by Sandra Fikes

Created on: March 19, 2008

You can never be too young or old to get started as a model railroader, but there are some considerations that need to be taken into account when purchasing a first train set and one of those is the abilities of the person who is being introduced to the hobby.

People are introduced to the hobby in several ways. Just a few examples include: The ones that see a train layout at a fair or visiting a model railroad show and want to build a layout like that. The ones that had a train set as a child and want to get one as an adult. And the people who someone buys them a train set as a way to interest their friend or relative in a new hobby. Whatever category you or your new railroad enthusiast falls into, the important part of the process is to get started with a train set that will provide easy set-up, require minimal maintenance and be compatible to the size limitations of the living space.

There are many train shows held throughout the year, so if you are lucky enough to be close to one I suggest you take some time to visit it and examine a few train layouts. This will not only give you a good idea of what the different scales look like when set up, but it will also help you to decide what kind of layout and trains you are interested in.

* LIMITS ON LAYOUT SIZE *

While it would be nice to have a room dedicated to your new hobby, the realistic fact is that few people have an entire room that they can dedicate to trains. I am going to assume that this first layout needs to be small enough to fit in the corner of a bedroom or the family room.

Lets take a look at three scales that are suitable for such home layouts - HO, N, and Z. I have chosen not to look at O scale because it requires a layout size of 40"x60" and is therefore a bit larger than most people will have easy room for.

* SCALE *

HO

My collection is in HO scale and I adore it. The HO scale is perfect for limited space, but still large enough to allow the modeling enthusiast like me to scratch build scenery and buildings.

Most popular scale size outside the UK (the UK's equivalent is 00). The HO scale is the middle scale when it comes to model railroads and has the largest selection of accessories.

HO offers collectors a good balance between size and detail and is the most inexpensive scale to purchase because of the wide range of manufacturers.

Curves on an HO scale layout can be as tight as 18 inches, allowing for long layouts with tight turnarounds. The best size for an HO layout is a sheet of plywood (4'x8') or

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