Lionel Mth

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April 25th, 2009 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

What Makes Model Railroading Fun

Model Railroading is a great hobby for kids and adults alike. I have been doing it since I was in high school. I have always been interested in miniatures since the age of 3. There are all types of scales to work with: O, HO, N, S, Z, etc. HO is the most common. HO scale is 1.2.1 (stands for Half O). HO scale is what I use for mine. It seems to work for me and it seems to have the most accessories available for my layout.

When I was a kid, I had a TYCO, that was my first train set. Lionel was my brother's train set (Lionel is one of the most common larger gauges at regular O scale). N scale is the most common smaller scales.

Model railroading takes lots of planning and patience, but once you see the finished product, the work pays off. You have to plan how many trains you are going to run, what type of scale is best for you, how large you want your layout, how many switches you are going to need, whether you want passenger or freight trains, just to start.

Accessories need to be planned also. You will need crossing signals, buildings (freight or passenger station, water tower, railroad buildings, etc.), lights, cars, people & animals, houses & businesses, telephone poles, etc. You will also need to plan your landscaping and wiring (for the trains, and lighted or working accessories), so will need more than 1 power pack, because if you are running several trains, you will need separate power packs to operate each train, plus a separate power pack for the accessories.

The landscaping usually consists of: trees, bushes, shrubs, track bedding, roads, tunnels, and if you want to be creative, mountains and rivers. (you actually don't need water, they can be mad with a resin & hardener).

I am running 2 freight trains on a 8 x 8 layout, with 3 power packs, 4 track switches, several buildings and houses, and still dreaming of having a huge Model Railroad that will make people stare in awe. Even thought I love my trains, they also need maintenance. The engines need oiling to keep them running at their best (just don't get any oil on the tracks).

There is lots more to learn about model railroading. I learn something new everyday!

When I got started in model railroading, I found this book to be helpful. I looked at http://ziprl.com/mth, This is one the great books that helped me get started. I am glad that they keep updating their editions.

I wish everyone good luck on their model railroading, It can be very rewarding for you and your family.

Happy Model Railroading!!

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Lionel Mth