# Im new to model railroading and want some tips



## Union Specific (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi everyone, i am new to model railroading and have been interested in trains for a long time. i recently bought a locomotive however i do not know what to do next to continue my hobby. I do not have space in my home for a track, what should i do?


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*Temporary?*

How about a 'temporary' setup for a dining room table? You can make your layout on a fitted board and lay it temporarily over a table somewhere in your home.

What make/model locomotive did you purchase?


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## Union Specific (Jul 23, 2012)

I bought an HO scale locomotive.


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

Diesel? steam? brand? type?


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

One worthy option is finding a club in your area.Better still if you're lucky is to have more than one that you could visit a few times each to decide wich one would suit you best.There are many great folks belonging to clubs and you could learn the trade at your own pace.If you don't know of any,ask your local hobby shop...they usually know where the clubs are.

Then,if you have your home as a unique option,may be N scale would be a better choice as it needs about half the space.


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*Clubs?*

I know of a club about 30 minutes away... I have never been there, though. What goes on at these clubs? Can you take your trains there and run them?


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## gustovski (Jul 7, 2011)

yes! you can if they have a layout


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

gustovski said:


> yes! you can if they have a layout



if they ARE a model railroad club "IF" should not be in that sentence


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Nothing is perfect...most clubs are very pleasant places to be with great guys to share your hobby with.Lots of combined knowledge and friendship.Few other clubs,on the other hand,are mostly "run" by groups of individuals that implement their ways to do that don't necessarily fit everyone's view of their hobby.

Model railroad clubs are in fact small societies that have to have a minimum of rules and policies set forward to survive.They also have costs.So if you're not ready to accept the fact that you can't operate on the club's layout as if it was only yours,don't waste your time searching.

If they operate trains?That's the whole idea behind it indeed.Clubs generally have designated week nights when the members gather to do just that...run trains.How they do it though may vary from a group to the other,so it's why I suggest a few visits asking questions to determine if one can be happy there.


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

Union Specific said:


> Hi everyone, i am new to model railroading and have been interested in trains for a long time. i recently bought a locomotive however i do not know what to do next to continue my hobby. I do not have space in my home for a track, what should i do?


Hello.

When you say you have no room for a track, do you really mean NO room at all? You say you got an HO scale model, did you consider a smaller scale might fit into the available space (unless you really mean you have NO room)?

It's going to be kinda boring unless you can have your own track, unless you just want to collect trains, which is OK I guess. But surely you could have room for a small N scale or Z scale oval? hwell:


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## lears2005 (Feb 26, 2010)

Or maybe you could do a small shelf layout along a wall some where and do a small switching layout that would keep you busy


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

xrunner said:


> Hello.
> 
> When you say you have no room for a track, do you really mean NO room at all? You say you got an HO scale model, did you consider a smaller scale might fit into the available space (unless you really mean you have NO room)?
> 
> It's going to be kinda boring unless you can have your own track, unless you just want to collect trains, which is OK I guess. But surely you could have room for a small N scale or Z scale oval? hwell:



or worst case T (or TT?) scale....


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Clubs are a "Ford/Chevy" thing...some are good, some not so much. Some are informal train runners--the club I was part of ran everything,we had old Shays running with modern SD70MACs, others have sophisticated systems of operating rules and high equipment standards--you may not even be able to run on the layout if your equipment doesn't live up to standards or time period.

As for layout size, one layout I have is 18"x48". It started here...










...and now has scenes like these on it...


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## Union Specific (Jul 23, 2012)

I guess i could try the club option.


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*Locomotive*

Did you ever figure out what brand and model of engine you bought?


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## Union Specific (Jul 23, 2012)

Yes. I bought a bachmann Ho scale diesel locomotive


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Some place I heard about a fellow that stored his layout under his bed.


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## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

Carl said:


> Some place I heard about a fellow that stored his layout under his bed.


You just have to watch out for the dust bunnies, they can get mean sometimes


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

but the bunnies love to ride the trains too!! especially the fluffy ones!


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

gustovski said:


> yes! you can if they have a layout


be sure to get the know the club first, though. Some are VERY particular as to what they want being run on their layout. I went to one near LA County and they only wanted DCC modern stuff and wouldnt allow me to run my stuff.


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*CaliforniaSouthern*



jjb727 said:


> be sure to get the know the club first, though. Some are VERY particular as to what they want being run on their layout. I went to one near LA County and they only wanted DCC modern stuff and wouldnt allow me to run my stuff.


The closest club to me is the CaliforniaSouthern, in Norwalk, California. I assume you're familiar with it. I have never been there yet, but it's only about 30 minutes away. Maybe one of these Fridays I'll pop in and have a look.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Sasha said:


> The closest club to me is the CaliforniaSouthern, in Norwalk, California. I assume you're familiar with it. I have never been there yet, but it's only about 30 minutes away. Maybe one of these Fridays I'll pop in and have a look.


Yeah, that's exactly the one I went to. But they charged monthly to be in there. I live in La Habra, CA, so I might be a little close to it...I think


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*$30 per month?*

Yep. I'm in Garden Grove. You're a little closer, but I have the 5 Freeway on a straight shot.

$30 per month seems a little steep, but I have never been a member of such a club, so I wouldn't really know.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Sasha said:


> Yep. I'm in Garden Grove. You're a little closer, but I have the 5 Freeway on a straight shot.
> 
> $30 per month seems a little steep, but I have never been a member of such a club, so I wouldn't really know.



Yeah, its not in the books for me at the moment. I prefer to run my own layout, since I have no restrictions as to what I can or can't run. Everything goes! 

Also, You're close to Arnie's trains....I sometimes go there but I prefer Milepost 38 model trains in anaheim.


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*Arnie's!*



jjb727 said:


> Yeah, its not in the books for me at the moment. I prefer to run my own layout, since I have no restrictions as to what I can or can't run. Everything goes!
> 
> Also, You're close to Arnie's trains....I sometimes go there but I prefer Milepost 38 model trains in anaheim.


Arnie's used to be around the corner from where it is now. Back in those days, I was just a little kid, wide-eyed in a train shop... I lived so close in the apartments behind the shop, I would sometimes walk there just to talk to the old man. Good times. I was in there about 3 weeks ago, buying some couplers. That neighborhood is where I grew up.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

It is a good store, but I had some times where one of the salesmen constantly had no regard for my budget and kept on trying to steer me away from cheaper items and trying to get me to buy more expensive equipment. I appreciate the suggestion, but the fact that he ignores my financial situation or ridicules it, bothers me and sometimes offends me. Whenever I go to Milepost 38 though, they never try to do that to me and thats why I like that store more. The people there are so nice and always greet me when I come in.


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## Sasha (Jul 8, 2012)

*Milepost 38...*



jjb727 said:


> It is a good store, but I had some times where one of the salesmen constantly had no regard for my budget and kept on trying to steer me away from cheaper items and trying to get me to buy more expensive equipment. I appreciate the suggestion, but the fact that he ignores my financial situation or ridicules it, bothers me and sometimes offends me. Whenever I go to Milepost 38 though, they never try to do that to me and thats why I like that store more. The people there are so nice and always greet me when I come in.


I'll have to try this store you're talking about. I'm right near the border of Anaheim, so I'll look it up and drop-in on them soon.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

If your looking for a layout to run trains and dont have much room, I suggest a shelf layout. I've seen them built with shelf brackets and only a foot wide, but as long as the room its in or even around a corner. It will involve switching and doesnt accomodate continous running, but even driving a train back and forth on shelf is better than nothing at all. Plus the narrow shlef makes it much easier and cheaper to scenik and photos can be put on the wall behind the shelf to add depth and realism.


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