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Rail transport modelling

From Quire, the open reference·Modelling trains hobby·4 min read
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A Japanese H0e scale model railroad
A Japanese H0e scale model railroad Image: source and license
One of the smallest (Z scale, 1:220) placed on the buffer bar of one of the larger (live steam, 1:8) model locomotives
One of the smallest (Z scale, 1:220) placed on the buffer bar of one of the larger (live steam, 1:8) model locomotives Image: source and license
HO scale (1:87) model of a North American center cab switcher shown with a pencil for scale
HO scale (1:87) model of a North American center cab switcher shown with a pencil for scale Image: source and license
Z scale (1:220) scene of a 2-6-0 steam locomotive being turned. A scratch-built Russell snow plow is parked on a stub (Val Ease Central Railroad).
Z scale (1:220) scene of a 2-6-0 steam locomotive being turned. A scratch-built Russell snow plow is parked on a stub (Val Ease Central Railroad). Image: source and license

Railway modelling (British English) or model railroading (American and Canadian English) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.

The earliest model railways were the carpet railways in the 1840s. The first documented model railway was the Railway of the Prince Imperial (French: Chemin de fer du Prince Impérial), built in 1859 by Emperor Napoleon III for his then three-year-old son, also Napoleon, in the grounds of the Château de Saint-Cloud in Paris. It was powered by clockwork and ran in a figure-of-eight.[1]

The world's oldest working model railway is a model designed to train signalmen on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. It is located in the National Railway Museum, in York, England, and dates back to 1912; it remained in use until 1995. The model was built as a training exercise by apprentices of the company's Horwich Works and supplied with rolling stock by Bassett-Lowke.[2]

General description#edit

Bekonscot in Buckinghamshire is the oldest model village and includes a model railway, dating from the 1930s. The world's largest model railroad is the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany in H0 scale.[3] The largest live steam layout, with 25 miles (40 km) of track is Train Mountain in Chiloquin, Oregon, U.S.[4] Operations form an important aspect of rail transport modelling with many layouts being dedicated to emulating the operational aspects of a working railway. These layouts can become extremely complex with multiple routes, movement patterns and timetabled operation. The British outline model railway of Banbury Connections in New South Wales, Australia, is one of the world's most complicated model railways.[5]

Model railroad clubs exist where enthusiasts meet.[6] The Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC) at MIT in the 1950s pioneered automatic control of track-switching by using telephone relays.[7]

A 242A1 locomotive and standard gauge track at some model railway scales
A 242A1 locomotive and standard gauge track at some model railway scales Image: source and license

The largest common scale is 1:8, with 1:4 sometimes used for park rides. G scale (Garden, 1:24 scale) is most popular for backyard modelling. It is easier to fit a G scale model into a garden and keep scenery proportional to the trains. Gauge 1 and Gauge 3 are also popular for gardens. O, S, HO, and N scale are more often used indoors.[8][9]

In 1938, Hornby, a manufacturer of 'O' scale model trains in the UK, launched a range of 'OO' scale electric trains (Hornby Dublo) with 1/76 scale rolling stock using 1/87 scale 16.5 mm wide track with a third centre rail. The power supply was 12 V DC and the track was equipped with an electrically insulated central rail and two non-insulated running rails. In 1959 Hornby abandoned its three-rail track in favour of a two-rail track for its 'OO' scale electric trains.[10]

DC motors with more powerful magnets began to be used for model trains in the 1950s.[11]

Engines powered by live steam are often built in large outdoor gauges of 5 inches (130 mm) and 7+1⁄2 inches (190 mm), are also available in Gauge 1, G scale, 16 mm scale and can be found in O and OO/HO. Hornby Railways produce live steam locomotives in OO, based on designs first arrived at by an amateur modeller. Other modellers have built live steam models in HO/OO, OO9 and N, and there is one in Z in Australia.[12]

Model railway manufacturers#edit

Model train display at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry
Model train display at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry Image: source and license

Layout standards organizations#edit

Several organizations exist to set standardizations for connectibility between individual layout sections (commonly called "modules").[citation needed]

See also#edit

Displays and famous layouts
Groups dedicated to railway modelling

References#edit

  1. ^ "Chemin de fer du Prince imperial". Le Monde Illustré (in French): 229-230. 8 October 1859. Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  2. ^ Hollowood, Russell (9 April 2014). "Model students mark record for world's oldest working model railway". National Railway Museum. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Largest model train set". guinnessworldrecords.com. Guinness World Records Limited. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  4. ^ "TMRR". Trainmountain.org. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2005-10-29.
  5. ^ "Banbury Connections". Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
  6. ^ Greenberg, Bruce C. (1979). Model railroading : a family guide. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice-Hall. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-13-586149-3. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  7. ^ Levy, Steven (21 November 2014). "The Tech Model Railroad Club". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  8. ^ "MODELING IN SCALE – Dimensions, Conversion Charts, Sizes, F.A.Q.s". Oakridgehobbies.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  9. ^ "Best Photos of Model Train Scales Chart - Scale Model Conversion Chart, Model Railroad Scales Comparison and Scale Model Trains / sawyoo.com". Sawyoo.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  10. ^ "The Home of Model Railways". Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  11. ^ Jean-François Guy (1998). Bulletin d'histoire de l'électricité. Vol. 31. pp. 23–64. doi:10.3406/helec.1998.1381. Retrieved 2024-04-13. L'évolution technique dans le jouet électrique
  12. ^ "Ultraminiature Live Steam". Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  13. ^ "ausTRAK website". Archived from the original on 2006-09-08.
  14. ^ "FREMO homepage" (in German and English).
  15. ^ "What is Free-mo?". Uvb.jnk.mybluehost.me. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  16. ^ "N-orma.pl". N-orma.pl. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  17. ^ "oNeTrack homepage". Archived from the original on 2006-09-08.
  18. ^ "Sipping and Switching Society of NC website". Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  19. ^ "sTTandard". Sttandard.org.pl. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  20. ^ "T-TRAK website". Archived from the original on 2017-06-11. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  21. ^ "Z-Bend Track homepage". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28.
Categories Rail transport modellingMiniature railways

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