Train Collecting Stuff
Collectible Trains
Children of all ages seem to enjoy playing with trains, but may adults do as well. They may not be playing with them though as much as they are collecting them. There are true train collectors and then there are those who want to simply make a fun hobby out of it. Many of them in either category or current railway workers or they have since retired from the profession.
There are many great layouts you can create as a hobby for your train. With a flat piece of board that is as large as you would like, you can transform it into your own train area. There are train kits that contain smaller scale boxcars, engines, cabooses, train stations, tunnels, and tracks. You can also buy individual pieces in order to personalize your train collection. Many of the tracks even come with controllers so you can switch the tracks and have more than one train on it.
Some of the older Santa Fe train pieces are worth a large amount of money today. This is because it was one of the largest railway companies for decades. In recent years it has merged with Burlington Northern to become Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The pieces of equipment for collecting that say Santa Fe on the sides of them are collectibles that continue to increase in value.
Many of the older collectible trains from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s are extremely valuable. The majority of them are in various train museums all over the world. These early collectibles are quite heavy because they were made from iron. After those came trains made from wood. The majority of the collectible trains offered today are made from various types of durable plastic.
There are two types of gauging used for the tracks with collectible trains. If you are planning to buy separate pieces you really need to make sure you get the right gauge of equipment or it won’t work on the tracks. Your two choices are O or S scaled items. O scale items measure the distance between the outer two rails of the track. The S scale items measure the distance from the two outer rails so it is slightly larger.
Lionel Model Trains continues to be the biggest manufacturer of collectible trains today. Their hottest seller right now is the Harry Potter train that takes him and the other students to their school at the beginning of each movie. The Hogwarts Express is anticipated to sell more than the record holding Polar Express from 2004.
Whether you collect trains just to have or you use them to indulge in one of your favorite hobbies, they are delightful to have. The cost of collectible trains depends on where you purchase them and the condition they are in. You can get new pieces from many retailers but the older items you will have to purchase online, at yard sales, and even from antique stores. You may want to check with your father or grandfather though as there is a good chance they may have a box or two of them stored in the attic or the garage.
If you have old collectible trains in your home, you may want to find out what they are worth. You may be sitting on a goldmine that is just packed up in a box somewhere. There are some collectors out there looking for rare train collectibles as well as museums who are always looking for more materials to add to their displays.
Buying Your First Model Train
Selecting the right model train can be a difficult task for the newcomer to the model-railroading hobby. There are so many trains out there, each in a different size. In this article, I am going to discuss a couple important things to know before buying your first model train. I know firsthand how that very first trip to the model train store can feel. After reading this article, you will have a better understanding of what to look for.
Space and Scale
Before you even think of building a model train set, you need to know just how much space you’ll have for it. When you purchase a model train, it has a “scale” associated with it. The scale informs you of the size of the train. The majority of model train enthusiasts love the HO scale because it takes limited space for a regular setup and the detail is nice. If space is at a premium for you, look into N scale trains. These can be run in the smallest of spaces. One of my favorites is the O Scale, sometimes called O Gauge, trains. These are big boys and come with great detail. If you have at least a 6 foot by 6 foot space, you can setup a decent O scale layout. O scale model trains and accessories are typically more expensive, but they are worth it in my opinion.
Requirements
It is possible to setup your own model railroad piece by piece or to buy a complete kit. Generally, a complete kit will lack the frills associated with model railroad setups like scenery, but you can be up and running in minutes. If you end up buying a ready-to-run complete set, you can add-on to it easily by simply buying the parts you desire. Also you can run other trains on the track. Just make sure to buy the same scale as your setup. For example, if you bought a HO scale set, you want to buy HO model trains in the future.
Some Things to Look For
When buying your new model train, look to see if it is DCC enabled. This is a big one. You want to have your train DCC enabled, if possible, so you can run other trains at the same time with ease. Should you decide one train is enough for you, this is less of an issue, in my opinion. However, you never know. Your model train store will only have a very small fraction of the model trains and accessories that are out there. Don’t feel like you have to buy what they have. The Internet is full of model train stores.
Finally, I recommend that you look for a model train store in your area and go talk to them. You can learn a lot very quickly by talking with someone in person who cares about the hobby. While hobby stores are ok, a store dedicated to model railroading is far superior in every aspect. The probability of finding someone who really knows about model railroading in detail at a general hobby store is minimal at best.
