This book is as comprehensive a guide to model railroading as you'll find anywhere. It starts with some basic "train knowledge" and continues on to the more detailed aspects of the hobby. And yes, this hobby can get quite detailed. But don’t be intimidated -- the beauty of this hobby is that you can get involved to whatever level you feel comfortable.
This book was written not only to provide a general overview of model railroading, but also to present little-known tips on the best ways of enjoying this constantly growing hobby.
Chapter 1 gives an overview of why model railroading is so popular. The author describes some of the benefits it's given him over the years, and why so railroaders are such die-hard hobbyists. In the following chapter, some of the most troubling and confusing aspects of model railroading -- the idea of scale and gauge and the difference between the two is discussed.
Chapter 3 introduces the idea of building benchwork including a definition and how to build it. The next chapter gets into the nitty-gritty of model railroading: the tracks, the wiring, and the physical layout of the land. Here, the various types of tracks, how they're wired to ensure they work continuously, and how to create a layout that doesn't derail your poor train every time it rounds a corner is explained. Chapter 5 deals with types of cars and scenery.
This book is written in an easy to read step-by-step approach that makes setting up a modle railroad system fun and easy. Not only is it filled with helpful information it is loaded with extremely valuable resources and links that would otherwise take a model enthusist months to put together. That's worth the price of the book.
So what are you waiting on? Get started in this fun and enjoyable pursuit today.
