December 1, 2009
<- Building a 4x8 foot bench-work for your HO scale model railroad

December 1, 2009
<- Reasons to collect N scale model trains

December 1, 2009
<- Good tips on how to do DCC decoder installation

December 1, 2009
<- Lots of great ideas for existing railroad layouts that you can model. There are photos, descriptions, and layout diagrams.

Top Model Railway Layouts News on December 1, 2009 is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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November 1, 2009
<- Thinking about getting started with model railroading? A model railway club might be the best place to get the info you need to get started and get a little experience.

November 1, 2009
<- Bridge building–good tips on how to start building a bridge for your model railway layout.

November 1, 2009
<- Making it real–how to paint your HO and O scale model trains

November 1, 2009
<- Reasons to build your model railway layout using the HO scale.

November 1, 2009
<- Excellent overview of the G scale train and its strong points.

November 1, 2009
<- Good discussion of decoders which act as the nervous system of the railway layout.

November 1, 2009
<- Starting an HO scale model railway layout

Top Model Railway Layouts News on November 6, 2009 is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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Some great video tips for making hills and bridges for the scenery to add to your model railway layout.

Adding Hills and Bridges to Your Model Railway Layout is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT-3d9LgUqU

Gorgeous Scenery on this Model Railway Layout is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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5. Take a Ride on a G-Scale

This shows why you might consider N scale for your model railway layout. If you like long trains, then N scale is for you. The small size of the scale allows you to have long trains snaking around the track without need to have an absolutely huge layout.

See Why N Scale Model Railway Layouts Might Be Right For You is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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There is a lot of detailed scenery in the large scale model railway layout. I even saw a working playground.

Amazing O-Scale Model Railway Layout is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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October 28, 2009
<- Yard storage track and scenes, Z scale example, and other interesting pictures shared

October 25, 2009
<- Wow–here's a model train that is only an 1/8th of an inch in size. It's the world's smallest working train model and rides around on a 3/4 inch track. It's hard to imagine a smaller model railway layout.

Top Model Railway Layouts News on October 30, 2009 is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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5. Making Model Railway Layouts Using the HO Scale

Most HO scale locomotives run very well and those that sometimes have a stalling problem can often be improved with the addition of rail wipers adding more electrical contact.

Detail is often missing in ready to go accessories, but you are free to add however much detail as you like.  The smaller scale can make difficult to go too far with detailing, since the details become more difficult to see.

If you find that you have a modest amount of space for your layout, HO scale is a reasonable scale to pick.  It doesn’t have nearly the space requirements that the O scale does, is easier to work with than N scale, and there are plenty of accessories and kits available at very affordable prices.

photo credit: James Buck

Making Model Railway Layouts Using the HO Scale is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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One scale to think about is the O scale. It is usually the largest scale used inside. The O scale is approximately 1/48th of the original size. The O scale is smaller than the scale that you would use outside, but works well inside. It is approximately 1/48th of the original.

Because it is relatively large, many of the features available for the O scale are fairly detailed. If you like making models that are really accurate, O scale is a great scale to choose for your model railway layout.

O scale can often be the easiest to use of all the scales, mostly because it is is heavier and so has more weight on the rails.

On the negative side, however, O scale is generally more costly and the assortment of kits available is not as many as for HO or N scale. The amount of space is obviously the other challenge with O scale.

A good radius for curves on your layout is around 72 inches. That comes out to be 6 feet in radius! Of course, If you have a great deal of room, or if you plan to have room, O scale just might be the one to use.

photo credit: al.glitch

Making Model Railway Layouts Using Different Scales – The O Scale is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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Take a ride on a G-scale train and enjoy the model train scenery!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxEBIEpt2tE

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October 20, 2009
<- Some good thoughts about how to get started with model railroading Scott

October 20, 2009
<- Talks about a man who is 93 and his N scale model railway layout. He works with his layout for at least an hour each, which keeps his mind sharp, his daughter says. Scott

Top Model Railway Layouts News on October 23, 2009 is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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4. About
5. Model Railway Layout – Planning Space

If you are just getting started, or enjoy changing things around frequently, using a table top with a 4×8 sheet of felt on it may work well for you.  It will helpful for you to start with a temporary layout until you have some experience and solidify thoughts for your permanent layout.

If you are more interested in a permanent layout, a 9×5 foot sturdy ping pong table can work well for you.  The larger the scale you are working with, the more sturdy you will need your table to be.

Some people like to build their table so that it can be raised to the ceiling when they are done with it.  If you want to do this, make sure to use a professional to build the mechanism.  Over time the layout with all its accessories can become quite heavy.  You don’t want an accident to occur.

Modular model railway layouts are popular now.  With modular layouts, there are standards for positioning the track on the module and for wiring so that you can easily connect modules together, including modules made by other people.  This is how model railroading clubs get many model railroaders together and build very large layouts.  Ntrak is a common standard.

When you decided on a permanent layout, you will need to give some serious thought to your space.  The larger the scale, the more space you need.  If you don’t have much space for your layout, N scale may be your best bet.  With some creativity, you can handle N or HO scale in limited space.

One solution that is becoming more popular is to use a narrow layout that goes along the walls of a room.  A two foot wide layout that runs around two or three walls of a room is a consideration.  You can even add an island that extends out into the room if you like. 

Another solution is a multi-level layout.  This solution makes use of a two feet shelf above a larger layout table.  A vertical spiral track, called a helix is used to move trains between each level.  There are a number of enthusiasts that use this approach.

Whatever the space you have, there are model railroad layout solutions that will work for you.

For ideas, tips, and solutions to model railroading questions, please check out Model Train Help.

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There are a number of choices  You could put it outside in your yard or your garden.  What about in a spare bedroom, or a corner of the basement?  Or are you going to have it running along the ceiling?

Each of these options have some advantages and disadvantages.  Going along the ceiling will limit some of the things you can do while having the layout in a spare bedroom will allow great flexibility.  But maybe you  want it out where everyone can see it.  In that case, the celing area may be perfect.

And a garden model railroad layout might be even more ambitious, but would allow you to do some things that you couldn’t do in a house.

In any case, what do you want to do?

If you still have questions, take a look at Model Train Help, which gives you a lot of information to help you with these questions and much more.

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Click here to find out how to avoid train wrecks!

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Model train tunnels aren’t difficult to add to your layout. You can buy kits that can be used to make a tunnel or you can make one yourself. You can purchased tunnels that simulate rock, stone, or wood. You can paint them to provide the best effect for your layout.

Tunnels are not that hard to make either. A particularly easy way is to crumple up some newspapers and put them on the tracks where you want your tunnel to be. Cover the newspapers with some cellophane. Then get a can of Great Stuff. This is that foam that you can get in almost any do-it-yourself like Home Depot, or stores like Walmart. You can use it spray into areas around your home that you want to fill with something.

Spray the foam over the newspapers, building it up to the approximate height–you can trim it later. Leave it overnight to set, and then remove the newspapers. You’ll have a great looking tunnel. All you need to do is shave it down to the desired height and shape and then paint it and you have a perfect tunnel.

Give it a try and see how easy it is to add a tunnel to your model railway layout.

If you are looking for great tips and helps like this, check out Model Train Help. It’s loaded with tons of information on everything you need to know about model railroading.

Tunnels for your Model Railway Layout is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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If you have the time and skill, you could also consider creating your own backdrop.  A blue sky with clouds is not terribly difficult to do and can add a lot to your model railway layout.  One thought is to simply have your layout over towards a wall and to paint the background right on the wall all the way up to the ceiling.  With a little more practice and skill you could also add mountains and trees. If you have interest in doing your own backdrops, check out Painting Backdrops for Your Model Railroad for information to help you.

Whatever you decide to do, your model railway layouts will be greatly enhanced by a great looking backdrop!

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Choosing a spring season for your model railway layout might invoke visions of flowers, and trees starting to blossom.  You might include farmers starting to plow fields.

Building your model railway layout around the summer would lead you to have fully green trees, green lawns and shrubs, summer time activities like sports, fishing, swimming.

An autumn railroad layout could be designed using beautiful fall colors, trees starting to lose their leaves, fields starting to turn brown, farmers bring crops in, and children returning to school.

Winter is a wonder season to use with your model railway layout.  Fields or mountains covered with snow, rivers and lakes frozen, with people ice skating, sledding, skiing, or other winter sports.  Snowmen, Christmas trees, and many other winter themes would make your layout great.

If you haven’t considered using a season in the design of your model railway layout, think about what it might bring to the layout you are designing.  It might bring just the perfect touch!

photo credit: H Dickins

Incorporating the Season into Your Model Railway Layout is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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Do you want to focus on a particular era of railroading?  Perhaps the Steam Engine Era, or maybe something more modern?

What do you want the trains to be doing?  Are they transporting logs from a logging camp in the mountains?  Or carrying people back and forth between cities?  Maybe they are hauling freight across the country?  There are many possibilities that you could consider.

As you think about the theme for your model railway layout, consider the setting. Do you want an industrial setting with buildings and factories in an urban setting?  Or do you prefer the mountains with tunnels and rivers?  Perhaps you like a farm setting?  What about near the ocean?  Use you imagination and see what types of settings you like.

You could decide to recreate a very particular setting, like the Durango/Silverton railway line. You could decide to focus on a season, like winter with snow and frozen lakes and rivers.

These are only a few of the possibilities that you could consider.  Take some time to look at books, magazines, pictures, and videos to see what types of themes you like.  Take a trip to your local hobby or model railway store.

In the end, choose a theme that you think you will have fun with.  A lot of the fun in model railroading is figuring what you can do to create your model railway layout around the theme that you have chosen!

photo credit: °Florian

How To Choose a Model Railway Layout Theme is a post from: Best Model Railway Layouts

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