Want to Build an Empire? Try a
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Stumble It!
It's exciting to think about - developing your own empire right in your own home - an artistic, working, operating masterpiece that you created. You can enlist the help of your friends or family, or you can create the whole thing on your own and then invite them in for an operating session. You could go there by yourself after a long day of work and "get away from it all".
Model railroading is the most versatile hobby in the world. It incorporates multiple disciplines including history, civil and mechanical engineering, carpentry, electrical wiring and circuitry, digital command control, sound and lighting, painting, airbrushing, various kinds of artistry, using multiple types of material to create structures, terrain and scenery. The model railroader essentially becomes a jack of all trades as he works in a "labor of love" to create his dream.
These pages were conceived and written to help put together whatever I have learned in 18 years of experience in working with model trains and train layouts - along with the experiences of many others who have shared my passion - in order to provide you with all the information, tools and techniques you need to build your own realistic, artistic and fully operational model railroad empire.
As you look through this guide, I hope you will become excited and impassioned to start your own layout or, if you already have one, to enhance it with the tools and techniques you find here.
My mission is to make this the best site available as a resource to help you build the best railroad possible.
With that in mind, I hope you will feel free to send me your comments, questions, additional tips or any suggestions you might have that may improve the quality and/or quantity of information available here. Submit an article to post here if you like. Or, if you would like to see more information on a particular topic, I will try to make that happen. To easily get to the Comments Page, you can click on "Comments" in the Navigation Bar on the left side of every page.
The Navigation Bar at the left and the Table of Contents listed below contain the main categories of pages available on this site. There are many other pages on the site that are accessible through the links in the text on the main category pages. The Sitemap contains links to all the pages on the site.
If you are interested in a certain subject that you can't find using the Navigation Bar or the Sitemap, use this Search Bar to find any specific topic on this site:
Also, wherever you happen to be within the site, if you want to search for a certain topic, you can click on the Search Page in the Navigation Bar. This page has search engines not only for this site, but across the internet as well.
I hope these user-friendly features will help you find the information you want quickly. However, if you just want to browse around the site, that's okay too.
If you are a beginner, the first 8 or 9 buttons on the Navigation Bar may be the most useful to you in the early stages. If you are more of an intermediate or advanced hobbyist, you may be more interested in the Special Effects category.
The Resources Page is a great place to see what else is out there. It contains a listing of lots of books, magazines and informative websites that have been helpful to me along the way. There is also a section of the page with a list of favorite places to get supplies if your local hobby shop doesn't carry what you need.
Pay special attention to the Blog page ("What's New?" on the Nav Bar) which will always contain the most updated and newest pages added to the site. These are being added and updated fairly often. If you subscribe to the Blog by adding it to your favorite RSS reader, and if you have the RSS reader accessible to you through your email, you will always be notified of any new updates. You can add the Blog to your RSS reader easily by clicking on the link below and then click on your favorite RSS reader... Subscribe to Model Railroading Blog
Sign up for the BYMR newsletter - BYMR-Zine/Trackside - chock full of interesting tips, techniques and news items related to building and maintaining your model railroad empire.
If you have your own website and want to link to this page from there, check out the TIP in the tan-shaded table below.
Finally, I would sincerely like to thank you for visiting. I hope you will find that this site has been designed with you, the viewer, in mind. I do have a few ads here and there, but I have tried to keep them from getting in the way of obtaining the information you need, and I have tried to avoid using anything that I thought might be annoying. The vast majority of the ads are content-related, and, wherever I have had a choice in what shows up in the ad, I have tried to make it something that I think will be useful and helpful.
Above all, this site is intended to add to your enjoyment of the "World's Greatest Hobby". Have fun!
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Table of Contents:
| Search Page Search page to find anything on or off this site about model railroading. |
| The Basics of Model Railroading: Getting Started The basics of model railroading, including descriptions of model train scales, types of model train displays, and how to get started in the "World's Greatest Hobby". |
| Model Railroad Terms Definitions of model railroad terms |
| NMRA The NMRA ( National Model Railroad Association) establishes standards for model railroading. |
| Model Train Scales Description of the most popular model train scales. Helps in deciding which scale to use for your layout. |
| Model Train Displays Model train displays: various ways of showing off and operating your trains |
| Model Railroad Layout Design Model railroad layout design: establishing a theme and purpose for your railroad |
| Train Layout Design Elements How to use train layout design elements (LDE's) to develop your own model railroad trackplan |
| Model Railroad Software Various types of model railroad software are available which may be helpful for developing actual or virtual layouts. |
| Model Railroad Track Plans Various types of model railroad track plans that could be incorporated into your layout. |
| Model Railroad Lighting Various aspects of model railroad lighting, including overhead lighting, sunset lighting, illuminating buildings, street lamps, etc. |
| Model Railroad Benchwork Ideas for building model railroad benchwork |
| Model Railroad Backdrop How to make a model railroad backdrop. |
| Model Railroad Track How to lay model railroad track |
| Model Railroad Wiring Overview of different types of model railroad wiring |
| Model Train Scenery All aspects of building and developing model train scenery, including creating terrain and rock formations, tunnels, ground cover, trees, roads, water effects, etc. |
| Model Railroad Buildings All about model railroad buildings – planning for them, kits, kitbashing, scratchbuilding, materials required, lighting your structures, interior details, how to install them onto your layout. |
| Model Trains Information and resources to help you in choosing appropriate model trains, including different types of locomotives and rail cars, for your model railroad layout. |
| Weathering Your Model Trains and Structures Basic weathering techniques for model trains and model railroad buildings. |
| Model Railroad Operation: A New Adventure! How to conduct sessions for model railroad operation. |
| Advanced Model Railroading: Special Effects and New Ideas How to create special effects for model railroading and other new ideas. Tips on sound and lighting effects, animation, signal systems, mirrors, fire and smoke, automation and other details. |
| Train Photos / Gallery Gallery of prototypical and/or model train photos and model railroad layout photos |
| Model Trains and Railroads: Resources and References Where to find more information about model trains and model railroad supplies, the best resources and references. |
| Model Train Supplies Many of the model train supplies that you will need to build your model railroad can be found on this page. |
| Your Model Railroading Tips and Comments Share your own model railroading tips and comments to help other model railroaders improve. |
| Model Railroad Showcase This is a chance for you to showcase YOUR model railroad with a whole webpage on the internet dedicated to your layout, diorama, structure-building, kitbashing or other projects. |
| Building a Website Describes the basic process of building a website for your model railroad club or to display your own train layout, and what's required to accomplish this. |
| The Track Stop Track Stop: an online store for train and railroad-related items, railroadiana, books, DVD's, videos, art, software, etc. |
| Sitemap for Building Your Model Railroad Sitemap for Building Your Model Railroad - Navigate to any page on the site with one click. |
| Model Railroading Blog New site pages, additions, pictures, comments, article reviews and new techniques relating to building model railroads. |
