Model railroad magazines for ACRacebest

Dear Race:

I took the city bus to Barnes & Noble, intending to purchase two model railroad magazines to assist you in building your first model or toy train layout.  I ended up buying more than just two magazines.  The reason is that I started building my first layout without a description of what I wanted, much information about model railroads, or seeing what others had previously built.  Thus, I ended up making several avoidable mistakes that costs me both time and money.  I hope that these magazines will help you avoid these mistakes.

Moreover, I give you a broad view of the many types of model and toy train layouts, so you can choose the ones that will bring you the most happiness.  I suggest that you write down a one paragraph vision statement that describes what type of model railroad you want before you start building.

Having visited many home model railroads, I see that the people who have the most fun include their family and friends when building and operating their layouts, making their model railroads “our” projects.  Railroads such as the Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and McKees Rocks Railroad (PAM) got me thinking that you could name your model railroad the Sarahville, Saberspark, and Black Gryph0n (SSBG) Railroad!  I’m sure that with time you could think of better names, based on your family and friends’ names for your model railroad.  Furthermore, I think Sarahville is a really cool name.

These three people who are important in your life could each have a station and a town on your model railroad named after them.  I know of many people who have created freelance “fantasy” railroads and thus named their model railroads after their friends and family members.

Your model railroad could become a showcase for Sarah’s 2-D and 3-D art, from backdrops to billboards to sculptures.  In the Model Rail magazine, May 2019, page 47, the modeler used 3-D scans of his body to create Gothic statues for his model guildhall.  Sarah could scan herself for a six to twelve inch tall statue placed in the public entrance of the Sarahville station.  Or, you could create a freelance Mount Rushmore that features the faces of your family and friends.  In addition, Sarah’s art could be both off the trains and on the trains.  For example, Sarah could take inspiration from the multi-paneled “Image Wall” on the Duluth Lakewalk.

Some freelance layouts have custom painted train cars that display their freelance railroad’s name and logo.  They order fifty to one hundred of these cars, keep ten to twenty for themselves, and then sell the rest to other model railroad fans who want to pretend to be exchanging train cars with their railroad.  In other words, Sarah could design your freelance railroad’s logo, as well as featuring her art on the freight and passenger cars.

Reused freight shed that is part of an artist colony that is northeast of the DB Werk Grunewald station in Berlin, Germany.

Sarahville could be a sculpture garden inspired by Sarah’s artwork, while Saberspark and Black Gryph0n could have their towns inspired by their interests.

My Dragon magazine article has one paragraph describing Natural Tunnel State Park in the state of Virginia.  Every memorable model railroad I have visited has at least one outstanding feature that makes it memorable to visitors.  Many casual visitors don’t see what is so exciting about a generic town, next to a six inch wide generic patch of woods, next to another generic town and might even say so.  Having a shortened version of that natural tunnel could be your layout’s star attraction.

My Railroad Model Craftsman article shows that nearly anyone who puts their mind to it can get published.  Once your first model railroad is presentable, could you get your layout published in a model railroad magazine?  A model railroad is similar to a garden, as you never really complete it, as you can always add to it or replace things that you though were great as a beginner, but don’t appear that good as an expert.

By the way, Open Railway Map is a service that shows railroad fans maps of railroad track around the world.  Kind of useful if you want to see if any location near you has any active railroad tracks.

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/

Lastly, from one model railroader who has been in the hobby on and off for the last forty years to one who is just beginning; I hope these magazines will get you on the right track to this wonderful and multifaceted hobby.  To consider many possibilities, and then choose the ones that brings you, your family, and friends the most happiness.  Do you want layouts built for operation of trains, creating beautiful scenic views, or have large scale trains loaded with battles of drinks and bags of snacks that slowly circle your layout during your home parties?

You can always find new ways to enjoy model railroading.  For example, garden model railways combine outdoor gardens and model trains. Or, someone had built a table from sheets of clear acrylic glass, so that their visitors can see subway trains underneath the city streets.  Reading those hobby magazines opened up many possibilities for layouts that I never knew existed.

Sincerely,

Dances with trains