Model Train Show
Last weekend I went to this trade show for Model Trains. Also known as toy trains, but some people might be offended that you're comparing their finely crafted models to mere toys.
I haven't been there in a while, and the last time I went there must have been 4-5 years ago. I usually went with my grandfather, the one who recently passed away. He was the one who got me interested in the hobby, as he grew up with Lionel trains and even still had some of his old Lionel stuff. This time, however, I had found out that my other living grandfather also had an interest in them so I invited him along.
I have had a bit of an interest in model trains, although I've never built anything, as it requires some amount of money, woodworking tools for the "table" that holds the track, and time and space.
Most of what was there was sales booths to sell stuff. There was also a cafe for munchies. What I went there for was the actual operating layouts. A layout is of course track, scenery, buildings, and trains all mounted to some sort of table or frame.
There were several types of layouts, all modular. A module is a small segment of a layout that is built to specifications so the track on it can be hooked to other modules to make a much larger layout. Individual or groups of modules are built by a person for a group, and they put them together at shows.
The layouts they had were one N-scale* module layout, one HO-scale* module layout, one H0-scale module layout using European equipment and 3-rail AC european track, and a HO-scale live catenary layout (catenary is overhead electric wires, and on layouts with this, the overhead wire actually has power). They also had a small table layout with N, Z, and T scale to show off the three smallest scales.
The coolest one was the lego layout, however. They use Lego train stuff and build buildings and stuff entirely out of legos. Since Lego trains are around O-scale* in size, the buildings can be quite huge. One guy had built a lego version of a tower in Detroit and it was 8 feet tall!
What's more awesome than having an excuse to play with legos?
* Since most of you don't know the scales for model trains, I will list them here from largest to smallest:
G and large - Garden scale, outdoor trains
O (oh) Scale - Lionel is this scale. A train car's about a foot long.
S scale - Halfway between O and HO
HO scale - The most popular scale. About half the size of 0 scale. A car is usually 6" long. This is the size most christmas box train sets are, with a loop of track and engine and some cars.
N scale - The second most popular size, 55% the size of HO.
Z scale - Until recently the smallest scale
T scale - only made by one company in Japan. This stuff is so tiny it's only about 2-3mm between the rails, and each car can fit in the bowl of a spoon.
I haven't been there in a while, and the last time I went there must have been 4-5 years ago. I usually went with my grandfather, the one who recently passed away. He was the one who got me interested in the hobby, as he grew up with Lionel trains and even still had some of his old Lionel stuff. This time, however, I had found out that my other living grandfather also had an interest in them so I invited him along.
I have had a bit of an interest in model trains, although I've never built anything, as it requires some amount of money, woodworking tools for the "table" that holds the track, and time and space.
Most of what was there was sales booths to sell stuff. There was also a cafe for munchies. What I went there for was the actual operating layouts. A layout is of course track, scenery, buildings, and trains all mounted to some sort of table or frame.
There were several types of layouts, all modular. A module is a small segment of a layout that is built to specifications so the track on it can be hooked to other modules to make a much larger layout. Individual or groups of modules are built by a person for a group, and they put them together at shows.
The layouts they had were one N-scale* module layout, one HO-scale* module layout, one H0-scale module layout using European equipment and 3-rail AC european track, and a HO-scale live catenary layout (catenary is overhead electric wires, and on layouts with this, the overhead wire actually has power). They also had a small table layout with N, Z, and T scale to show off the three smallest scales.
The coolest one was the lego layout, however. They use Lego train stuff and build buildings and stuff entirely out of legos. Since Lego trains are around O-scale* in size, the buildings can be quite huge. One guy had built a lego version of a tower in Detroit and it was 8 feet tall!
What's more awesome than having an excuse to play with legos?
* Since most of you don't know the scales for model trains, I will list them here from largest to smallest:
G and large - Garden scale, outdoor trains
O (oh) Scale - Lionel is this scale. A train car's about a foot long.
S scale - Halfway between O and HO
HO scale - The most popular scale. About half the size of 0 scale. A car is usually 6" long. This is the size most christmas box train sets are, with a loop of track and engine and some cars.
N scale - The second most popular size, 55% the size of HO.
Z scale - Until recently the smallest scale
T scale - only made by one company in Japan. This stuff is so tiny it's only about 2-3mm between the rails, and each car can fit in the bowl of a spoon.