HO Model Railroad City

Well, it’s not exclusively about the locomotives, you know? It’s also about creating that landscape that our engines travel in—the histories behind the locomotives.  The tiny figures, the farms, the trails and the other motor vehicles begin to absorb just as much of our imagination as the trains when it comes down to it. Model railroading is as much an art as it is a craft, it demands skill in painting just as much as building.  Try these suggestions:

Begin by picking a particular social period for your town that fits the locomotives you will be using:

You don’t have to have your geographical detail straight but it doesn’t hurt to try.  This kind of a hodge-podge track plan where the accessories are picked in a seemingly willy nilly manner can really undo our suspension of disbelief. There are infinite possibilities for you to choose from when it comes to time period and topography.  So if you are trying to realize an accurate European feel to your tiny model train city then construct structures and accessories that are accurate to this theme.

Structures and roads take priority in planning:  

In a perfect world your roads will crisscross your town and some will lead back to and cross over the railroad tracks. Once you have these scoped out you might construct your other smaller structures and accessories around these main decisions.

Consider placing natural scenery into you town area:

Trees and other kinds of natural aspects should also be included in your town.  You might try to think about having some type of a canal leading into your city.  Some of the best layouts I’ve seen include a central lake area in a city with a canal that flows out and under the oval train tracks. This allows you the most variety of accessories and track plans.

Don’t neglect to include the intricate details that draw out the complexities of a village layout:

One of the central things that really make a village come alive are tiny details like stop signs, sidewalks, pot holes, cracks and other forms of weathering.  This all depends on the style of town you are designing but there are often opportunities for introducing higher levels of intricacy to your layout. Your efforts will be well rewarded in the end.

This is a wonderful aspect of the model training world that you can involve the whole family in. Many people retain the childhood joy of pigmenting and shading.  There is a great enjoyment in linking pieces together and adding little weathering details to storefronts and sidewalks. Now’s the time to get that fledgling artist in the household included with your cherished hobby.  There is also the added benefit that younger members of the family will probably indirectly pick up a tiny bit of history. This is a wonderful way of making lasting family recollections and customs.

Here is more information on Model Train Track. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.