So you've been thinking about model trains as a hobby, but do not know where to begin. Your first step is to visit your local hobby shop and look at all the different possibilities. It can be quite overwhelming at first. There are many different gauges of trains, layouts, literature,accessories, landscaping, power and wiring accessories. Here are a few basics to consider when planning your train layout.

The first step is to decide on what gauge you will be devoting your layout to. There are many factors to take into account of which the first consideration should be how much space you have for your layout. This will help you to determine which gauge you will want to go with. The smallest size starts at Z gauge increasing in size N, HO, S, O, O27, G and right up to a size that you can ride on. A good hobby shop will be able to show you the differences involved. For example if you are working with a smaller space such as a 2ft. X 4ft. table to work with, perhaps Z gauge is for you (Z gauge locomotives quite often measure around 50 mm or 2 inches long). With this scale, you could make a substantial layout in a very small area. You can always expand on your layout later as if you desire and can afford the room.

Once you've determined the gauge, layout and era are the next phase to determine. Era is simple. It's all a question of whether you prefer a 1) steam, 2) steam and diesel or 3) just diesel. If you want a layout from the 1920's, you would want solely steam locomotives. If the 1950's is your theme, both steam and diesel could contribute to your layout. A present day layout would use modern equipment with perhaps a steam engine thrown in for nostalgia.

There is also a huge variety of structures, vehicles, equipment and landscaping accessories available regardless of which era you are doing. From the small town to the coal mining town and right to the big city, there are accessories available.

Next we get to the fun part, layout. There are endless supplies of resource materials available not only from your hobby shop but also from libraries and book stores. You can also visit train yards, clubs, old historic yards and you can go through local community records to get ideas. All of these sources of material will put you well on your way to helping you decide on the configuration you want.

There are still a great many options and ideas to come for your layout as it proceeds and as you continue to do research. To begin with though, stick to the basics, take it slow and enjoy the construction process. A lot of railroaders say the most fun is taking it apart and reconfiguring it over again. HAPPY RAILROADING!