Some kits are so realistic, it doesn’t make sense to go through the hand crafted, drawn out process of doing it yourself.  A train trestle might be an engineering feat that you don’t feel comfortable undertaking.  At least if you buy it, someone else has already engineered and tested the product.  The worst thing you can do is to put the parts together in an inferior way.

Trees are the scenery objects that all modelers struggle to perfect.  Many crafters will use the greenery from herbs or other plants for the leaves on trees, but even that leaves the process of finding enough twigs to use for the tree trunks.  After a few attempts that yield results that are less than desirable, it is understandable why some elect to buy them in bulk.

Common types of train accessory kits include houses and commercial buildings.  A kit may have lighting, furniture, and people figurines to go with it.  According to the train scale you are using, attempting to recreate the same project at home is difficult.  Making very small pieces can wear on the nerves and make for some very long hours only to produce a small amount of finished work.

A typical kit for a garage might consist of miniature gas pumps, signage for the entire building, a mechanic and a customer, at least one vehicle, tools and equipment, and some added props like old tires.  Although some of the kit is usually pre-assembled, it still requires some effort on the part of the modeler.

Walls for buildings might be in place with the floors attached to them, but the roof will usually be detached in model buildings to allow placement of furnishings and people inside.  Windows might be the type that fold out or those that glue into place.

Written instructions for completing a kit are usually precise enough to get a moderately intelligent person to completion in a much shorter time than if the same project were done by hand.  There are final touches for all train kits that can only be accomplished in the field, such as aging the exterior or applying graffiti to walls.

A few years from now, no one will know whether you made everything by hand or bought parts from a vendor.  If your train setup meets your expectations, that is all that really matters.

Most modelers today have layouts that rely heavily on model train kits, but each undertakes to use them somewhat differently and finish them in their own unique way.  A bridge that has been sold to thousands of modelers might look very different based on the way it is finished or tied into the other landscaping.

First, you have to be familiar with history and civics to plan a community. Some modelers who are not sincere in their efforts will put a random collection of buildings, automobiles, and trains together that are not of the same era. This only makes a poor setup that takes about as much time to complete a more authentic one.

No layout will work properly if the builder doesn’t have some civil engineering prowess. A great idea for a layout has to work in the real world, not just in the imagination. Curves must meet minimum standards to be sure trains won’t overturn should they be moving at top speed. Inclines in the track must be planned so that the engine can successfully make the climbs and not gain too much speed on the decline.

Getting your benchwork started takes good carpentry skills. The foundation must be solid enough that there won’t be much movement as landscapes develop and tracks are laid around the setup. If everything is not sufficiently attached, the whole system can tumble to the floor and all the work will be in vain.

After the benchwork is completed, there is still a lot of carpentry type work to be done in small scale. It is never possible to find or buy all the intricate detail work that is necessary for the layout. The pieces that fill in between major parts of the system are usually handmade with tiny pieces whittled out of wood to exact dimensions and specifications.

Some basic electrical skills are necessary to get your train to move, your streetlights to work, to light up the buildings, and countless other items. If a person doesn’t understand how electrical current works, it is difficult to make all the parts perform the way they are supposed to. Of course, the trains usually have some instructions that will guide a beginner to accomplish the most simplistic design.

A good knowledge of digital command control and sound are necessary to make the set believable. Trains have to be properly timed if more than one is running on the same tracks. Switching has to be controlled to make sure there are no collisions. Computer expertise comes in handy if a setup is running by use of software that monitors all the train functions.

Aside from the primary skills mentioned, there are all the small ones that have to work together to finish a layout. Painting skills are helpful in producing shade variations, antiquing, and many other effects that give a more realistic appearance. Working with materials that must be mixed, formed, or poured is just another of the many facets of model train building.

Exhibitions can be at train shows, or they may be setup permanently for the amusement of model train lovers.  Miniature Wonderland is the largest model train exhibition in the world, and it is open almost every day.  Its layouts cover trains of the major countries of the world, each having a section of the huge display area.

The Miniature Railroad and Village in Pennsylvania is year round exhibit that features trains from the early American railroad era, especially the area around Pittsburgh.  Scenes are fashioned after actual places, depicting the way they looked when the vintage trains were running.

Live steam exhibits are found in several different areas.  The scale of the trains varies from one location to another, but most of them are large enough to carry passengers.  Train Mountain Railroad Museum at Crater Lake National Park has over 25 miles of track on which to run their 1/8 scale steam trains.

Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, Train Mountain is said to be the largest hobby railroad in the world.  It is a non-profit organization attempting to preserve the American heritage of trains.

As most people know, Walt Disney was a train enthusiast from his early years.  Much of his original Disneyland had train themes woven into it.  One of the large attractions of Disney World has been the monorail.

What many people may not have known about Disney was that he had his own steam train exhibition in his California back yard.  He did much of the work on the train and boxcars himself in his spare time.  He used this private exhibit to amuse the children and even some grownups in his community.

Neil Young, who has credits with several bands of the sixties and seventies as well as his own solo career, has always been a model train lover.  He has a continuing exhibition on his ranch, which utilizes all natural scenery.  He has mostly Lionel trains because of his one time association with the company as a partner.

Many well-known and influential people have had their own public and private train exhibitions.  When people say that model trains aren’t popular anymore, they don’t look at the broad picture.  As long as the interest is there, there will be train show and layouts for the public’s amusement.

Model railway exhibitions turn up at county fairs, world expos, and they are still fascinating and fun for all the kids, no matter how old they may be.

Although there is still a passionate following, model trains have become less desired by the masses, and all of the companies have to stay very competitive to remain in the game.  New technology has brought more interest by coupling the train with the computer and supplying better ways to do the processes of running complicated setups.

Lionel’s bell cow for the technology era has been the Legacy control system, the hand held mind of the train setup.  Other companies have similar ways to speak to the chips of their trains, but the Legacy has been a favorite of modelers since its arrival on the scene.

Speed can be controlled by 200 different settings, and the acceleration is handled by a round knob that can be turned with one finger.  A single rotation takes the train from dead stop to full speed.  Speeds that you select can be remembered by the handset to use at any time you choose.

One wire from the base to the handheld remote is all that’s needed to run all the controls necessary for the operation of the train, lights, and other items.  Multiple locomotives can be controlled with the system, allowing timing for those critical situations where one train must be clear of the track before another can cross.

With RailSounds added to the Legacy control, realistic train noises are produced to match the type locomotive you are running.  Volume controls allow for getting the sound to the perfect match of your layout.  You can even add your own signature sounds of diesel horns and steam whistles.

Sounds are also imitated for crew talk and dispatcher.  Each engineer has a different voice and accent to make it easy to identify which locomotive the dispatcher is speaking with when he calls.  The communications are staged to match what is actually happening with the train, whether it is stopped or pulling into a station.

RailSounds has eight RPM levels that match the eight “run levels” of real diesel locomotives.  The intensity of the steam chuffs can be varied at fifteen levels, all at the standard four chuffs per revolution.

The bell can be played automatically by the system, or you can manually override it any way you desire.  With the entire package of sounds available, you will think you are at the actual rail yard.

The market might be soft for model trains, but the products themselves are top notch.  The Lionel model train is a true contender for the best in models and controllers.

Carlisle’s company specialized in vanity items sold to wealthy constituents in Louisiana and other parts of the south.  After the Civil War, Carlisle’s business merged with Henry G. Bachmann’s competing firm.  This company became Bachmann Brothers in 1899, and in the year 1902, they began to use celluloid in their products.

Bachmann made their first glass frames in 1912, and introduced the first American made sunglasses in 1927.  Shortly thereafter, the company moved to its final American address in Philadelphia.  The early entry into the plastics market gave Bachmann an advantage over other companies that followed.

It was not until the end of World War II that Bachmann Brothers entered into the world of model trains with their “Plasticville USA” line of kits for train scenery.  This consisted of all kinds of buildings made for O scale model trains.  The same product line is used today for American Flyer and Lionel trains, and the product line has been expanded to include HO and N scale trains.

Bachmann searched for an identity in the market by attempting several different types of plastic toy products including planes, helicopters, tanks, robots, slot cars, and other related items.  The company made an attempt at radio-controlled models, too.  In 1987, after their Chinese acquisition, they dropped all lines to concentrate on their now famous model train lines.

It was in 1968 that Bachmann first entered the model train market.  The N scale model railroad had become popular at that time, and that was the scale originally built by the company.  In 1970, Bachmann entered the HO scale market.  The present logo used by Bachmann was introduced in 1978.

The company went on to hold exclusive licenses to produce United Aircraft’s high-speed train line as well as those of Budd Company Passenger trains.  It is ironic that when other model train companies were going through acquisitions, mergers, and bankruptcies, Bachmann was entering the market.

The owners of Bachmann Brothers, the Crowther Brothers, decided to sell the train line in 1981 because of falling interest in model trains.  They sold to the Kader Group from China who had been making the trains for them.  The name of Bachmann Industries became the legal name after the sale.  By the year 1992, all cars for Bachmann Industries were being made in China.

The Chinese consortium has expanded the Bachman Model Trains name worldwide and has a strategy to take over other failing model businesses in Europe and put them under one name.

Frank Hornby had a vision and the good sense to get a patent on it.  In 1901, Hornby received his patent for “Meccano,” a model construction system with re-usable metal parts for making models and mechanical devices.  If you think this sounds like the “Erector Sets” from the American past, there’s good reason.

The clockwork train made in 1920 was a 0 gauge train, which is a 1:48 scale.  This was a popular size for 20 years.  A poorly designed electric train emerged from the production line shortly after the clockwork one, and the few units produced were shipped to France.  In 1925, Hornby introduced its first successful electric train line.  It operated on a 220-240V AC power system.  There were safety concerns for the high voltage and eventually the trains ran on a 20V AC system developed in the early 1930’s.

In 1938, Meccano began production of the 00 gauge model train, which is still the favorite scale for model trains in Britain.  The Hornby name became so synonymous with model trains that other brands would be tabbed “Hornby.”  The products made under that name were also better quality than most of the others manufactured at the time.

Hornby was number one in most of Europe, but was also popular in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Scandinavia.  A factory built in France developed French prototype trains.

In 1927, Hornby attempted to break into the American market and set up operations in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  The intent was to make American-style trains.  They could not claim much of the market and only offered the clockwork trains.  The stock market crash put an end to this endeavor, and Hornby sold the remaining assets to the A. C. Gilbert Company in 1929.  You might note that A. C. Gilbert marketed the “Erector Set” building system.

Line Brothers, LTD, under the name Tri-Ang, bought Hornby and Meccano in 1964, then they went into receivership.  In the 1980’s Hornby Railways became independent.  Later on in the 1990’s, manufacturing moved to China.  In 2003, Hornby released its first live steam 00 gauge locomotive.  Having acquired several model train producers over recent history, Hornby’s only major competition is Bachmann Industries.

Frank Hornby died in 1936 before some of the high points and low points of the companies he started were reached.  He is remembered as an inventor, businessman, and a politician.  He left a legacy upon the model train industry, and his train line still lives on as Hornby Model Trains.

An American based company, Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc., is located in Hillside, New Jersey.  They produce the three most popular sizes of models, N scale, O scale, and HO scale.  Not only do they make locomotives and rolling stock, but scenery items, too.  Their flex and other tracks are well known among modelers.

When Stephan Schaffan, Jr. was a boy of seven, his father founded the Atlas Tool Company in Newark, New Jersey.  In 1933, at the age of sixteen, Stephan began working for his father at the tool company.  Although the work was interesting to him, his real interests were in building models.

Stephan was an enterprising young man, and he frequently pestered a local hobby-store owner for an opportunity to earn extra money working there part-time.  The initial idea was probably to get funds to support his model collection hobby and to be close to what he loved.  Not exactly jovially, the owner finally got tired of the requests and gave in.  You might call it destiny that Stephan was given some train track and told to see if he could improve upon it, because this started the wheels rolling.

Tracks were not very sophisticated in the 1930’s.  Each modeler had to fashion his own.  Since the model train was very popular, Steve Jr. developed and created a switch kit that minimized some of the rail work.  It sold so well that Steve Sr. and the rest of the family began to build them at night in their basement.  They did this while the day job at the tool company was ongoing, too.

Steve Jr. went on to perfect the first good rail joiner, as well as turnouts and other rail innovations.  Much of the reason for the popularization of modern model railroading is a direct result of the implementation of tracks that people could assemble easily.

The Schaffan family quickly outgrew the basement operation and had to look for another place to work.  Jr. and Sr. realized that they could make a comfortable living making track, and the market was open for them to make other parts to go with the hobby as well.  They built their first factory in 1947 and located it in Hillside, New Jersey.  They incorporated The Atlas Tool Company, in 1947, and it is still located in the same area to this day.

Today, Atlas still offers a great line of tracks.  The company also produces trains, buildings, and bridges.  Their catalogue is available for download on the internet, as they are a big player in the worldwide market.

Not too bad for a kid working from his basement, don’t you agree?  Perseverance, talent, and insight into the market are what made Atlas Model Trains a success.  Jr. had to be doing something right in order to launch a company still in business to this day.

You could say that recent history in merchandizing can be divided into “BW” and “AW.”  No, that’s not a foreign sports car or a root beer!  “Before Walmart” and “after Walmart,” we have two different scenarios of commerce.  Of course, WalMart is not the only reason for the demise of some of the specialty shops.  The department store started the process many years before Walmart became the conglomerate it is today.

At the turn of the 20th century, Joshua Lionel Cowen came up with the idea for his model train while standing outside of a toy store and studying the display.  He invented an original motor design to power his simple electric train, which was later marketed in the same store.  Of course, Lionel Trains went on to become a big name in the market, and many of their sales transpired in many toy stores and later hobby stores, as well.

In the old days a father went to buy a model train for his child at the hobby store.  All the major model suppliers sold to toy and hobby stores:  American Flyer, Lionel, Marx, and several others.  This system helped control the pricing in the marketplace, and the number of competitors was small.

The five and dime stores eventually evolved into department stores. The larger size of these stores meant they could afford to purchase more inventory and offer a greater variety of things people wanted.  Macy’s and similar department stores followed, as well as other players who weren’t as big, and the competition base kept increasing.

Along with the local competition came producers from other countries, and the price wars began.  As you may know, the Japanese, followed by the Chinese, had prices that undercut the American producer, putting many model train names in jeopardy of disappearing.

At the same time, competition between the department store and the specialty store remained, and “mom and pop” shops began to lose ground.  More people wanted the convenience of going into one cozy store to buy whatever they needed, feeling it was too cumbersome to visit several smaller shops that frequently weren’t located in close proximity to each other.

There is one big “BUT” in this story.  Some people don’t mind going to a little extra trouble to find what they want.  They aren’t into the McDonald’s “drive in, fill up, leave” mindset.  Hobby and model train shops survive because patrons don’t want to go to a big store and buy whatever the house model is.  They want to talk to someone who actually knows about models, not someone who was working in the shoe department the day before.  These shoppers are true, die-hard model train enthusiasts, and they seek specialized products and information.

Another reason you still find model train stores today has to do with market demand.  Model trains, as wonderful as they are, are not in the hot markets, so they are widely overlooked in department stores.  Sure, they have them, but they don’t put a lot of emphasis on them or keep many in their inventory.  That isn’t always such a bad thing.

There are many features to consider in creating your design.  The first is obviously the configuration of your benchwork.  You may want to have the entire setup in the middle of a large room with complete access on all sides.  An alternative to that is a setup with a wall on one side.  Many modelers prefer the second method so they can paint “scenery” on the wall, such as distant hills and clouds.

The design is totally your choice, but remember to allow yourself access to all parts of the layout.  You cannot perform maintenance on areas that you cannot reach.

Along with the benchwork layout comes the track design.  It is somewhat limited by the size and configuration of the benchwork.  You can design a figure eight, a circle, an oval, or a multi-track setup.  As always, take into consideration the minimum radius you have to work with on the curves.

Most modern modelers have sidetracks with switchers so they can have more than one locomotive.  The size of the HO scale allows you to design entirely different routes for your train to take when it switches tracks.

Another important consideration in your layout is the use of trestles and tunnels.  A change of elevation on your set can produce some problems if the design doesn’t allow for a gradual change.  Derailments and the train’s inability to make the grade are two situations you want to avoid.  Most designers will not place a grade change in a sharp curve because of the problems it creates.

You should draw out your design on paper initially.  Then you can easily create a list of materials you will need for the setup.  If you make an accurate scale drawing, you will be able to estimate the correct quantities of track material.  If you try to forego this step, you will either buy more materials than needed, or spend time reordering or running back to pick up additional items.

The HO scale is an excellent choice of train scale because there are many sources for buildings, people, bridges, automobiles, and many other scenery accessories.  The size allows for some fantastic scenery and plenty of it.

No design is beyond reason if you follow the basic rules of radius design and grade change.  As long as you join the track together to make a complete route with smooth transitions, your HO model train layout should work fine.  Whatever design you have, be sure to lay the track first and make certain it functions properly before proceeding with any other work.

The Miniature Railroad and Village is a historical model train layout that is one of the largest in the United States.  It has a permanent home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where it has been for over fifty years.  The layout depicts scenes of Western Pennsylvania from 1880 to 1930.  The platform, or benchwork, that the display sits on is 83 feet long and 30 feet wide.  Lionel trains are featured in five different loops, with all trains operating at the same time.  In addition to the trains, a Browser trolley travels through the “town.”

The models in the display are constructed by the staff, some of whom are paid employees and some who are volunteers.  The largest steel mill ever reproduced in O scale is a part of the set.  It was constructed from the actual blueprints of the Sharon Steel Mill.  A Harvard professor designed a lighting system to resemble the movement of the sun, and Opto 22, a company that furnishes control modules for Disney World and NASA, designed the computer system that controls the movements.

The Great Train Story is a 3,500 square foot display in Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.  This HO scale railroad depicts modern day rail transportation on a trip from Seattle through the plain states to Chicago.  Many famous buildings and landmarks are included in the display.

The Rocky Mountains are depicted along with waterfalls, forests, tunnels, lumber mills, farms, and many other scenes you would see if you were traveling the rails through the actual countryside.

Miniatur-Wunderland (Miniature Wonderland) is a model display in Hamburg, Germany.  As of January 2008, the train had over 36,000 feet of track.  This HO scale train layout is divided into different “countries.”  There are five sections divided into representations of Germany (2), Switzerland, Scandinavia, and America.

This exhibit is housed in 43,000 square feet of floor space.  The trains occupy over 16,000 square feet of that area.  By 2014, the exhibit expects to double the number of sections to include ten countries.  So far, it is definite that the additions will include France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.  Frederick and Gerrit Braun are the brothers who created this attraction.  It is the largest display of its kind in the world.

You may not have a chance to see these incredible train displays, but surely you will gain some enthusiasm for your own setup by reading about them.  Of course, if you can get to see these, by all means, do.  A model railroad train can be a great addition to your home, even if it isn’t the largest in the world.