Ideas for model railroading hobbyists who choose to use 3rail O-scale ready-to-run electric trains

This website is not about crafting Dioramas that feature a railway scene --- Railroad Modeling.
Instead this website IS about modeling in miniature a segment of the Railroad Transportation Business in action --- Model Railroading.

While the focus of this website is towards adult hobbyists interested in building a 3rail layout that creates the illusion of a purposeful rail transportation system; we approach the solution in a non-collectable, budget friendly manner that takes into account the modern reality of prebuilt structures, tiny train room spaces, and the concept of layout segmentation. Utilizing a capacious quantity of articles and illustrations, all aspects of a layout is covered, including rollingstock, operations, scenery, and electrical. Quantities of prime-design previously published and original track plans (often featuring "Micro Vignettes" [EXPLANATION]) are presented throughout (including many examples that incorporate toy structures), to help you coalesce your own design ideas. The oft neglected realms of Priority Trains and urban settings are discussed, as are the various forms of Traction.

Railroading in model form is the near equivalent of a theatrical performance about a specific time and place. The Theater, with spaces for our performers and audience, is our railroad area as a whole. The Stage is the base platform upon which the layout is hosted. The Power and Lighting serve the same purpose on a stage as on our layout. The Set is the benchwork and fashioned terrain. The Props are the buildings and other scenery elements.

The Actors are the trains, which move about within their Setting. Their Costumes are the car types, and their Makeup is the paint schemes. They stand unseen in the wings (our staging tracks), awaiting their time to perform before the audience. The Script of the theatrical play is what we call Operations, and the Director of this wonderful performance is You.

Subjects:

The Theater

  1. Platforms - [stage]
  1. Electrification - [power and lighting]
  2. Era and Place - [setting]
  1. Scenery - [set and props]
  2. Rollingstock - [costumes and makeup]
  3. Operations - [script]

The Rehearsal

  1. Envisioning the Theme
  2. Selecting the Design Elements
  3. Planning around Traffic
  4. The Railroad as its own Customer

Track Plans:

   = Links =

Sitemap

Electric train hobbyists working in O-scale [ESSAY] who utilize Ready-to-Run rollingstock designed for 3-rail sectional track, can be broadly classified into one of three groups:
--- "Hi-Railer" (the Modeler) is a permanent layout builder who opts to run scale 3rail rollingstock within photo-realistic scenes of highly detailed structures inspired by prototypes. Their interest in the hobby is primarily scenery Crafting, and taking artistic photographs of their gorgeous work.
--- "Tinplater" (the Collector) is often a temporary layout builder. They opt for colorful trains, which they race past mixed scale/era toy buildings and accessories. A typical track plan is a multiple route continuous run [EXAMPLE], that incorporates an implausible short tunnel. Their interest in the hobby is primarily Collecting, and watching their rare acquisitions in motion.
--- "Traditionalist" (the Operator) is a budget conscious layout builder who runs mostly semi-scale and justifiable toy rollingstock through entirely plausible, but lower-detail scenery. Like the earliest model railroaders, their interest in the hobby is primarily to Operate model trains in a simulated manner of the real railroads.

While all three hobbyists are equally legitimate, this website is mostly speaking towards Traditionalists who deeply desire to railroad, but strongly dislike building. In particular this website provides guidance for those who desire to operate trains on a post-1888 North American Justifiable Freelance [ESSAY] styled layout. O-scale is an ideal scale for implementing realistic Car Forwarding, as the car weight provides shunting reliability, and the identifying labels on the cars are easy to read. 3rail rollingstock is rugged, so you can physically handle the cars to manually uncouple [EXAMPLE] them (real railroads don't use automatic uncouplers), change their lading [EXAMPLE] (a lot of fun play potential there), or "Fiddle" [EXPLANATION] them into new consists behind the scenes.


A sampling of prototype railroading practice

The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does - c.1998 (*.pdf book) = {the definitive introduction to prototype railroading}
Farm Products Hauled by Railroads - c.2022 (*.pdf)
Trackwork and Railway Structures - c.1926 (*.pdf book)
Freight Terminals and Trains - c.1912 (*.pdf book)
Passenger Terminals and Trains - c.1916 (*.pdf book)
Metra Commuter Rail Station Guidelines and Standards - c.2007 (*.pdf book)
Caltrain Commuter Timetable - c.2016 (*.pdf) - {an example of prototype train scheduling on a modern commuter railway}

~ Rapid Transit Specific

Underground - c.1976 (*.pdf book) - illustration of what lies below a city street
All About Subways - c.1938 (*.pdf book)

No matter how you ultimately choose to create your railroad simulation... never forget that FUN must always be delivered in some form.
- This is a hobby, not a job!