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7 Costly Model Train Mistakes

Thu 40 Comments

model train mistakes to avoidI am about to reveal the top 7 model train mistakes almost all beginners make.

I surveyed more than 5,000 readers and was astounded to hear how some of these mistakes had cost the beginners hundreds of dollars and hours of wasted time.

Here they are…

Mistake # 1 – Too much eagerness and too little patience

Mistake # 2 – Trying to grow a model train starter set into your dream model train layout

Mistake # 3 – Confusing scale and gauge

Mistake # 4 – Choosing the wrong scale

Mistake # 5 – Steep gradients and tight curves

Mistake # 6 – Going too big too quickly

Mistake # 7 – Electrically underrating your layout

I had no idea so many people made these mistakes and how much wasted money and time was involved.

So, to avoid this happening to you I have written a downloadable report which goes into great detail.

Model Train Newsletter Issue #101Click here to get your free copy of my special report “7 model train mistakes that almost every beginner makes and how to avoid them!”

Model railroading has been branded as an expensive hobby and now I see why.

These mistakes are the main reason and by me providing this free report to you, my hope is that you can avoid them.


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About Dan Morgan

Dan Morgan is on a mission to encourage more people to give model railroading a go... There is just no better hobby in the world!
View all posts by Dan Morgan →
  • 1kellyfamil

    Thanks for the advise on  the 7 mistakes, I am just getting started, I will need all the help I can get.I am on a very limited budget , so its gonna take some time. I needed something to do. I found it , and I am excited.

  • Coop99

    I found this very interesting & true.
    One problem I have come across living in Australia is that in my efforts to purchase US authentic rolling stock via ebay has been made much more difficult & time consuming because there are no filters to limit possible options for purchase to only those items where sellers will ship outside of USA & i have had to continually wade through page after page only to find an item I would like to bid for or purchase and then find out that seller only sells within USA.
    I am looking forward to reading upcoming newsletters to help me set-up my own layout.

  • Rottiecss

    Just downloaded and skimmed through, 7 mistakes to aviod. Really liked what I read and can’t wait to get the time to read to whole artice. Thanks for suppling this infomation. Looking forward to the next newsletter and all that follow. Thanks again. Enjoy life on the rails.

  • Austinleej

    That real nice but onr thing; I’m Disable very low income. Time I pay my Bills money gone.
    But I will try to some money. I’m 62yr. and want to do something.

  • Wwheeler3

    These articals are full of great info ,I will keep it close to my layout.bill

  • Timo

    Thanks for the advise on  the 7 mistakes, I am just getting started, I will need all the help I can get.I am on a very limited budget , so its gonna take some time. I am disabled and need something to do. I found it , and I am excited.

  • Charley

    I’ve been a model railroader since 1972 and I agree with the others that your 7 tips are right on. I also agree with Steve’s comment below that your HO and OO should be revised. Regarding scale structures, you write “A tip is to use an existing plastic model and go up or down in size by 2 times or 2 ½ times. This will give you a guide on size and proportions.” I don’t understand what you mean by “go up or down in size.”

  • J Hackworth

    Thanks for the good info just what a beginer like me needs

  • Rmacdona2011

    Dan,
    I want to save the download but it doesn’t ask or show where I want to save it to.
    Please let me know what I need to do.
    Thank you
    R Macdonald (better known as Mac)

    • http://modeltrainsforbeginners.com/ Dan Morgan

      Hi Mac, if you are using a PC just right click and save as to your desktop.
      Cheers
      Dan

  • Rdocray@yahoo.com

     Hi Dan;
       My wife & I are just starting out, we wanted a a train to go round the X-mas tree & it love at first sight when we opened the FedX Box . Number 2 on your list was about to bit us on our 60+ year old butt’s ( ^ ;
       Thanks so much. Doc

    • http://modeltrainsforbeginners.com/ Dan Morgan

      That’s funny, lol

  • Harvey

    I used to subscribe to mr news but found it really wasn’t for me. Anyway, your 7 mistakes most new modelers make are right on the money, Unfortunately, I can’t take advantage of your offer due to financial problems, but it’s a fantastic deal. Again sorry…….Harvey

  • Chaarles bridgwater

    7 Costly Model Train Mistakes.Very helpful  Thank you very much. Chuck

  • http://twitter.com/jrgdrfel jörg dörfel

    Give it with you fans of the TT scale (in eastern Germany is very common)

  • http://twitter.com/jrgdrfel jörg dörfel

    Give it with you fans of the TT scale (in eastern Germany is very common)

  • Donovan

    I am a little new to model railroading, and I find this site very useful! There is a lot of information on the web! I also found a great new website that gets updated daily! 
    Go To http://www.modelrrxing.blogspot.com

    HAPPY MODELING!

  • mrkel61

    cool

  • Gabriel Penner

    Hi! My name is Gabriel and I’m 10 years old.  I have not faced any of those problems probably because I have bascically have not expanded at all.  I’m a train freak and when I visited the strasburg RR the guy who ran the shop tour said HE learned from ME! LOL!

  • Waylands

    Excellent… a must have book.  Just starting up and so many a questions I have…..
    Thanks for this great book.  Model trains for beginners.

  • Sneedphoto

    What I find sad about the greatest hobbie  HO,s is that I cant find brushes for older locomotives.
    I have engines that are sitting on sidings because motors just need new brushes to run again  every place I go Im told my trains are to old When I started at 6 years old  Rivarossi, Tyco and Roundhouse were king
    and they are still running to this day except the engines that need brushes the few hobbie shop that are still around sell HO,s but dont repair them or have parts   and to me that is sad
     Michael Sneed  55 years into HO,s 

  • Norbertas Vilkaitis

    Excellent. I think most of us know but forget in the heat of moment when building, I know i do!!

  • Dan

    Your layout and the steps you took to build it were extremely good. I love the layout and envy the knowledge to wire up something like that. Your movie making however, needs a lot of work. You just can’t move the camera so fast over the subject. It needs to go very slowly to observe, study and enjoy the efforts that went into this layout.

  • Rog10

    Good advice for beginners like me. Helps me understand some of the jargon on scales, gauges and terms like DCC and DCS. Haven’t purchased any equipment as yet but this article will help me to choose the layout and models. This is just the beginning of my research. Thanks

  • James1bennett

    Great advice for beginners.. Have made a couple of the mistakes myself

  • Jeff Milot (Papasmrf)

    I have been building model railroads since I was 5 years old with my dad. I am now 63 years old and I found that your book on 7 Model Train Mistakes to Avoid, bring to light some thing that I have put in the back of my mind. This book is not just for beginners. Thanks.
    Jeff

  • steve

    Hi. A useful resource for beginners. I did notice an incorrect comment in Mistake 4, however. the text reads:

    “HO scale has become the most popular scale which is known as OO gauge in the UK.”

    HO and OO share the same gauge but HO scale is 3.5mm per foot, while OO scale is 4mm per foot. The odd mix of measures is an historic artifact – can’t recall the reason, it’s kind of obscure. Also, the minimum radius values for the two scales seem a bit off. Hornby and Peco settrack both default to 18 inch radii. The HO/OO similarity leads Brit manufacturers (at least) to label their structure kits, people and animals, visual props etc as being HO/OO scale, clearly not possible. A 6 foot tall man in HO is 21mm tall, in OO he stands 24mm tall. The disparity becomes much greater when dealing with buildings and viaducts etc.

  • Ed Taylor

    Hello Dan,

    I found your article very enlightning and right on the mark. With regards to the section on DCC (page 17) I had an interesting experience with a DCC equiped locomotive that you may want to consider adding to this article at its next update.

    I am presently in the “Start of Build” phase of a HO layout following some 4 months of design using the graphics package “CorelDraw”. This layout is somewhat unique in that it consists of two main lines going around the Dining Room of our home (9 1/2 inches from the ceiling), on a shelf with hidden supports, then through two tunnels into the Living Room and back into the Dining Room. It has been a bit tricky getting the curves (32 .in minimum) to alighn but it has all fallen place (at least on paper).

    Now for the fun part:

    I am running the MTH (Mikes Train House) DCS system in “Command Mode” with MTH Locomotives. These locomotives are strictly DC. The MTH Track Interface Unit (TIU) applies a constant 18 VDC to the tracks with Digital Signals superimposed. A DCS Locomotive will just sit until a signal is provided and its DC motor will then operate based on the specific command given. I did not get the real meaning of this until I tried a little 0-6-0 Bachman Switcher on a test track that I had set up. Upon applying power, the little switcher just took off at full speed, same direction, regardless of the orientation of the locomotive on the track (my wife and I got a kick out of this). Needless to say I returned that little locomotive to the dealer.

    Readers should be reminded that when upgrading to DCS they should be aware of the difference between DCS and DCC track voltages when looking to run multiple types of locomotives on the same configuration.

    I will be glad to go into specifics with anyone.

    Ed Taylor (etaylor84@nc.rr.com)

    • Stilcrzn

      I am a beginner and don’t know the diff. between dcs and dcc. Could you enlighten me. When I was a kid I had Lionel starter type train. Nothing like what is out there now. I am retired and trying to get back into model RR’ing. Thanks.

  • Don

    I was a coal miner when i was young. And we had steam. Still love the steam trains with the rusty rails. Don Crown. http://www.budgieman.co.uk

  • Michael_haisler

    Hi, This is some very good advice, I’ve made some of those mistakes, and you’re right, I’ll never make them again. This was very well wriiten and thought out. Very good job.

  • Lotuseroupa74

    i’ve done H/O and know with the kids all gone i’m going to start N gauge!

  • Dalwiljo

    I’ve got a HO scale set with a controller that wont work, An N scale Sir Nigel Gresley engine and i wont to know what it is valued at.

    • Jim an Em C

      The HO set, Is it DCC or just DC? The Sir Nigel Gresley engine what make is it? Cheers Jim

  • hogleg

    Okay, so don’t make the mistake of have a too steep gradient. What gradient is too steep to go from one shelf to the other.

  • Plumberbub

    i was pretty nieve on my first layout……didn’t rush things but didn’t understand some things……next layout was better

  • GandBschreiber

    I have been ask to speak at our library about model railroading. Would you have any hand outs for the group. About 24 people? Gary Schreiber

  • Mayerhardeware

    where can info on celing hung layouts be found?

  • Jim Deveney

    Very good advice to all beginners, I have been in railroading for 3 years and I still find minor mistakes.
    Jim

  • http://inmyhomeoffice.com/ Ian

    This is a must-read for any beginner. I have made every one of these mistakes :)