So you are thinking about buying a train set or getting into model railways, welcome to a page which I hope will give you a few options to get you started in this wonderful hobby, if you have any specific questions please feel free to email me (address at bottom of page) and I'll be more than willing to help, I remember what it was like starting out, the shear number of acronyms was mind boggling! Enjoy!
This page is designed for people who are thinking about getting into "trains", an intentionally all encompassing ambiguous topic. There is significant crossover between followers on Twitter and Instagram of "Trainspotters" and "Model Rail Enthusiasts". Whilst there are certain Facebook pages that expressly prohibit any crossover between the two. Whilst everyone doesn't share the same opinion as me, I'm sure there is a fairly significant percentage of model railway/railroaders that also have "Trainspotted", even if it is not actively going out to spot, like me if you spot a nice loco/train then you may take a photo/video of it (and shamelessly add it to your latest YouTube video :) ). Therefore on this page I give several options for people to get more exposure to trains, some of which are free, some of which take little to no time at all and some which are heavily involved, financially and time wise... and everything in between. This page will grow with time if you think there is anything to add please give me an email.
#1 Model Railway Options - The Fundamentals
#3 Planning a model railway (or railroad for my visitors across the pond, the concepts are the same)...
#4 How much does a two loop layout cost, with a couple of trains? DCC
So there are a few fundamental questions that continually arise when people think about starting a model railway (the options are identical for Railroads too so will use these terms analogously), there are a few others but these are the ones that appear most often in social media and in forums.
What can I do in the space I have available?
How much is it going to cost me?
How much time am I going to need to invest?
Can I have inclines in the space I have available?
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This is is an interesting one, it starts with scale and/or gauge. The smaller the scale you go the more you can fit in, there are layouts that fill whole gardens in G scale or there are tiny beautiful 009 scale shelf layouts. As a rule the smaller you go the less robust (and a bit more fiddly to work with) the trains and to some extent tracks become, so if you are thinking of buying a layout for your child then maybe go for a nice middle of the road OO or HO layout, it is a nice compromise between robustness and space requirements, they are also the one that is most served by the suppliers in the UK and the states respectively. The rest of this section will focus on OO/HO, I'm currently in OO and it's the thing I know most about. There are some absolutely stunning layouts out there built on literally shelves (maybe 30cm or a foot across and a couple of feet long) and they are a great inspiration for what you can do in a small space. These are typically shunting or branch line layouts. If you want to be able to have your trains run "continuously" you will need a loop, this is what typically comes in a basic train set, some third radius curves (setrack curves come in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th radius, 3rd radius is a nice compromise between the tightness of the bend and the space required) and some straights. You can pick up one of these basic DC (see here for a comparison with DCC) train sets for around £100 - £120 direct from Hornby (like the one on the right, which is also DCC ready, see here for what that means) and they come with everything you need to get started, the track, a power pack, a loco and some wagons (for freight) or coaches (for people/passengers). This is the simplest way to get into the hobby, you have everything you need to get started out of the box, it comes from a reputable supplier and importantly is DCC ready so if in the future you want to switch to DCC you can (for a smaller cost than if you chose a purely DC loco). |
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In terms of the space that you need for your layout, as described above a "shelf layout", i.e. going back and fore, stopping at each end can be done in a very small space. However, if you want a loop; Hornby, Peco and the other big track manufacturers provide useful track geometries, for example this one here from Hornby (click the image to expand it):
Now to the uninitiated and to be honest sometimes me as well, that figure can look a little daunting. But what it really means is that to have a basic loop using 3rd radius curves you need an absolute minimum of 1.2m (4ft) width, this gives you 5cm around each of the edges of the board, which is tight. If you then have a couple of straights joining each of these curves you need around a minimum of 6ft x 4ft (coincidentally a common board size you can get from B&Q or Wickes ;) ). If you don't have 4ft available then you can switch to 2nd radius curves (be warned that this is now getting tighter, it won't look quite as good and some locos {each loco will have information on what curve it can handle} may start having issues) and do it within 1m (3.3ft) width, then with a couple of straights to join the curves you have about a 4 x 3ft as an absolute minimum, it's worth also noting that the tighter your curves (lower the radius # on your curves) then the less space you will also have in the middle of the loop for sidings, scenery. I have a first radius loop (or half loop strictly) on my layout so I have put together a video of me running my locos (Class 121 and Class 37, both fairly big diesels) around the first radius curves to see how they got on: I would personally recommend having at least one or two sidings, otherwise all you can do is have one train run around and around, which will entertain for a few hours or a couple of days but then the excitement will wear off. To keep things simple I will illustrate this with Hornby track packs, you can also buy these tracks individually from other suppliers. This is the track pack A which will set you back around 20 pounds. It contains a point (which allows you to change the circuit that your train is on, change track if you like) and some track which allows you to create a siding (where you can park wagons etc.). It should be noted that it doesn't allow you to have two (one running, one parked up) locos (for DC) on the layout at once, I won't go into the detail of why here, but if you would like to have two locos then you will need another track pack, an easy rule of thumb is that for each loco you'd like to run you need at least that many points, so for 2 locos you need 2 points, that way you can have one parked up and one whizzing around. Also note this takes up a bit more space (only 10cm or so), but you can easily have a right handed point which would put the siding (the bit at the top in red) on the inside of the loop.
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The amount of time required to invest in this wonderful hobby can be very small indeed, going down the train set route is very straightforward, if we assume as is typical the track is put away each night in the box, getting it out and setting it up again the next day (for a simple loop and siding) will take less than 20 minutes, less than 10 once you have got used to it and putting it away will be even quicker. Putting it away takes half the time. If you go down the modelling route it can take considerably longer (particularly if you have a busy job and young kids!), but you can develop into that incrementally, using the stuff you have bought in the train set on your "layout", this offsets the costs and time required to develop the layout of your dreams.
Right, how long is a piece of string? We can quite accurately get numbers for the bottom end of the scale and I will give you some idea of what some of the "big guys" have spent, but of course this page is for Brand New Starters so I will focus on the bottom end.
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As mentioned above (for DC) for around 140 pounds you can get everything you need to get started, power, loco, coaches and track, this also includes a siding to add a little bit of operational interest. It doesn't include a track mat or baseboard, so it will all be happening on the floor or on a table, but everyone needs to start somewhere. IF you want to go down the DCC route then there are also some really cheap (and amazing value) bundles available. I haven't used but have heard very good things about the Hornby Mixed Freight train set, when you bear in mind that you get a shedload of track, two locos and a Hornby Select for around £190 on Amazon (click the picture for a link *AL) that is astounding really, I bought the Hornby Select controller for my layout for 125 pounds! That's two DCC !fitted! locos, wagons and track for around 70 pounds, I don't know how they can do it that cheap, a DCC fitted loco can set you back 100 pound or more... |
There are a few factors to bear in mind, DCC locos do cost more, however they also hold their value better, most (there are exceptions) new entrants into model railways use DCC, there are numerous locos being designed all of the time and as discussed below in the DCC V DC section if you want to be able to drive the loco not the track and have additional features like adjustable lights and sound then DCC may well be for you (it is for me).
Now this is obviously quite a variable space. On eBay today (3rd July 2020) I found a few DC second hand train sets available for around the 60-70 pound mark. I have had many good experiences on eBay, like the retaining walls and tunnels I purchased (review and details here) and a couple of not so good ones, it's personal preference really, go for people with great reviews - you'll be better off even if you pay a bit more and of course most of the big model rail shops are on there sometimes offering discounted new goods. I'm slowly becoming a convert and spending too much on there :) .
For around 100ish pounds you can get everything you need to have a DC round and around loopy layout, for around 200 pound you can have a DCC equivalent (although you will also have two locos, admittedly shunters, but DCC fitted!) and a Hornby Select, I know what my choice would be, but we each have our own wallets etc to be conscious of.
It is worth noting that some of the bigger modellers (I will share the results of a poll I have conducted on social media shortly) can spend in the order of up to 50 pounds a month, but when compared to being a member of a golf course or smoking 20 a day it compares very favourably.
There are two fundamental ways to operate locomotives (locos), I'm not going to go into the detail here at all, just give you the fundamentals which might influence which way you go with your layout.
One of the fundamental choices that would seem to exist and is sometimes purported to exist by some YouTube channels is a choice between Train Sets or Modelling. I don't think that it exists, there is no black and white to this and for fear of using a phrase that has changed meaning in the past few years there are just shades of grey. There are people who scratch build everything, in some cases even track and locos, there are some people who buy a train set and are more than happy using that (as I was from around 11 - 16 years old) and there is everything in between. You can transition from having a train set, to start doing some scenics, to buying some flex track (which is cheaper than you think) to building a mountain, it just takes time and enthusiasm (and a bit of money each year). So don't feel like you have to be pigeon holed, ignore the rivet counters (people who spend their time having a go at people on social media because they are not being "prototypical" and exactly copying such a such a loco) there are 10 times more people who will help you in this great hobby, I have gone from knowing nothing to knowing a little bit more in a few years with massive assistance from people only too willing to give it, and to them I say thank you.
Now this is a tricky one. One of the best things about truly bringing a layout to life in my mind is having trains run up and down a hill, have a train run over a bridge and over the top of another one, it's a great spectacle. Now the problem.... In reality trains typically don't go up more than about a 1 in 100 gradient, i.e. in 100 metres they only gain 1 metre of height. To have a train be high enough to go another one you need to have your bridge (dependent on the thickness of the bridge deck etc.) about 7cm higher than the track below. So using the "real" allowable grades you would need !!7m!! of "run up" to get your train high enough to go over another one, this is obviously not practical for the majority of us. Model railwayers have a rule of thumb that says 1 in 50 should be the maximum grade that modellers use, that would require 3.5m to get your train up 7cm, this is in my mind also nonsensical. When I have raised this in fora people have just told me to make do with having a flat layout, but I don't accept that so I am putting together an incline calculator over the next couple of weeks (on my useful tools page) with a companion YouTube video showing my locos going up the inclines that I am indicating as being achievable. I am going to show what is possible, not necessarily what is recommended, but it's the only way I have found of getting a nice bit of elevation into my layout. A few rules of thumb if you are thinking of steep inclines, keep your trains short (and light), keep your inclines running straight (the friction increase with trains on a tight curve going up hill is significant), use heavy diesel locos and before you build anything test test test.
All of the options available to you to get into trains. From real, to model, to virtual, from free, to cheap, to expensive, I've got it all covered in the flowsheet below (slightly tongue in cheek), click it to see it full screen.
Now that you have done it hopefully the rest of the website is now of interest to you, check it out. If you managed to come out of the flowsheet and it turns out you don't want to get into model railways or watch my videos, then check out Essential Craftsman (if you like carpentry) or Tom Scott (if you like interesting, slightly geeky fun facts), they pass hours of time for me on YouTube.... Thanks for taking the time to take a look at my decision tree. I also own Train Sim World, and it is a lot of fun, particularly if you don't like high pressured think quick games, you can spend 20 mins literally just watching the world go by your windscreen, more fun than it sounds....
So you've completed my tongue in cheek decision tree and made up your mind that model railways are for you. Whether you are going down a set track approach using standard radius curves etc. or you have opted for an approach that uses flexible track, there are some fundamentals that can influence your design process.
1. Watch lots of YouTube channels, there are numerous channels that can provide you with input, I spent a year watching them (extreme I know) before I "settled" on my layout (see Point 5 below)
2. Decide whether you are going to build a layout "based" (and this can just mean station names or scenery or something, as based implies something more, it doesn't...) on somewhere in particular, or somewhere completely fictional. Either option is perfectly fine, I've seen great examples of both.
3. Join a few Facebook groups on model railways, some are a bit snooty, but there is generally a good balance of people in them, share your layout plans in them, email me, I'm more than happy to cast my eye over what you are proposing and am only ever constructive.
4. Ties in with 2 really, think about what "Era" you would like to model in, again this can be loose as Step 2. I think a nice rule of thumb is if you like to have as much flexibility as possible choose a more recent era, that way you can always run "old" stock on your lines and in my case run a steam train on the heritage line.... You can't bring trains from the future :). Or you can be completely era independent, again there are no hard and fast rules and only some rivet counters will pick you up on it.
5. Don't be afraid to modify, throw out, start again a layout design, I think I'm on my 23rd iteration.
6. So.... You've done all of the above and know at a high level what you want to model/build. Now you come to the nitty gritty. Peruse the forums for inspiration and get yourself a track plan book, I had the Hornby Track Plan book when I was younger and I just enjoyed reading it, dreaming of having a 4 loop layout!! Yowser. For this time around I have used the Peco Track Plan book for inspiration 
7. Work out how much space you have to play with, do my reachability analysis test. Email me if you would like a hand with this.
8. Design your baseboard and if it's a permanent structure your baseboard legs, how high would you like your board to be, there is a lot of variation in this and no "right answer", depends on your height and how you would like to see your trains. If you are short on space bear in mind that a central operator well (even though it is a pain in the backside to crawl into {bridges are an option}) minimises the impact of short radius curves as it allows you to see trains from the inside of the curve, i.e. not the obtuse angle that they will form on the outside of a radius 1 curve (I need a diagram to explain this better, but trust me it's a good thing). Video down below and more details on my Layout Construction page.
9. Sketch out your track plan on a piece of paper.
10. There is some divergence in opinion for step 9, so I will give you the Top 3:
| Number | Pros | Cons |
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1. Use a free or purchased railway modelling software package to design your track and scenery. Like I have done here, it's easier than you think: |
Can be done easily multiple times Has 3D visualisation, very helpful to let you see how the layout will look "in reality" |
May have to buy software In reality clearances may not be as big as they appear on screen... some fettling will be required... |
| 2. Print out full scale track "pieces" from Hornby or Peco (dependent on your track supplier choice, they are available on their websites). Place them on your baseboard and see how everything fits. |
Doesn't require any outlay of money, apart from a bit of printing... Allows you to see real clearances on your board, how busy it looks. |
Slightly time consuming to print them all off and cut them out. Are not strictly 3D so cannot lay them on inclines and can affect the visualisation |
| 3. Buy some track, either some flextrack or some setrack pieces that you know you will definitely need, don't buy exotic 3 way turnouts or something, just the essentials, some straights, some curves. Place them on your baseboard and working in sectors (as you won't have bought enough track for your whole layout) see how it fits.... |
Nothing "fake" about this. Can reduce the hit from a budget perspective, as you can buy the track one month and then do your design work then the next month by the remainder. |
Can only do one sector at a time.... Or one loop. Might end up with some track that is surplus to requirements. |
You're now ready to build....Be ready to adapt though....
So how much is a fairly straightforward two loop layout, DCC, two sound locos and one basic shunter? A passenger train, consisting of the Aberdonian Train Pack from Hornby, the Tornado and 3 MK1 coaches. And a Freight train consisting of a Class 37 with 6 coal wagons and a Janus Shunter to beaver away in the sidings. The layout also includes a crossover and two sidings. Over a year the layout will cost you around 20 quid per week to put together.... There are cheaper options as I discuss above, but this layout can be the start of something big and can grow with your ambitions, you don't have to throw any of it away as you go along.
Overview
Okay, so this is an overview of what you could build (there are lots of variations of course) for a simple two loop layout:
The main expenditure for the majority of model railway layouts is locomotives, particularly once you go down the sound route.
I have five locos currently in my "fleet", four of them are sound, one of them (the Golden Valley Hobbies) Janus Shunter does not have sound. To attempt to keep costs down 2 of the locos are also second hand.
Let's take a look at the fleet now:
So, first up is my Class 43 (Intercity 125) loco from Hornby. It's got a place in my heart as I also had this loco when I had a train set when I was 14 years old. I got it second hand on eBay and somebody had converted it from DC to TTS sound fitted and working lights in the locos and the carriage, this must have been quite an undertaking. Unfortunately at the moment the train is not a great runner, but I am confident I can get it back up and running smoothly. I guess that is the risk (greater risk at least) of buying second hand locos compared to first hand (although if you watch enough YT videos there are certainly a lot! of people with individual issues).
The next loco in my fleet is probably my best bargain, a Dapol Class 121, I got it for around 90 quid delivered, which is very impressive for a good detailed loco, complete with lights and it's a good runner. I couldn't be more happy with it. It now has a working ESU Loksound decoder, so I can enjoy it in all of it's sound glory.
The third loco in my fleet is a steam train, I have a heritage line which gives me the excuse to run some steam :) and I'm very happy I made that decision, steam does really add a different dimension, particularly with sound, I'm chuffed with it! The loco in question is a Hornby Tornado, it came as part of the "Aberdonian" train pack which includes 3 MK 1 coaches. I also managed to get a TTS sound decoder and iPhone 5 speaker into it (it was quite a squeeze!).
The fourth loco in my fleet is my cheapest, it's a Golden Valley Hobbies Janus Shunter, and also my only loco without sound. I don't currently plan on getting sound into it, but who knows once I run out of workbench tasks to do.... It was a very good runner initially and I've just bought a wheel cleaner so I can make sure it stays that way, it seems to have more build up on the wheels than other comparable locos with same running times.
The fifth and final loco in my fleet is my favourite, it's a ViTrains Class 37 "Caerphilly Castle". I have ridden a Class 37 on numerous occasions on the Valleys Lines, both in the past and in more recent times. As such it has a special place in my heart. I have also recently installed a TTS chip into it with an upgraded iPhone 5 speaker and my goodness does it make a difference, of all my locos sound added to this one really adds something special.
Cheers,
| Date | News |
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| 23/06/2020 | New Home Page constructed. New design and feel. New pages added, including a "How To" section.... |
| 11/06/2020 | For those of you have suffered my terrible website to date, I have decided to write a new one. Started the new coding today, will probably take me a week or two to get a V2.0 uploaded, until then I can only apologise. |
| 15/05/2020 | I have a new loco!! My fleet has doubled. Got a lovely new ViTrains Class 37 "Caerphilly Castle" |
| 12/05/2020 | Finally worked out how to get my Guestbook up and running: http://www.aberhaltjunction.co.uk/guestbook/gbook.php?a=sign |
| 11/05/2020 | Updated my Layout Construction page |
| 10/05/2020 | Got my first few YouTube subscribers, THANK YOU all!! |
| 10/05/2020 | Uploaded my first "real" YouTube video, introducing my layout. |
| 04/05/2020 | May the forth be with you! Joined MRYCG on Facebook, what a great place, so much inspiration, from basic to expert. |
| 01/05/2020 | Uploaded my first ever YouTube video!!  |
| 01/05/2020 | New version of website uploaded, landing page complete plus "About Me" Section. |
| 30/04/2020 | Work started in earnest on the New (improved hopefully) Website. |
| 30/04/2020 | Hornby affiliate account kindly accepted by Hornby, thanks!  |
| 26/04/2020 | Draft 1 of the website launched. YouTube Channel created, with no videos yet! |
I hope you enjoy your visit around my website, I hope you find it is an improvement on my last incarnation. If you have something which puzzled you for ages and then you managed to fix, please feel free to share it with me, I'm sure you won't be the only person who has the issue. Please feel free to drop me an email, sign my guestbook (very 80's I know) or tweet me with any recommendations that you may have, I'm always learning.
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Read all about it on my home page here.
Contact me with any comments or questions, I'm always keen to learn:
OOGauge; Model Railways; Model Railroad; aberhaltjunction; hornby; hornby select; dapol; class 121; ESU; Loksound V5.0; Hobby; Shed; Class 121; Class 37; Beginners; Trains
