Hi everyone. I am new to model railroading. I want to use the “N” scale. I bought a few structures but didn’t start yet.
What should be my first steps into this hobby?
Thanks for your help!
Hello All,
Welcome to the hobby. As a start, one usually tries to develop a small basic layout for their introduction into the hobby. Creating a small basic oval layout would be a good start. Stuff like scenery and looks of the layout will not matter until later in the hobby, but if its up your alley you can start that sooner.
Locomotive choice is also a big part in Model Railroading. Personally, I am more of an older type guy, and like older locomotives to take apart and fix. Most individuals start off with DC locomotives, with no special abilities (don’t hate me on that one) other than being able to go around the track with the flip of a switch/dial/button. Once one has become accustomed to DC layouts, they can then move on to DCC, but for getting started I wouldn’t suggest that yet.
In an overall summary, Begin with a simple loco and train setup first, just a train and some track, and work from there. There are some stores which specialize in this type of hobby, and going to one of them would be helpful, but I know of very few that are still around. For getting started, one might also just go and buy one of the layout kits that are sold, usually by (Dare I say it) Bachmann. These are good starters, but nothing good for them in the long run.
It should be noted that this hobby does not come cheap, and that budget will definantly effect the range of your hobby.
Gauge is also a massive factor on railroading. Personally, I like HO because of its balace between size and cost, but N is also a good choice. N scale, being one of the smallest, allows for a big layout to be made within a small area, with relative ease.
Please ask if you have more questions, I’m sure many of us will get back to you,
MM
When I got started in model railroading, I pretty much did the above–start “small”.
But one other thing I did was to read books and magazines. I bought the monthly magazines and read just about everything in them (Model Railroader, Model Trains, Railroad Model Craftsman). I bought various books, and read those (101 Trackplans, various how-how-to-start-out).
Top of the list for you would likely be:
https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/book/12428
Ed
The first step is to do a bit of reading and educate yourself about the many possibilities this hobby offers , and the many elements you will want to know something about as you get into it (carpentry, wiring, scenery building which is great fun, laying track, and so on).
This website has a “Getting Started” section with quite a bit of information. Look around a bit.
Kalmbach also offers books aimed at raw beginners and one of them is specifically aimed at beginners who are in N scale: “N Scale Railroading - Getting Started in the Hobby.”
https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/book/12428
You’ll want (and need) to know so many things all at once that I strongly suggest a book rather than just relying on these Forums to get all the info you need.
There is nothing wrong with just buying some trains, perhaps a set with locomotive, cars and some track, and a power supply, and setting it up temporarily and just watching the trains run. Getting used to re-railing the cars and locos; getting used to coupling and uncoupling the cars, that sort of thing.
And there is nothing wrong with getting a simple structure kit and learn how to build it cleanly without getting the cement over everything. You’ll want eventually some basic tools (hobby knives, small files although emery boards for finger nails that you see at the drug store work OK and are cheap, some cements for plastic, toothpicks, and a surface for doing work that is softer than a hard table top.
Given the way the hobby is going including N scale, I would strongly encourage you to spend the extra money and get trains equipped with Digital Command Control versus “straight” DC (which is cheaper and which works just fine but which has certain challenges to it the more elaborate you want your layout to get.
Eventually you are going t
[#welcome] to the forum
Before you spend money, I would read. Kalmbach has a number of good introductory books. John Armstrong’s Track Planning for Realistic Operation is a must have.
Avoid impulse buying structures, locos or rolling stock before you decide on era, a location and a railroad. It works better if you don’t have a steam engine layout with a modern UPS building and a coal mine and double stack container car.
Decide what you want to have, a train going round and round or an operation based layout where there is switching a rollings stock going from A to B to C with a purpose.
DC isn’t necessarily the starting point. It used to be, when that’s all there was. DC controls the track DCC controls the engine. Some people like sound and individual control of engines and some do without quite nicely. Again, I would do some reading before spending money.
There are a bunch of people on youtube. Some are better than others. Rons Trains is a member here and does N scale and how to type videos. I have no affiliation with Ron, nor am I an N scaler.
Different people enjoy different facets of the hobby. Some people like building structures, others like landscaping, some super detail their rolling stock, others create extraordinary detail in each scene, the electrical whizes do cool electrical stuff and others like prototypical operations. You have to find out what you like in the hobby.
All of the previous posts are quite right, but if I were a beginner, I´d be overwhelmed by what they say. For me, the best way to get started is getting a good quality starter set, which includes all the track for a little more than just an oval, a decent power pack, and a good quality engine and some cars.
Starter sets can be of quite different quality, from excellent to poor. When I re-entered the hobby after a long hiatus, I found that Kato offers the best value for money, although some folks don´t like the track with the molded on roadbed. However, the Kato system is fool proof and you don´t have to dig too deep into the mysteries of electrics, electronics and wiring.
Here is my recommendation for a start - mind you, I have no interest in promoting Kato´s products - I am just a satisfied customer:
Hello all,
Welcome [#welcome] to the forums.
Go to the National Model Railroad Association website (NMRA.org).
On the right hand side there is a box labeled “Getting Started In Model Railroading.”
This will take you to their “Beginners Guide”.
Peruse this information at your leisure. Take some notes and bring those questions to the MR forums.
One of my favorite quotes from a renowned model railroader.
“A model railroad should probably start with a concept. Why? Because much knowledge about railraoding, experience in model railroading, and thought are required before a proper concept for a model railroad can be formed. These requirements are seldom possible on a first pike. Mine was no exception.”
- -John Allen; Gorre & Daphetid Railroad.
Hope this helps.
A lot of the stuff available today new can be quite pricey if you look at some of the better quality trains. But be aware, there is a lot of lower cost options if you go to train shows or troll Ebay.
Hello all,
Before looking for “bargains” do you homework first.
I attend several train shows and peruse eBay. Yes there are those hidden gem finds but there are a lot of money traps too.
Knowing what the realistic value of what you are shopping for is a must.
I’ve seen items that I have picked up at a real bargain only to be listed at an outrageous price.
A few years back at a train show I saw some used turnouts. Well functioning but used. I knew the price of a brand new one at a local hobby shop.
I made a bundled offer for three of them. The offer I made was reasonable and in cash. The seller would not budge from the initial price. I thanked him for his time and stopped by the hobby store and purchased the new ones on the way home.
The price difference was less than $5.00 for the new turnouts with all the bits that weren’t included with the used ones.
Caveat Emptor!
Hope this helps.
Amen to Ulrich’s reply. This is exactly how I got started in the hobby, and I would recommend Kato without reservation. Just realize that the track may be disposable depending on what you end up doing. I used Unitrack for my first layout, but decided to move to a flextrack for my second–I wanted more control over my curves, etc. If I had to do it all over, I would start with Unitrack again. In the end, I bought a less-expensive engine and gave it and the Unitrack to the grandkids.
Same here. The link to the NMRA beginners information also looks good, to read over while you run the train set.
I’m thinking just about everyone got started with a train set. The key words here, “just about”, not everyone, everywhere, but most.
It gets you up and running.
Mike.
Count me in the group who doesn’t think a “starter set” is a good place to start. If you’re not sure about model trains, a train set isn’t going to have enough going for it convince you; if you’re serious about the hobby, you’ll soon find yourself discarding your inexpensive train set components as being inadequate for you. Either way, the money you spent on the train set ends up being wasted.
Instead, I’d find out what’s in a train set, and buy those components separately, with an eye toward quality. You’ll pay more, but you’ll have a “set” that can grow with you as you refine both your tastes and skills.
Go ahead and start with sectional track with built-in roadbed; it does make things easy for the beginner. Rather than just getting an oval, talk to a knowledgable hobby store employee about adding a few turnouts and extra sections of straight track so your train can do more than just run around chasing its tail.
Talk to the hobby store guy about choosing between direct-current vs. Digital Command Control. DC is cheaper, and for many hobbyists, it’s enough. But if you think you might get into running multiple trains simultaneously on a large and complex layout, and/or want realistic sound and momentum/braking effects, you might as well bite the bullet on a basic, but expandable, DCC system. Again, it’s more expensive, but you won’t be throwing it away later when you decide to upgrade.
Though the quality of entry-level locomotives has really improved over recent decades, a train set generally will still include the most basic and inexpensive model. Buy a similar locomotive separately, even one from the same manufacturer, and you’ll get a model that will look and run better than the one in the train set.
The difference in quality between train sets and separately sold items is clearest when it comes to cars. The ones in train sets are usually an assortment chosen for their bright colors and assortment
Hello, and [#welcome] to the Model Railroader forums.
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Please do not be a stranger. Your first few posts are delayed by moderators, but that will end pretty soon.
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You have lots of good advice already. I always suggest to just jump in and build something as fast as you can while the excitement is still there. What you build on your first try will not be very good (most likely), but you will learn a lot. Right now you don’t even have any idea how much you do not know yet.
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In six months, try something else. You will have a much better idea what everyone is talking about once you have even just a taste of model railroading experience.
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Don’t give up. This is truly the world’s greatest hobby.
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Welcome aboard!
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-Kevin
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I also agree with the starter set. Only mine was a Tyco. Maybe not the best quality, but it got me up and going. I added some Atlas track, Atlas buildings (station, signal tower, lumber yard). From there it was onto more engines, cars, and buildings.
I think that those of us in the hobby a long time forget the fun and wonder of just getting that train to run around the oval. Then the joy of discovering and adding more track, some buildings, some cars. Building a few kits, adding some scenery, etc. In many ways those first few months and years in the hobby were the most fun.
to the OP welcome to this most wonderful of hobbies.
Good luck
Paul
I have been in N scale for 50 years. I agree that there are cheap cars with thickly molded details, but there are many good one piece cars with fine molded details. Cars with separate details are often fragile and on some the details are oversize for strength. Molded details can be closer to scale. The details can be shaddowed and highlat so that they look separate at normal viewind distance and closer.
There are even some cars that originated in the 1970’s that are still good today. Many are in the ATLAS Trainman line.
Mr. Otte, I hate to do this, but I am going to have to respectfully disagree. While it is true that some starter sets are low to mid-quality components, some are collections of exactly the same higher-end components that you would get if you bought them separately. (This is the case with the Kato sets.)
RailXplorer looking at your profile, we don’t know if you are 11 or 71. There is nothing wrong with either but the finances are likely vastly different. Neither is the above advice necessarily wrong for either age group. However money matters and if you are a kid, it’s likely you are on the low end of discretionary income.
If you are dependent on your parents generosity to finance this hobby, well…as a parent, I’ve seen my childrens’ interest change quickly, as did my own, when I was younger. In that case, buying the best and the greatest might not be ultimately a cost savings.
If you are an adult and the theory is too much to bite off and you should start small, I have this story. I met a guy who was a Civil War collector. I’m not sure why, but he jettisoned that hobby (yes he was a mature adult) and become a BMW motorcycle collector. What you see here is one of the premier BMW collections in the US and it was acquired in 7 years
He is no more an ordinary BMW owner, than Howard Zane is an ordinary model railroader (also one of our forum members) but both of these guys put their pants on one leg at a time, just like me and you and Hillary Angela Merkel (all potential domestic political misunderstanding removed)
Disclaimer, I know Howard, but never saw him or any of these women put their pants on. It’s an educated guess. [}:)]
The equipment in todays “train sets” have come along way since the early Life Like, Tyco and Bachmann sets that had the pancake style motor.
Any of the modern sets, like what Kato, and Athearn offer, the locomotives, cars, and track can be used as the lay out grows.
No money thrown away.
Mike.
I couldn’t agree more.
My jaw dropped when I read the comments from Steven Otte.
Alan
Read as much as you can, and then start small.