-to-point, see if you can’t sneak in a way of running the trains in circles too - it’s useful for showing off the layout at parties and whatnot.
Then you need to accept the corollary. If you break the ‘rules’ of railroading then develop a thick skin. If you run stuff that’s out of place, be prepared for the fact you will be ragged on for doing it. Especially if you take photos of it and post them somewhere. Butch up and deal with it.
If you can’t take the heat stay out of the steamer’s cab.
Oh, I agree. But as long as we are giving tips to beginners we shouldn’t pigeonhole them. If someone wants a layout with generic scenery and run a variety of equipment they should. Picking a time, place and road is not a rule of the hobby. Granted modelers in general will be sticklers for detail and you should be prepared to deal with it. Either follow the ‘rules’ or decide not to give a flying you know what (though we shouldn’t rough anyone up). Still, I probably won’t be posting pics of the Flying Scotsman traveling over Donner Pass with a load of coal in CP gondolas anythime soon either.[:-^]
‘Butch up’, I like that.[tup]