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Choosing the Perfect Starter Model Train Set for Christmas: A Family-Friendly Guide

/ stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

The holiday season is a magical time, filled with joy, family gatherings, and the excitement of gift-giving. One of the most cherished traditions during Christmas is setting up a model train around the Christmas tree. Whether you’re starting a new hobby or continuing a beloved tradition, selecting the right starter model train set can create lasting memories for your family. This guide will help you choose a family-friendly model train set that not only delights during the holiday season but can also be expanded into larger layouts as your interest grows.

Understanding Scale and Gauge

Before you dive into specific recommendations, it’s essential to understand the concepts of scale and gauge:

  1. Scale: This refers to the size ratio between the model and the real-life train. Common scales include:
  • HO Scale (1:87): The most popular scale, offering a good balance between size and detail. It’s perfect for families because it has many available accessories.
  • N Scale (1:160): Smaller than HO, great for limited spaces, making it ideal for compact holiday displays.
  • O Scale (1:48): Larger and more robust, often associated with classic brands like Lionel, which are perfect for young children.
  1. Gauge: This is the distance between the rails. Each scale has a corresponding gauge, so it’s crucial to ensure that your track and trains match.

Recommended Starter Sets for Christmas

  1. BRIO World Christmas Steaming Train Set
  • Why it’s great for families: This set is designed specifically for the holiday season, featuring a battery-operated engine that produces safe-to-touch steam effects. It’s perfect for setting up around the Christmas tree.
  • Expandability: The BRIO system is compatible with other BRIO products, allowing you to expand your layout over time.
  • Family-friendly features: The set includes snowy tracks, a North Pole station with a Christmas tree, and a Santa Claus character, making it festive and fun for kids.
  1. Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer Train Set (O Gauge)
  • Classic appeal: Lionel trains are iconic and often evoke nostalgic memories of childhood.
  • Durability: O gauge trains are larger and more robust, making them great for younger children who might be rougher with toys.
  • Remote control operation: Many Lionel sets come with remote controls, adding an interactive element to your holiday experience.
  1. Electric Train Set by Minmi
  • Ideal for toddlers and big kids: This electric train set is designed for ages 2-10 and provides endless entertainment during the festive season.
  • Creative play features: With lights, sounds, and action, this train set can be used as a fantasy Polar Express around the tree or as part of an imaginative roller coaster setup.
  • Perfect gift idea: This set makes an excellent birthday or Christmas gift that will delight young train enthusiasts.

Key Features to Look for in a Starter Set

When choosing a starter model train set for Christmas, keep these key features in mind:

  1. Complete Package: Ensure the set includes everything needed to start: locomotive, cars, track, power supply, and controller.
  2. Quality of Track: Look for track systems that are easy to assemble and expand. Snap-track systems are particularly user-friendly for beginners.
  3. Power Supply: A good power pack should have variable speed control and direction change capabilities.
  4. Locomotive Quality: Choose sets with locomotives that run smoothly and have good pulling power.
  5. Expandability: Ensure the set uses standard components that can be easily supplemented with additional pieces from various manufacturers.

Expanding Your Layout After Christmas

Once you’ve enjoyed your starter set during the holiday season, you can begin expanding your layout throughout the year. Here are some ideas:

  1. Additional Track: Start by adding more track to create larger loops or more complex configurations.
  2. Scenery Elements: Add buildings, trees, and figures to create a more realistic environment that reflects different seasons or themes.
  3. Extra Rolling Stock: Increase your train’s length with additional cars to enhance playability.
  4. Switches and Turnouts: These allow you to create sidings and more intricate track layouts.
  5. Digital Command Control (DCC): As you advance in your hobby, consider upgrading to a DCC system for more realistic operation and the ability to run multiple trains independently.

Making It a Family Activity

Model railroading can be a wonderful family hobby during the holiday season and beyond. Here are some tips to involve everyone:

  1. Assign Roles: Let each family member take charge of different aspects such as track layout design, scenery creation, or train operation.
  2. Create Holiday Themes: Design your layout around festive themes like winter wonderlands or Christmas villages that interest different family members.
  3. Learn Together: Use this hobby as an opportunity to learn about geography, history, and engineering as a family while building your layout together.
  4. Host Operating Sessions: Once your layout is more developed after Christmas, invite friends or other families over for operating sessions where everyone can enjoy running trains together.

Maintenance and Care

Proper maintenance will ensure your trains run smoothly through many holiday seasons:

  1. Clean the Track Regularly: Use a track cleaning eraser or isopropyl alcohol to keep the rails free of dirt and oxidation from festive decorations.
  2. Lubricate Moving Parts: Apply a small amount of plastic-compatible lubricant to gears and axles as recommended by the manufacturer after heavy use during the holidays.
  3. Store Properly After Use: When not in use after Christmas, store your trains and accessories in a cool, dry place—preferably in their original packaging or dedicated storage boxes—to protect them until next year.
  4. Handle with Care: Teach children to handle the trains gently to avoid damage during playtime.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even the best sets can sometimes have issues; here are some common problems and solutions:

  1. Train Won’t Run: Check power connections; ensure that the track is clean; verify that all wheels are on the track properly.
  2. Derailments: Look for misaligned track joints; ensure curves aren’t too tight for your locomotive; check that wheel gauges are correct.
  3. Jerky Operation: Clean both track and locomotive wheels; ensure electrical connections are secure; check batteries if applicable.

Safety Considerations

While model trains are generally safe toys, keep these points in mind:

  1. Electrical Safety: Always use the power supply that comes with your set or one specifically designed for model trains.
  2. Small Parts Caution: Some models have small parts that could pose choking hazards for very young children; supervise playtime accordingly.
  3. Age-Appropriate Sets: Choose sets that match the age and skill level of users to ensure safe play experiences.

Resources for Learning Together

As you delve deeper into this exciting hobby during the holiday season:

  1. Local Hobby Shops: These can be invaluable sources of advice, supplies, and connections with other enthusiasts who share your passion.
  2. Online Forums & Communities: Websites like ModelTrainForum.com offer wealths of information along with communities where you can connect with fellow modelers.
  3. Model Railroad Clubs & Events: Joining local clubs can provide inspiration while also giving you access to larger layouts during community events throughout the year.
  4. YouTube Tutorials & Demonstrations: Many experienced modelers share tips through video tutorials—great visual aids when learning new techniques together!
  5. Model Railroader Magazine & Blogs: A fantastic source of layout ideas, product reviews, industry news—perfect reading material during cozy winter evenings!

I would recommend checking Ebay or Amazon for Starter train sets.

Conclusion

Choosing a starter model train set during this festive season opens up an exciting world of creativity and fun for families! By selecting quality sets designed for expansion while incorporating seasonal themes into playtime activities—you’re setting yourself up not just for joyful holidays but also countless hours of enjoyment throughout the year!

So gather around as you embark on this enchanting journey into model railroading together—whether it’s running trains under twinkling lights or creating elaborate layouts full of charm—there’s no limit to what you can achieve! Happy holidays from our family to yours—may your tracks always lead home!

Citations:
[1] https://www.brio.us/en-US/products/railway-toys/train-sets/christmas-steaming-train-set-63601400
[2] https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Set-Toddler-Figures-Playsets-Motorized/dp/B07SH19FBL
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/comments/18dxjfv/whats_the_best_starter_train_set_for_kids/
[4] https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/blog/best-train-toys-and-model-trains/
[5] http://garden-train-store.com/begin/kids_trains.htm
[6] http://www.lionel.com/categories/holiday-memories
[7] https://shop.trains.com/collections/toys
[8] https://www.target.com/s/electric+christmas+train+sets

A Train Set For Christmas

/ stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

I received my first model train set when I was just 11 years old. It came at Christmas and was set up around the tree like a silver train track wreath. There were two engines (although if I remember correctly one was just for show), five boxcars, two flatbeds and a caboose. The engines were old black CN locomotives with that bold red CN logo on the sides, while the boxcars were nondescript brown and black. The Caboose, now that was a deep rich red, as they should, be and was my favorite car of them all. To me, that Christmas will always be remembered for that red caboose.

Of course you’d think that at that moment I began to love trains and became a model train enthusiast. Well not exactly. I played with that oval track and those model trains for a good while, but as all thing in childhood, I moved on to, to me, bigger and better thing: my new bike, the pogo stick, girls, and of course cars.

It wasn’t until I had my own kids that the memories of that HO train set came flooding back to me. How I would sit there and watch it go round that oval click track! How my father seemed to always be there, sitting and watching my fun! How I felt as I pretended to be the engineer lugging a load to the next town on the route! I even imagined how my father must have felt as he picked out what he hoped was the perfect model train set to go around the tree that year.

It was these memories that prompted me to get my own kids their first HO model train kit for Christmas this year. To see their faces light up as they see that train going round the tree will be priceless and to watch them pretend to be engineers is going to lighten my heart.

Of course, this is the moment that made me a true model train enthusiast. So as I buy my children their first model train set, I will be looking for my second. The basement corner is looking to me more and more like that train yard near my old home out west. I really cant wait to get to work on my new HO model train layout and conscript the boys into helping. Maybe they will become model train enthusiasts like me. I certainly hope so.

If you are reading this article and thinking that you and your children might want a model train set for Christmas, then I recommend you follow my lead. The HO model trains are the most popular scale with model railroad enthusiasts. This 1:87 scale allows you to fit a good sized track into an average size space. There is also lots of accessories and scenery available for this model. If you have limited space you may want to consider an N scale layout. This 1:160 scale is small enough that you put a fairly complex layout in a small space. Of course your focus will be more on the layout and not the locomotive and cars themselves. However if you have lots of space, you may want to use the larger O scale. At a 1:48 scale your focus will definitely be on the engine and rolling stock and not the layout. However you really need a large space for these train sets. Whatever you decide, I hope you and your family soon discover the joys of model railroading!

The History Of Model Railroading

Model Train Scales

5 Top Model Train Accessories

Discover Model Trains

Deciding a Track Plan Before Building Your Model Railroad Layout

How to Add Excitement to Model Railroad Scenery on Your Model Train Layout

Inexpensive Ways to Make Trees and Ground Cover For Your Model Railroad Layout

A Train Set For Christmas

Train Sets Available

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Inexpensive Ways to Make Trees and Ground Cover For Your Model Railroad Layout

/ stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

One of the most exciting aspects of model railroading is creating the scenery to enhance the landscape of a layout. The scenery is what adds the personality and interest to a layout to make it truly unique.

There are all sorts of scenery accessories you can purchase from online model train stores, but many things can be made from everyday items around the home. You do not always need to spend money when there are things around you for free.

Twigs from your back yard are a good example. They can be used for making small trees and shrubs, or be cut to resemble logs. There is no need to paint them, because they are already the right color. Small wooden meat skewers (from the supermarket) can also be used to make logs and they are very inexpensive to buy.

The same goes for adding grass to your layout. You can purchase some very good products such as “Static Grass Flock” to provide ground cover, or you can make your own. Some model railroaders use a mix of ready-to-use grasses from the hobby store, and combine this, with there own home made grass recipe.

Gather some fresh mulberry leaves and dry them in a microwave oven. After they are dried out, drop them in a kitchen blender and you have instant ground cover. The best thing is; it costs you virtually nothing to make. Store it in a plastic bag for when you need it.

The only disadvantage with making your own ground cover is you will not necessarily know how long it will last when compared to the bought stuff. Many of the ground cover products from a hobby store will have been treated to help them maintain their color and withstand temperature and humidity variances over time. Some of them are non-flammable and nontoxic, so you need to decide what is important to you.

A lot of model railroaders use dried kitchen herbs for leaves and ground cover. They mix different herbs (eg. thyme, oregano and parsley) for different effects. When doing this it is best to lay some newspaper underneath, as it can be a messy process. That way you can catch and reuse any herbs that do not stick the first time.

Sea Foam (also called “Forest in a Box”) is a popular material for making small inexpensive trees. You can bend it to look like trees and then spray on some adhesive and sieve on some flock. It is usually best to mix a few little pieces together rather than use just one piece for an entire tree.

Click here for lots more clever model train layout ideas. 

Fine brass wire can be used to strengthen the trunks and branches. Torn up pieces of masking tape can be wound around the tree trunk to add some width. This can then be sealed with a mixture of wall filler and PVA white glue.

You can even add sprinklings of kitchen herbs as mentioned earlier. You can then spray the trees all over with matt varnish, or spray them (upside down) with a mix of white glue and water. You then leave them to dry overnight.

Lichen is also ideal for making shrubs and trees. It is very versatile and looks good as mass foliage and undergrowth on a train layout. It is also inexpensive and easy to work with. You can purchase it in a range of colors that can be used separately or mixed together.

So, there are many, many ways to make ground cover and trees for your model railroad layout. It is a lot of fun and you might want to try some different options to see what works best for you. The point I am really making here; is that things on your train layout do not always need to be expensive. You just need to be a little creative in your approach. Have fun!

Join Robert Anderson’s popular online Model Train Club to get lots of clever model railroad ideas to help you build the model train layout of your dreams! 

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Robert Anderson is the author of Model Railroad Scenery & Layout Construction Ideas. CLICK HERE to learn more.

For more Scenery visit WOODLAND SCENIC PRODUCTS

The History Of Model Railroading

Model Train Scales

5 Top Model Train Accessories

Discover Model Trains

Deciding a Track Plan Before Building Your Model Railroad Layout

How to Add Excitement to Model Railroad Scenery on Your Model Train Layout

Inexpensive Ways to Make Trees and Ground Cover For Your Model Railroad Layout

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