Welcome to STMT! Here Is Some Great Model Train Information.
The Basic Model Train Information You Need!
We all remember when we were kids, and how it felt the first time we ever saw a “real” model train set up. The big Lionel trains which was built on some huge series of tables in a friend’s basement.
There were water towers and train yards, tunnels and smoke pills which made the big locomotives “steam” as they sped along. Some of the scenery might have been incredible as well. It was such an exciting experience. I remember my first site to this day.
As time went on I noticed that the model trains seemed to get smaller and that for those the detailed work became more intense. It was a change of scale . When you talk about scale in the model train world, you are usually referring to the few accepted size ratios of model to the real deal.
There are four generally accepted such scales and they go by letters. There is the G and the O scale trains. These are larger; the O is 1:48 and the G 1:22. These two form a category and both run on the same track, called a Number 1 (No.1).
The HO is smaller and actually means half of an O size, having a ratio of 1:87. Then, there is the N which is half a size smaller, once again, than the HO and its ratio is1:16. Enthusiasts exist for all of them and there are many reasons why each is preferred, since there really is little to account for beside taste.
Some scales which came out didn’t really gain much acclaim, such as the S, the T, the TT, N and Z. These are smaller still, and perhaps because they may have crossed a critical “visualization” point (I’m totally guessing here), they just didn’t really take off.
Yes, you could get a little crazy with so much to choose from, but markets make decisions based on many factors and the original four mentioned above have gained the cup and are most often what you might expect to see and play with in the model train world..
Gauge is another word commonly used in the toy train circuit and it refers to track size, specifically the distance between the rails. Like with Beta/VHS or 4 track/8 track, manufacturers had to eventually standardize to create the market and allow consumers to mix and match parts from different companies in their set-ups.
The lengths of track were also agreed upon and you’d find the standard gauge rail would come in 4’ 8.5” lengths, while the narrower gauges would be shorter, about 3 to 3.5 feet.
And of course the incredible scenery also had to “fit” the scale you chose, as well. Model train hobbyists will design a layout for their set-up, designed to turn their own imaginations into a mini world of wonder.
There are mountains and valleys, forests, hills, meadows, rivers and cascades! There is no end to what you can do. The layouts of the tracks are usually in some form of loop, or connected loops; maybe a basic oval shape, a double, or a dog-bone. In any case, you need not to make the turns too narrow if you don’t want to be constantly picking up derailed trains.
It’s a pity that kids can’t really afford to create the incredible train worlds, like the one I first saw and still remember. But we big kids can, and many of us do, sharing them with the younger ones, passing on the joy and the experience, the sense of awe and wonder.
Like anything else, doing something well, following your vision, maintaining a healthy sense of playfulness; this is what our hobby is all about. And with any luck, we will be able to pass it on to our children and their children. The trains roll on.
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