Toy Model Trains
As Thomas the Train enlightened every boy’s fantasy and graced the thoughts of those who have been awed by those fantastic machines, trains offer a powerful addiction to many. Small boys watch the talking trains from their living rooms and do not understand what it is that makes them so wonderful. But as boys grow into men they realize what it is that captured them when they were boys and stayed with them into their adulthood; control over a powerful machine.
What is it that drives men to play with “toys”? It might be that they are enthralled by the thought of controlling something so powerful even though it is 1/87 of its size. Maybe it is the puzzle of how trains work; the electricity running through the lines to make it run. Perhaps it is because trains are so organized; only able to run on its track. Or maybe it is the memories of seeing the train whistling around the Christmas tree every year that makes us want to relive it through our “toy” trains. But the word toy is not accurate any longer when talking about model trains. These toys have grown up into machines and are ready to play with the big boys.
Toy trains are usually the plastic ones that you find on sale while you are Christmas shopping. They are low quality and priced as a great way to introduce kids to the hobby. When boys grow up they are called men. And when toy trains grow up, they are called locomotives. Locomotives are made to last. They are higher quality and many lack the “push it slightly to get it to move” feature like lower quality trains have. Their wheels are made to make greater contact with the track in order to get a better connection to the electricity which will help to get it going. They are the things that make model railroaders smile. Plus, locomotives have stronger engines. A stronger engine means greater pulling power. A quality locomotive is also made out of metal rather then plastic like toy trains. The weight of the train has a large effect on how well it works. The heavier the train, the better it will make contact with the track and therefore, a better running train.
And if electricity wasn’t good enough, the wonderful makers of the model train industry offer steam engines for the little boys inside grown men. Of course there are a lot of different quality trains on the market that offer steam but, there is nothing better then enjoying these trains with lifelike steam filling their scenery.
Very few boys get to grow up to be able to actually drive a train. I’m sure that a lot of train drivers look at the work they do as a job rather then a little boy’s life long dream. But, we don’t have to all grow up to be train drivers to fulfill our dreams. We can indulge ourselves in the hobby that so many of us love; model trains.
N Scale Model Trains
At first upon entering the exciting world of model trains, hearing the words scales and gauges running through model train enthusiast’s conversations like it is part of everyday language is kind of intimidating. You might be thinking that building model trains and scenery is way out of your league. But, as your love of trains grows so will your understanding of the terms used within the model train world and all of its elements.
When folks are out to set up their vision of the perfect landscape with the perfect train running through it, they have to consider size. Model trains and train tracks are made by many different people and used for many different things. Luckily, with so many choices, you can find the one that is right for you. In order to ensure any brand of train fitting on any brand of tracks, train makers make trains and tracks according to scale and gauge. When the model train hobbyists are talking about the scale of the train, they are talking about the size. Scale is exactly that, a scaled down replica of the life-size or the prototype train. It is the ratio and the different letters assigned to the scales reflect the natural differences in ratio.
An N scale train is on the smaller side in comparison to other scale models. In fact, it is the smallest of the four most popular scales. The ratio is 1:160. In other words a scale N train is one sixtieth the size of a real train. N scale is a little over half the size of HO. HO scale is 1/87. This scale is preferred by individuals who don’t have a lot of room for their layouts or those who love expansive scenery. While the n scale trains are intended to take up less space in model layouts they also have more detail then some smaller sizes. Rail cars and supplies that are smaller will contribute to a layout size that is easier to maintain and easier to add onto later on. Another advantage of using N scale trains is that the smaller the rail car and tracks, the larger and more beautiful the scenery will appear around them.
Unlike O scale, HO scale, and standard scale, some of which have been around for a full century, the N scale trains only came into prominence in the 1960s. The name N scale stands for nine millimeter because it has a gauge of 9 mm between the rails. Gauge refers to the size of the track on which the model trains operate. It is a measure of the distance between the rails of the train tracks. Code on the other hand refers to the height of the rail.
N scale model trains are just one of the many different aspects of building model trains and scenery. It is entirely up to the train building to use whatever train size is best for them. No matter what the size of the train is, the thrill is all the same.
HO Model Train
One train enthusiast might want a model train that runs through a garden outside. Another train enthusiast might have extensive space for spreading out a large set of train tracks and someone else might have a smaller space but wants to fill it with a couple of different train tracks. To fulfill all of these different needs, model train makers have made several different sizes of trains.
The most popular size of the large scale trains is size O. The scale for O is 1/48th. Meaning it is one 48th the size of a regular sized train. The gauge for O is 1 ¼ inches. Many of these larger sized trains are used outdoors in gardens. Of course this does not fill the needs of everyone in the train world.
The HO gauge is half the size of the larger O scale. HO stands for “Half of O”. The HO scale is 1/87. HO trains use the standard size track gauge of 16.5mm. HO scale is a popular size to use in layouts. They are small enough to be able to use creative scenery with well-designed track plans in a reasonable amount of space. But they are also large enough to be able to accommodate a great deal of detail in finer models. They are also large enough for children to handle without the risk of small parts or tiny components being damaged. With the HO scale being able to provide the balance between the detail of larger scales and the lower space requirements of smaller scales, it is a highly sought after railroad line by train hobbyists compared to other scales.
HO scale model trains first appeared in the UK during the 1930′s. They were introduced as an alternative to OO scale. But OO scale was already established in the UK and therefore HO scale had a hard time making any real commercial headway. Luckily, the hobbyists of the United States high demand of a realistic based toy during the late 1950′s allowed the HO scale model trains to really take off throughout the 1960′s and continued right up to today. More then two thirds of train lovers have ranked HO scale as their favorite train scale.
Due to the popularity of the HO scale, a huge array of locomotives, sets, accessories and rolling stock are made by many different companies. Train lovers can find a large array of HO scale train sets with ready-to-run trains and modular track, craftsman grade kits, supplies for building models from scratch, and even high detailed limited-edition locomotive models made of brass. Hobbyists will even go to the lengths of seeking out not only local hobby shop supplies, but look to global suppliers and foreign manufacturers to find that exact piece to complete their layout.
So if you have dreams of seeing a vast landscape with rolling hills or a small town and all of the things you think the towns people of your landscape will enjoy, the HO scale model trains are for you. Awe your friends with watching your magnificent locomotive chugging down the track, winding through the hills and through a tunnel. The HO scale model trains can make all of your dreams come true.
G Scale Model Trains
When model train hobbyists refer to large-scale model trains, part of the scales grouped into the large-scale trains is the G scale. Its size is considerably larger compared to other types of model trains. In fact it is the largest of the popular scales that model train hobbyists deal with. G scale model trains are usually 1:22 to the actual size. That means that G scale model trains are one twenty-second of the size of the real train prototype. Other types of model trains come in lower ratios.
The O scale which is also considered part of the larger-scale trains is only 1:48 to the actual size which is roughly half the size of the G scale model trains. The G scale model train has a length if about 26.7 inches and a height of about 6.0 inches in comparison to the O scale model trains which have a length of about 16.1 inches and a height of about 3.6 inches.
The G scale model train was pioneered by Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk, a German company often referred to as Lehmann Gross Bahn (LGB) or “Lehmann Big Train” in English. The company was founded in 1881 and had a USA side of the company called LGB of America.
G scale model trains are large and are also commonly referred to as “Garden Railroading” thus the common use of term “G Scale.” The letter “G” is also short for the German word groß which literally means “big” which coincides with its German history. Just like other large-scale trains, G scale model trains will run on No. 1 gauge track. The No. 1 gauge track is 45 mm between either rail.
It is their durability that makes them the perfect choice to be used in the garden or the outdoors. G scale tracks are usually made of brass. They require almost no maintenance from the owner. The only thing that these big train lovers need to do is to give the track a single wipe of clean cloth and its set for operations once again. The G scale model trains could be used for indoor purposed as well depending on the make up of the model train.
The best G scale manufacturers in the United States are Aristocraft and Bachmann.
People love the benefits of a G scale model train because of its durability. Parents can feel assured that their kids will be able to play with it and have a toy like this that will last for many years to come. G Scale model trains are a great hobby for parents and children to enjoy together as well. Parents can feel confident that their children can handle these trains although small children may lack the gentleness it takes to handle train scales of a smaller size like the N scale which is only about 4.8 inches in length and about 1.1 inches in height.
With the amount of time that model trains have been around, train makers have given us different size trains for every purpose. This includes the G scale model trains.
Building Model Railway Trains and Scenery
Part of the fun of model railroads is being able to build the scenery around them. Once you have gotten tired of setting up the train set around the Christmas tree and putting it away after Christmas every year, you might be ready to build yourself something more permanent.
The benchwork is the foundation of your railroad. Train hobbyists have the option of buying an already made benchwork or building one for themselves. Buying a benchwork kit has several advantages. Benchwork kits are precut and predrilled. Plus they are sturdier then a piece of plywood on two sawhorses. Also, with a kit, you can take it apart to move it to a different location in the house or to bring it to shows.
Of course building your own benchwork is more complicated and takes more time but, you have the opportunity to achieve your perfect vision for your trains. The first thing you will have to do is to create a design for your layout. You’ll have to figure out how large you want your benchwork to be. Consider if you will be adding on to it later on down the road. How much room in your house do you have to place a train layout? What shape are you planning for the top or your benchwork? It can be square, rectangle, oval, or circular. Typically the legs of the table are 28 inches but they can be altered to meet your designs specifications. The most important thing in benchworking is making sure that your benchwork is solid and can withstand a certain amount of weight. A good platform is a 3/8 inch or ½ inch thick piece of plywood. If you would like your benchwork to remain portable, you can cut the plywood into several pieces before you assemble your benchwork.
Keep perspective in mind when you are building the actual model railroad scenery. The goal is to make your layout appear larger than it is. You can try using different levels of scenery to help with this. Placing larger trees in the foreground and smaller trees in the background or on the tops of mountains helps with this illusion as well. Your scenery should also reflect the theme your have chosen for your landscape. For instance, if you are running a logging train on your line, it should be running through a rugged mountainous area filled with a ton of trees. You can also place a sawmill or lumberyard close by.
Other aspects that you can have in your landscape are tunnels, grassy meadows, fields, rock formations, roads, and bridges. You can also incorporate towns or villages filled with houses and buildings. Plus, you should also add fine detail to your scenery. Fine detail includes signs, telephone poles, fences, underbrush, bushes, flowers, hedges, people, and animals. A really nice touch is including bodies of water like ponds, rivers, streams or even waterfalls.
After all, isn’t one of the reasons we get into model trains is to be able to show off our artistic talent by building dramatic and lifelike landscapes? So get to work and amaze your friends with your amazing talent.
