Well my dad worked for CNR up her ein Canada for a number of years and is retired now. I guess thats wher emy motivation coems from, just somethign that ic an share with my dad. Ok to my question, where would one start in teh hobby. Do you thionk its better off getting one of those beginner kits with the rail, cars and such in one package or go for buying everythign seperately. And if so what would i need to get just to get off the ground. Thansk in advance
Start by deciding what scale you want to work in. If you want to model CNR, take that into consideration, as the availability of product varies by railroad.
Regarding initial purchase, generally, you’ll get better quality by getting individual elements rather than buying a trainset, although there are a few (very few) exceptions to this rule.
To “get off the ground”, get a decent quality locomotive (Atlas and Kato, available in both HO and N scale), anywhere from a half-dozen to a dozen cars, a powerpack, and some track. Track comes in three basic varieties: flextrack (29"-36" long pieces of flexible track), sectional track, and “roadbed track.” There’s lots of debate as to who makes the best flex and sectional track, but there’s no debate on roadbed track. Kato Unitrack is the best, hands down.
Head to the library, peruse back issues of Model Railroader and both model railroadind and railroading books. If you can find a club in your area, give them a vist as well.
Welcome, and good luck.
cheswick,
Bikerdad has it right. The most important thing to do is read as much as you can. Start at your local library. Most have books on model railroading in just about every scale. Look for Robert Schleicher’s "HO Model Railroading Handbook. Although its HO scale and a bit dated, the principles apply to most other scales. There are many others available. Pick-up the current Model Railroader and you will find a listing of many of the Kalmbach Publishing Company’s books on model railroading.
You have already done one thing right. Joining the forum and asking questions. There are a ton of knowledgeable people on this forum who will gladly help you out. You get the best answers when you ask specific, rather than general questions.
Welcome to the forum! Enjoy your project and the hobby.
welcome to the forum !
a trip to the local hobby shop (LHS) is also a good idea . if you let us know what city you’re near maybe somebody will offer a suggestion .
my guess is you’ll want to model the CNR . your dad’s experiences will give you a good start on collecting the info you’ll need from the prototype . assuming you’re living in canada , any decent LHS will have books on CN . also check the library and new and used bookstores . and keep on the lookout for train shows in your area , you’ll find tons of info and some interesting people there too !
I agree with the suggestions the other guys already made.
If you’re totally new to the hobby you can even start with some basic information available on the Model Railroader Magazine home page. Here’s the link to their ABC’s of model railroading:
And check out the menu items down the left side of the page. Not all of this will be applicable or interesting to you. But you can pick up some info here:
http://www.trains.com/maghomepage/maghomepage.asp?idMagazine=3
Regards
Ed
Hey, another Canadian. Welcome aboard. Stay away from train sets. Most hobby shops will put together a quality package for you at a discounted price if you ask. Since your just starting out I would suggest you don’t buy anything yet. Hang around here for a bit, a lot of people here have a lot of knowledge. You can decide what era you want to model, let us know where you live and let us know of any other questions you have. The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.
Yo Canuks, [:D], I live across the lake in Erie, PA. Saw some Loco’s leaving the plant here marked ONS&L is that the Ontario Northland ? New 4400’s.
No, the ONR doesn’t have any new loco’s on order. Could the “O” have been a “Q”? I heard that the Quebec North Shore and Labrador has some new loco’s coming.
Did it look something like this one?
If I hadda knowed then what I know now. After over 60 years of model railroading I can offer only one word (or sentence) of advice : Don’t get the cart before the horse.
Don’t buy a train set. In fact ,don’t buy anything. Think first before acting. Decide what you want in a model railroad. Do you just want to just run trains, or operate as a real railroad does. Get a book on operations and familiarize yourself with the differance.
What era (steam, steam diesel transition period or all diesel, Freelance or Prototype of a particular railroad. If a real railroad, what part of it. Interested in freight and passenger or just freight (contmporary era?
Broad gauge, narrow gauge, logging, or whatever.
G,O,HO, N or TT gauge. How much room do you have?
Buy a good track planning book. Stop, Look and Listen. Read all you can and try to learn what this hobby is all about. You don’t want to buy any rolling stock until you have something to run it on.
If you go off half cocked you will waste a LOT of money trying to find out what it is you really want.
Been there, done that. Don’t you.
Ahhh, you got it, I didn’t get a close look, thats it, I didn’t have the build schedule handy.[:D][:D]
Oh No ! ! not another Canuck, All the above info should be heeded, slow and easy is right, find out what YOU like and start slow, the worst mistake is to come home with a whole load of “stuff” and try and sort it out, read magazines( there is lots of new language stuff) you will need to know but take it slow and easy and remember to have fun you hoser.