Thinking of building a model train collection? Well, all aboard! We’ve got Lionel trains, Bachmann trains, tracks, platforms, accessories and more – all to fit any budget. You’ll generally find the more rare and valuable trains and cars in our Collectibles category, but check out both Toys and Under $25 for models whose price tags are a little less steep.
If you’re new to model trains, it can seem like both an exciting and a daunting prospect. Scale. Gauge. Turn radius. Yikes! Never fear though: it’s been our experience that seasoned collectors are more than happy to talk trains, especially with a newly-minted hobbyist.
Scale is probably the most important thing to consider when beginning a train collection. Scale indicates the size of the models as compared to the real thing. The most common scale is HO; trains at this scale are about 1/87th the size of real locomotives. There is, however a variety of scales, ranging from G (about 1/22 size and commonly used in outdoor layouts) all the way down to tiny Z scale (1/220 the size of real trains).
If you’re thinking of doing a little, well, training, check out any issue of Paper Shop or findnflip.com to see what we’ve got. We just might be able to help your collection go full steam ahead!