Choosing the Right Train Set

Model trains simply have a magnetic appeal. People love to watch these miniature models of real-life behemoths moving along the track.

Watching a model railroad in action can be inspiration for you to build one of your own or buy one as a gift for a special young relative.

Entering the world of model railroading takes you to an endlessly fascinating and thrilling hobby experience. And train sets make wonderful gifts. But the right set can depend on many different things. The information here can help you decide where to begin to find the right model train set for you.

First, consider the age of the person who will be using it. Are they very young? For kids under the age of eight or nine years old, you probably cannot do better than a wooden train set. These are quite durable and have loads of play value. Found in better toy stores, wooden sets like ones made by Brio are easily built by young children. The bright engines and cars can easily roll over the grooved pieces of track. Wooden train sets have things like bridges, tunnels, and switches. In fact, some engines are made for wooden train sets that have quite a realistic look and are battery powered.

Slightly older kids, from eight years old at the earliest, up to about 12, do well with O scale (1/48th size) train sets. Some may even be able to handle HO scale (1/87th size), which is half the size of O scale. Following the general rule of bigger units for smaller hands will work well for you. HO scale starter sets may be more popular and easier to find, but O scale is experiencing a slight resurgence in popularity. Both O scale and Large Scale sets can be found at most model train shops. Some Large scale sets made by European toy makers can be found at upscale toy stores. These choices let kids get used to working with joining rails together and making sure the simple electric circuitry is properly connected.

HO scale starter sets are good for kids about 10 years old and up. Plentiful and easy to find, there are many different starter sets available. You can choose from steam or diesel power, and even choose from different railroad names. There is also a variety of the number of pieces in HO starter sets. Some are quite basic with just track, a locomotive, a few cars, and a power pack. There are others with all those and more- including buildings and scenery. Still others come with BOTH steam and diesel power and plenty of track and accessories, but those are expensive.

N scale (1/160th size) starter sets are still available, but rarer nowadays. In some parts of the country, they are even rarer than O scale starter sets. N scale starter sets are good for those who want something up and running quickly without much space. Often, these sets will not have much in the way of scenery or included accessories. Most N scale sets feature diesel power, but there are some sets that have steam. This scale also has appeal for people who move quite a bit.  

If you really want a real running railroad in the smallest of spaces, a fully wired railroad complete with scenery can be yours- in a briefcase! Made in Z scale, these astounding sets are 1:220 in size and engines are barely bigger than a walnut shell. Completely ready to go, minus the engines and cars, a Z scale (1/220th size) set built in a briefcase will cost you over $1,000. A decent lash-up of an engine and a few cars will cost around another $200 to $350.

Of course, you don’t need one of the pre-fab sets to model in Z scale. Track, engines, and cars are available for you to build your own layout. At the current time, the most common types of model trains available in Z scale are European, though more American trains are becoming available. The scale was invented by the Marklin company in 1972 in Germany.

So, choosing the right train set comes down to age, skill level, space available, and the amount of accessories. Consider all these things and you should be able to come to a good conclusion about which scale is right for the needs of whomever you are purchasing for.