Absolute novice looking for guidance

[mikeyboy]

Hi, my name is Mike.
I am 63 years young and am interested in building a model railway. The only problem is - I know absolutely NOTHING about the hobby!
Am I mad or should I stick to Sudoko and Gardening.
I would like to build a 2 tier bespoke layout and have a few ideas of features but that's about it!
I have looked at various websites and found it a bit bewildering as everyone seems to be experts.
I did settle on the idea of a DCC based model (run from my iPad if possible.
But, as I say, to call me an Absolute beginner would be an insult to absolute beginners!
Hope you good people can give me some pointers on how to begin and ultimately build something.
I am getting my small garage converted so, literally, have a blank canvas.
Please go easy on me!
Thanks,
Mike.

[Brian]

Hi Mike
Welcome to the forum
What gauge/scale are you considering? 00, N or something else?

[IanS]

Welcome to a great forum stacked with knowledgeable people and helpful advice.

Your biggest limitation, I think, will be the budget. You can spend as much as you have or as little as you can. It will be entirely your choice. Yes, controlling via an iPad is possible, as is controlling it with an iPhone and Android tablets and phones. It's also possible to control the layout (strictly the engines and peripherals such as points) via a PC with the right equipment.

Many people decide to model a location, some and era and some an era in a location. Some don't.

Their are two important rules. Rule 1 - it's your layout, do what you want to do and Rule 2 - enjoy yourself!

[Hound Dog]

Hi Mike,

Welcome to the forum...... yes you are barking mad to start a model railway, as it becomes completely addictive, but lots of fun and very rewarding when you see the fruits of your labours.

Lost of very knowledgeable people on this forum who will be happy to support you at all stages - remember we have all been there at the beginning and there is no such thing as a silly question.

I am sure others will jump in with suggestions, but I think first and foremost you need to consider :-

A) what space have you available ?
B) what scale do you want to model in ?..... OO gauge is the most popular and a good size to handle but N gauge and increasingly O gauge are also common.
C) what era do you want to model ? - Steam, Diesels or Modern day..... do you have a specific location in mind or something fictional ?
D) Budget ?..... it can be an expensive hobby but like everything else it very much depends on what you are looking for and there are many reasonable 2nd hand items out there to get you started....... if you are creative, then many scenic items etc can be made.
E) After all of the above, you will need to settle on a track plan - this can be fun and challenging at the same time and for sure it WILL change along the way....... there are already set track plans available that you may want to consider or you can design your own and you can do that on paper or on the computer using various software package.

I think that is more than enough to get you started but as a mid-fifty rookie who is some 3+ years into building his first ever layout, I can honestly say that there is never a day that goes by now when I am not doing or thinking about something to do with my layout...... you will for sure get hooked.

Good luck and remember this is a friendly bunch who are more than willing to share their knowledge - I can vouch for that first hand

Cheers - Richard

[Mr Bones]

Welcome to the forum Mike, friendly helpful bunch on here.
Like you I started out a complete novice a few years ago and apart from this forum I found Brian's book (yes, the first Brian that posted) was the ideal place to start. It really is full of useful information and in a very easy to read format. No I'm not on commission although I think I should be as this is the second plug for his book in the past week
The Newcomer's Guide to Model Railways: A Step-by-step Guide to the Complete Model Railway
I also found Model Railway magazines a good source of information. And don't forget Google, however, be careful with google and YouTube as for every good bit of information you receive you will also find others giving some very bad advice.
I will say though that you will find it fun if a bit expensive, but you can't take it with you so....

[Bandit Mick]

Welcome to the friendly forum. I too was a novice 4 years ago but it’s amazing how quickly you pick things up - but there is always much more to learn. Addictive - yes. Frustrating - can be. Dull - never. And finally - Brian’s book is a must have.

[glencairn]

Hi Mike Welcome on board.
You do not have to be mad to have a model railway, but it helps.

Glencairn

[glencairn]

Hi Mike Welcome on board.
You do not have to be mad to have a model railway, but it helps.

Glencairn

See I've posted it twice.

[bulleidboy]

Hi Mike

Welcome to the forum - as you will already have gathered, lots of help and advice available on the forum. Never to late to learn - just don't rush it - ask questions, read a few magazines, there is also a lot to be found on Youtube. Good luck. BB

[Mountain Goat]

Hello. Gauge and scale is one consideration. It is a bit of a balance because the smaller the scale the more that fits in, but also the larger the scale the easier things are to handle. Most tend to go for 00. It is actually rare for most of us not to have modelled in 00 at some point in time as it is so popular. I have lots of 00 myself but I am slowly selling it off as I am concentrating in 0-16.5 which is fun but slightly in the deep end to begin with. Not impossible though. It is basically the narrow gauge of 0 using 00 chassis, wheels etc as my models run on 00 gauge track width.
Now there are three main scales of standard gauge. N, 00 and 0. There are smaller and larger and the odd inbetween along with narrow gauge versions of them, but for ease of use most beginners will opt for 00 with "Train set" on their minds as a way to start, and to be honest, it is still today one of the easiest ways to start, and train sets are available in DCC form in 00 and I believe in N gauge too.
Other scales and gauges tend to be rare to have them in the form of a set, but this should not put one off.
Two vital bits of information needed to plan a layout. How sharp the curves need to be and how steep the inclines need to be to get the plan to work (As you mention a multi level layout). So it is a matter of first working out the space you have, and then start asking questions in here! (Slightly easier then researching it yourself, though be patient. Sometimes it takes a few hours to get a reply depending on who is online at the time, but we do reply when we can, and there are quite a few of us who look at the site).
Now I mention sharp curves. The sharper the curves, the less that can run on them as larger locos and stock, just like the real railways, may not negotiate the sharpest of curves. This is why most will recommend (If in 00 gauge) using 2nd radius curves or larger. Mind you, nothing wrong with 1st radius. It is just that one has to be a little more restrictive on what one runs. (Around 25 years ago most things used to run on 1st radius curves, but these days, as the manufacturers have concentrated more on fine detail they have less compromize in the design so only the smaller shunters along with older models will get round 1st radius curves. Mind you. This is just like the real thing!)
A similar thing goes with gradients in that the larger locomotives will usually be the strongest pullers having more driven wheels and more weight... So what a loco can pull up an incline will naturally vary compared to the steepness and the qualities of the locos pulling power itself.
One thing best avoided is having inclines too near sharp curves. It can be done if one is careful, but it is usually a key area for things to uncouple themselves or come off the track.

Now here is something where many modellers may dissagree with me, but my gut feeling is that to grasp the ins and outs on the electrical side is to master DC before going onto DCC... BUT, starting out in DCC to begin with does save quite a lot of money so I can see their point. The main reason why I think as I do is with DC, if a fault occurs it can come from either a lack of electrical current reaching the loco (Which could be a fault on the loco pickups, the track, the controller or even the mains supply! It has been known for modellers to spend ages working out why their trains are not running when they forgot to turn their controller on at the mains!), or it will be a mechanical fault of some kind, and sometimes it can not immediately be apparent if it is not so obvious to see. DCC brings an extra level of things to consider and check when things go wrong. This is the only reason why I think it a good idea to try DC first... But, as it is an expensive way to do things, unless one sees a DC trainset going free or cheap... Uhmm. Maybe DCC to begin with may be the more attractive option.
I am a little different. I started in the hobby since a toddler with trains which one pushes. Toys! Fun when I had the patience to push them and the imagination to fill the gaps. But then I had a battery operated train.... And then I had my first electric train with the track we use as adults. It was not exactly a trainset. It was better then that! Was the tail end of the Triang/Hornby days, just when things were branded Hornby again, back in the mid 1970's.(I think 1976/7) and in DC form.
Then from the year 2000 (Actually 2001) onwards I made the change to DCC, but then around 2009 onwards I decided to model in 7mm narrow gauge (0-16.5) for financial reasons (Overall cheaper then my 00 gauge modelling as I can save costs by making things mysef) and went back to using DC. I also have the advantage of fitting a large scale in a small space in 7mm narrow gauge, but as most items have to be scratchbuilt or kitbuilt it could be in the deep end for a beginner. Mind you, I tend to keep to simpler kits! One of the reasons for going back to DC apart from the financial reasons is because I missed it. Nice solid feeling clunky switches! Easier to trace faults. No DCC programming to attend to (If there is a CV to change, I will be there fiddling with the settings to change it... It is too tempting! Then I spend the whole day and I am still on the same few locos!).

But anyway. I hope I have not confused things too much. To sum up, it is probably easier to start with a trainset and cheaper in the long run for you to start in DCC... But learning DC principles do help in tracing faults. I hope that helps!