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I am only 16 years old, and I am new at this. I always wanted to design a model railroad. Another question, what scale should I build it in. What is an N scale? And how big are the scales? From what I understand all the scenery depends on the scale. So can some one help me out and tell me what scale should i use? Thank you very much. Anton
Posts: 11 | Registered: Nov 2000
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Anton, Welcome to a lifetime hobby. Your intrests will grow and wane occasionally as other distractions come along but your Model RR will always give you new and interesting things to do. First off, John was right on when he told you to check out some Model RR magazines. There are also a multitude of books for beginers out there. They are a wealth of info. As to what the scales are, scale referes to what percent the size of a model is in relation to the real thing (or prototype). 1:1 would be the same size as the origional. 1:87 (HO)(1/87) means (basically)that it takes 87 of the models to make the real thing. Another way of putting it is that 1 inch = 87 inches in 1/87th scale. HO is the most common model rr scale in the US followed closly by N scale (1/164), which is about 1/2 the size of HO. There are people who model in a variety of scales and this is great but it is more expensive and more difficult to create a realistic layout, so it's good to stick with one scale at least while your learning. What era are you looking to model and do you have a favorite road? Are there rr's in your area? You can also "freelance" your pike features from several roads or from your imagination. Feel free to post all the questions you have and the folks out ere will be glad to answer! Scott PS: There is also a Teen National Model RR association. (TNMRA) check it out at the www.nmra.org Posts: 127 | From: Gunnison, CO, USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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Wow, thank you very much for your response! This helps alot! Thank you for the warm welcome! Anton
Posts: 11 | Registered: Nov 2000
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Anton, Something I forgot in my first post, and something else to think about is how much room you have for a model railroad. If you have very small space, then N guage may be the way to go because you can pack a lot of railroad into a small space. With a bit more room you could go with HO. Any of the other scales (S, O, G) all pretty much require larger spaces.
There are a lot of time periods and train types to choose from in HO, many in N (but not as many as HO), and fewer in the larger scales. Same with scenery, buildings and people.
I would also say that if this is your first railroad, start out small...4 x 8 feet is about the right size for a starting layout, regardless of whether you are in HO or N guage. What ever scale you decide on DON"T skimp on the engine you buy...you really do get what you pay for in this hobby. Choose a few less cars and put the money in a good engine and you will be much happier. Good Luck and Happy Modeling!! John
------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!
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Thank You. Just an update: I will make my railroad in HO scale. And also, should I buy engines with motors? I should? Right? Thanks, Anton
Posts: 11 | Registered: Nov 2000
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HO is a great scale. Yes, buy your first engines completely assembled with motors. I would recommend that you stay away from "train sets" and buy stuff separately. What time period would you like to model? Steam or modern?? What part of the world? Any questions, just ask!! Happy Modeling!! John
------------------ The Santa Fe and Southwestern, Chief of the Southwest!
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Anton, I started in HO when I was about 12. I had a 8x5 foot layout and later added an extra nine inches by eight ft yard. Making sure you have some sidings enables you to store more cars on the layout. Another thing to consider is how important it is for you to see a train running on the mainline or whether you enjoy making up trains by switching the cars back and forth from siding to siding. This will tell you whether to put more sidings on the layout, or more mainline routes. I just finished building my 13 year old a 4x 5 foot layout last summer. One oval and three sidings in the middle. Best of luck. P.S. Model Railroader Magazine is worth getting and a really good starter book for layouts is "Small Railroads You Can Build" Scott Whitfield Sachse Central & Purple Mountain RR
Posts: 28 | From: Dallas, TX USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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Anton, The power pack (Transformer) is the other thing you ABSOLUTLY DO NOT want to skimp on. Buy a good one! That doesn't mean spend a gogillion dollars but an MRC brand is good and with walkaround throttle (so you can be where your train is and be able to control speed and direction), should cost you around $100. Without the walkaround feature An MRC Tech II is $50 to $60. You might check with e-bay or a local dealer to see if you can get a better deal. Scott
Posts: 127 | From: Gunnison, CO, USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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