Railroading - Hobbies

Model railroading, like photography, is a hobby that overlaps into our three categories, "collecting," "producing," and "acting." Some people are quite happy to manipulate the switches and watch the railroad run (acting); others are bent on getting as much equipment as possible (collecting); and the most rabid fanatics insist upon building all their own locomotives, cars, and scenic backgrounds (producing).

Model railroads are available in several sizes. The most popular size with model railroaders is the HO Gauge, in which all models are exactly l/87th of their real counterparts. In other words, the scale is exactly 3Vi millimeters or approximately Vsth of an inch to the foot.

HO, about two-thirds the size of S Gauge and one-half the size of O Gauge, is preferred because it permits more railroad in any given amount of space than could be accommodated by a larger gauge. TT Gauge, 1/120th the size of real trains, is smaller than HO. TT, however, is less favored than HO because far less ready-made equipment is available in this smaller size. This, of course, presents no drawback to railroaders who prefer to build their own cars.

Many sets of ready-to-run model trains are on sale at all hobby shops. So are little buildings and scenic effects, including such elaborate pieces as a working waterfall. In addition to the ready-to-run engines and cars, the shops have many do-it-yourself kits, containing full instructions and all the materials required to build these items.

Page 1 2 3

Home > Hobbies > Railroading