Posts Tagged ‘model train track’
Model Train Table
Is this where you plan to put your model train layout? That looks pretty good but did you say it floods a bit in here when in Winter. Yeah that’s the drawback, isn’t it? People have lots of diverse locations that they place their hobby trains and each has its different benefits and problems. Let’s think this through a bit:
Just throw it on the floor like your laundry in college:
The lazy solution is to just leave it on the ground. This preserves the time and trouble of getting or making a hobby table, but it is not very good for tinier locomotives. Bending over and kneeling down do not make for the best hobbying experiences for adults. The bird’s eye view of the tinier gauges foregrounds the weaknesses of theses locomotives. It also addes to the chances of taking unexpected slips when you accidentally step on your trains. You really need a display hobby locomotive surface for the HO and smaller variety locomotives. Even O locomotives look better on a train table.
Pre-existing shelves, the fortunate lazy man’s option
If you’re really fortunate there is a location in your house that is already elevated and large enough that it can play a dual role as display area. This natural shelf answers the problem of line of sight perhaps and if you are extremely fortunate can find the perfect place for our toy trains. This is certainly better than putting your locomotives on the carpet for the visual aspect of things. You might try to fool yourself into believing that you have found the perfect spot but think of the problem aspects of this arrangement. These spaces tend to be too small for a hobby train layout and they tend not to be configured in the right way. So, such spots dictate a host of limitations to your toy training. This is never a good way to grow your model train empire.
Another fortunate possibility is that you happen to have a spare area just lying around somewhere:
Some hobby trainers just use an old table they had lying around unused. This helps in that you can carry it to the spot you would like, but the majority of tables that are not specifically built for toy training have other problems. Not only are many such tables wobbly, but you still have to adjust your train display to fit with the pre-existing measurements of your area rather than the other way around.
A table that screams “I’m cheap but I know the value of hard work crafting”:
For the make-it-from-scratch crowd, nothing is better than creating and building a display area themselves. It is incredibly satisfying to design a table that exactly matches the precise requirements of our track plan. You can also really give your locomotive surface some unique personality in this manner. This isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t that into making furniture then you’ll want to avoid trying this. Just as large of a drawback is the fact that such tables tend to be permanently one size and as your hobby training empire expands you have to go through the trouble of building yet another surface to increase your surface area. Also, if you are pressed for time, this will really add a substantial amount of time that you have to spend getting ready before you even start your actual model locomotiveing. I won’t put down homemade tables except to say that if your engineering talents don’t extend beyond model locomotives, trying to build a surface can really be a black hole of time and effort that you may not have much to show for on the other side.
Hobby tables, the option if for those who are willing to shell out the clams:
There are these special kind of hobby table that is just perfect for hobby locomotiveing. They are called “domino” tables because that can be connected on any side to form any shape, no matter how idiosyncratic the shape. The tables also can be adjusted to sit at more than one height so that you can customize it to the specifics of the surroundings you’ll be displaying your locomotive setup in. They let you realize your mental plan as you saw it. Also, because they are lightweight they can more easily be moved out of the way and since they can easily be changed and added to as you see fit, they can grow with your model training ambitions. You can also more easily transport your table if you want to show your design around. For this reason, these areas are really the best decision for toy locomotive displays.
With your area decision out of the way you are now free to really embark on your hobby locomotive adventure. Good lucky and happy hobbying!
Here is more information on Model Train Track. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.
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Track Plans for Model Railroads
Just getting started huh? Well, it’s probably a wonderful suggestion to start fundamental to get going. It’s wonderful to conceive of the first fundamental track design as one of three possible seeds that you are going to develop into a huge more tangled layout. Choosing one of them gives you a good starting point from which to expand your toy train empire. So which kernel to choose? Here are some tips:
Start by choosing the area your toy locomotive will reside in:
Recall that the more area you have the more options you give yourself for expanding your empire. Be aware there are some simple location requirements under which you really won’t be able to build any track at all. Your tracks need their elbow room for turns. Too sharp a turn and you will have constant derailments, so don’t attempt to do too much in too little of a location.
What is the minimum location?
Alright, well here are the extreme minimum requirements for location. You can never get too huge but you can definitely get too small. So here they are: If you have the little guys, N size trains, you will need at least a 2’ x 4’ area. If you have HO models like one of the many beginner kits made by Bachmann, then you’ll need a 4’ x 8’ space. If you you’re into those O scale Lionel locomotives, you’ll need an 8’ x 16’ area. Don’t even bother penning up those G scales inside—they should go out in your back yard with the other wild things. You’ll only be capable of doing the most simple designs with these minimums. If you want more than a fundamental oval then the price is more real estate. You should really think of them as a starting point and not a goal.
What can you do within these fundamental requirements?
There are 3 basic designs that work in these spaces. The oval shape is the most common and straight forward setup for most beginning model train enthusiasts. You leave the inside usused like a donut hole or fill it with a creamy mountain or jelly model city and then just wrap a circuit around the edges. Think Matterhorn at Disneyland with the Disneyland Monorail circling around it. The version I saw was fairly successful for what it was trying to do. The second option is to have a figure 8. It divides the circuit into four areas, though none really leaves much room to do much. But if you’re mainly into watching the locomotives go round this is a wonderful track. Like the pebble dropped in a pond effect? Then concentric circles is your setup. Most beginners end up making this into a locomotive yard and then expanding outward from this seed.
Any other suggestions for rookies?
My giant suggestion would be that you use what are called domino tables. With these tables you can configure your display space to any shape you can imagine. Since we often change our minds as we expand our tracks, these tables are a God send. Wife bothering you about what an eye sore your circuit has become? Just move it. It’s no huge deal with hobby tables. So you’ll still be able to park your car in the garage.
Just remember the usual cliché; a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Most complications that you dream up never really materialize, while the complications you’re not even thinking of can really cripple a train project. But figuring out a solution to a seemingly untenable complication can be half the fun of model locomotives. So why are you still here? Get going!
Here is more information on Model Train Track. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.
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