Welcome To
Model Railroading,
A Family Hobby
Where Great Model Railroading Begins

                                                                 

You will be on the right track with this hobby. A great indoor or outdoor hobby that can bring the entire family together and bring a big part of history into your home.

When you decided to build a model railroad and don't know were or how to begin? Start by asking yourself an important question:  What drew my family and I to model railroading in the first place? Understanding your reasons for wanting to build a model railroad can help to bring all the members of your family together to help you to develop a satisfying design. Some sample reasons and their design implications are listed below.

1: Revisiting your Childhood 
2: Stop, Look and Listen  
3: Replicating the Railroad                                                            
4: Its My world
  
    The hobby has unlimited possibilities, each member of the family can use their imagination to create a factious layout or recreate a piece of Railroad history by building a prototype of a station, industry, or freight yards from their neighborhood or from a far away place.

Choosing a prototype can be difficult most modelers will choose their local railroads. Modelers must make choices before starting a layout such as  budget, and what available space is there for the prototype.

There is a lot to choose from so if you decide to build a prototype or a factious layout you will absolutely experience a true family bonding.

Always Remember one thing: Model Railroading is to be fun and enjoyable.



WE ARE WORKING ON THE RAILROAD

Model Railroading Clinic

       
MODEL RAILROADING SCALES   

How to Design a Model Train Scene

Designing a train scene is a matter of your historical interest and attention to detail.

Steps:
1. Choose a time period and geographical area for your train to travel through.

2. Pick a locomotive and cars from that period and location.

3. Get an architecture book from the library and look at buildings from that time period.

4. Select a season of the year. You'll want flowers in spring and summer, colorful foliage in fall, and barren deciduous trees and even snow in winter.

5. Find out what kind of trees populate the area you want to re-create if you want to be really specific.

6. Get model trees that look like native species, as well as buildings from that area, or at the hobby shop if you want, build them yourself with balsa wood   
    and paint.

7. Add a tunnel or a drawbridge to your scene if possible.

8. Add a rail station. Include figures in period dress. A working grain elevator, where appropriate, is usually very impressive.

9. Make sure any model cars and rail crossings are from the right era and to the right scale relative to the trains.

10. Use slopes and inclines to add interest.

11. Vary the shades of green for your grass, bushes and trees.

12. Cover most of the scene with greenery or roads and buildings or colored gravel. Avoid making it too busy, but leave no open spots where, in real life,
      there would likely be activity.

Tips:
The more detail the better. You're trying to re-create a scene from history or real life and not just create a context for your train to move through.

Add Ballast to your tracks.

Ground Foam Color and Texture Mixtures for trees.

This page is brought to you by
Trackside Patterns & Graphics
265 E. Center St. Wind Gap, Pa. 18091
(610) 863-4394
e-mail trackside@rcn.com 09/10/07