HO Model Railroad City

There’s much more to model railroading than operating the trains, isn’t there? It’s also about imagining that landscape that our trains are in—the histories behind the locomotives. The social time, the topographical scenery, the weathering and painting are all equally complex and absorbing as the locomotives for most of us model trainers.  In addition the enjoyment of coloring, detailing and constructing these accessories involves a whole new aspect to our model training activities.  Here are some tips on how to plan out your individualized HO model train railroad city:

Match your trains to your geographical scenery:

We model train enthusiasts are usually pretty good historians and there is nothing more irritating to us than seeing a 1950’s era American car on the cobblestone streets of European metropolis near a typical 19^th century train station.  This sort of a hodge-podge track plan where the features are picked in a seemingly willy nilly manner can really undo our suspension of disbelief. There are infinite possibilities for you to choose between when it comes to time period and scenery.  So if you are trying to create an accurate European feel to your sprawling model train city then pick structures and figures that fit this theme.

Start by planning the larger buildings and marking out the paths:  

In a perfect world your paths will crisscross your city and some will go back to and segment the railroad tracks. Once you have these thought out you can plan your other smaller structures and accessories around these central choices.

Don’t neglect to include natural features in your city:

Towns are not just sidewalks and houses, they have bushes and wells and animals as well. A little park at the heart of your village can really add interest to your landscape.  Some of the ideal designs I’ve seen involve a central lake area in a town with a tributary that flows out and under the line of train tracks. Let your imagination be your guide.

Be sure to detail and weather your cityscape:

Little details are at the center of good model railroad town. Make your cityscape as complex as you can imagine.  The more time you use on these intricate details the stronger the magic of your fiction will be.

This is a wonderful aspect of the model training world that you can include the whole family in. Many grown ups still have the childhood love of coloring and shading.  There is a great pleasure in linking segments together and adding tiny weathering details to buildings and streets.  If you have a particularly artistic member of the household, this could be the perfect opportunity to seek them and kindle their interest in model training. You can really use this as a bonding experience for the whole family. This is a wonderful way of making lasting family memories and customs.

Here is more information on Model Train Track. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.