Model Railway Trains
Model railway trains have existed nearly as long as real railway trains. However, the real beginning of model railway train history began in 1891 with the first complete system from the German company Marklin. Marklin introduced a variety of track gauges, expandable track sections, various stock, and a range of accessories to match.
Today, the world of model railway trains has grown into an enormously popular hobby, with a long list of clubs, hobbyists, special interests, providers, and equipment. In fact, given all of the choices, the challenge for many new to the hobby is getting started. And the hobby has a terminology all its own. Terms such as benchwork, gauge, reverse loop, scale, and mainline all take a little time to become familiar.
But the wide spectrum of model railway trains allows hobbyists to specialize in an area of interest. Model railroading is a hobby that includes a wide range of interests and specialties. Some hobbyists prefer to focus more as “collectors”, acquiring equipment of a specific type, railway, operation, or other characteristic. Many hobbyists seek to acquire and build a railway layout of interest. And on the far end of the spectrum are hobbyists that seek to take their model layouts to the full extreme of realism. These hobbyists seek to recreate specific railway operations, that is purposefully moving trains and cars to emulate actual railroad jobs.
So what are some of the key terms of model railway trains and what do they indicate? Let’s start with choices in the scale. Scale is most simply defined as the size of the model train as compared to actual size. For example, the very popular HO scale is 1:87 or 1 / 87th of actual size. So 1 inch of HO scale track is equivalent to 7 feet 4 inches of actual size track. Larger scale sizes, such as the G or garden scale models are easier to work with but require more space. Smaller scale sizes, such as the N scale model railway trains are more difficult to work with due to their small size, but allow for more sophisticated track layouts within a smaller space.
The gauge of the track corresponds to the scale. Gauge refers to the distance between the track rails. Smaller scale models have smaller gauge track. Another common term is benchwork, referring to the structure supporting the model train layout. Most beginners start with a flat layout. However, railroads aren’t flat in the real world, and thus the benchwork may allow for more complex terrain and railroad grades. For many, much of their interest in model railroading is creating the benchwork, track layouts, and scenery to create a realistic representation of a real railroad operation.
Model railway trains have evolved dramatically from their humble origins with Marklin in the late 1800’s to a very complex and sophisticated hobby accessible to a wide variety of hobbyists. There is a wide variety of choices in the hobby to suit the interests of numerous hobbyists. So where does one start? There are numerous resources to get started. One can read articles or books, visit hobby shops, attend shows, meet with enthusiasts to learn about the exciting world of model railway trains.
