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I know what you’re thinking: what is a site about wargaming doing talking about model railroading–your first model railroad. And it’s a fair question. I’ve talked on this site before, here and here, about my recent foray into the passion that drove me into miniature wargaming in the first place–model railroading. Being able to build a model train in miniature, with scenery and paper mache mountains and ground cover and trees–all of that prepared me for when I would finally get into the wargaming hobby.

But all things are new again, and what was once a hobby I set aside has now become something I’m deep into.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m still 100% committed to miniature wargaming. It’s just that, on my model train layout, Flames of War tanks are fighting Nolzur’s Miniatures monsters. I have 1/72 Union Cavalry taking on a Sons of Behemat Mega-Gargant and I have my mountain topped with a gorgeous miniature from the best wargaming scenery company in the world, bar none, Tabletop World.

Yes, this railroad is not realistic in the least, but I don’t care because I’m loving this. (For more information about the art projects I’ve embarked on having miniatures fight monsters (Pilgrims vs. Sea Monsters) click here.

Getting Started in Model Railroading if You Don’t Know What You’re Doing

This is 100% me. I had a first model railroad when I was 11 but that was the extent of my knowledge on the subject and there is SO much to learn. One thing that I have found to be very wonderful is that the model railroading community is very welcoming and quick to give tips and advice. Another thing that I’ve found is that model trains are much more complicated than they ever were 35 years ago. There’s a fantastic YouTube channel I follow called DIY and Digital who gives great train tutorials and about scenery and track, and then he’ll start talking about arduinos and wiring, and I have NO IDEA what he’s talking about. I don’t want to know what an arduino is. I just want my train to run.

One Thing to Be Aware Of with Model Trains

I want one thing with my model train, this first model railroad, which is that I flip the switch and it follows the track in a loop, crossing itself a couple of times, going up and down some hills and over bridges, and can do this indefinitely.

But there’s also prototypical trains, which are designed to function as a train yard. These layouts will have multiple branching switches that lead to industries, where trains will couple and uncouple rolling stock and then haul that rolling stock to different places on the layout. It honestly sounds like a lot of fun, but the barrier to entry with this kind of layout is high. It requires a lot of wiring, and it requires a lot of skill.

And, if you’re coming to this site to learn how to start a new model train layout, then skill is (probably) in short supply.

So I’ve compiled a list of the things that you need to get yourself a thoroughly enjoyable model train layout so that you can be model railroading on your first model railroad as easy as possible.

A Note About Scales

When I got into the model train hobby in the late 80’s/early 90’s, my first model railroad was into HO scale. This is because I had a big 4×8 sheet of plywood with lots of room for curves and switches. But now I’m older, no longer in my parents’ garage, and I need a smaller layout. So I chose N scale. HO scale is approximately 1/87 and N scale is 1/148. I can do a whole lot more in a limited space. So that’s what this article is going to be about: modeling in N scale.

Getting Started

#1. Model Train Kit with Power Supply

First off, for your first model railroad you need to decide what kind of model train you want: DC or DCC. The difference, essentially, is that with DC you have a train on a track and you make it go faster or slower by moving a dial. With DCC you can have more than one train on the track, and the trains can move independently of each other. As you can imagine, DCC is the standard for large layouts with a lot of industries and a lot of trains. I wanted a single loop, so I went with DC, and I can’t speak to the qualities of DCC.

For model train kit, for me the research all pointed toward a single company: Kato. Kato is great quality, comes with a great track system (I’ll talk about track in a minute) and is an all-around great system. There are several good selections, such as the Amtrack set or the Santa Fe Super Chief set–what model railroader couldn’t get started without a Super Chief.

Bachmann is another option, which is also good quality–I like a lot of Bachmann cars, both rolling stock and locomotives. Bachmann is cheaper, but that’s because it’s not as great as Kato. The difference, in my mind, isn’t in the cars but in the track. Bachmann’s version of EZ-Track (as opposed to Kato’s Unitrack) is simply subpar.

Now, none of this matters if you’re going to be using 3rd party track (as I’ll talk about below) but it’s something to keep in mind.

#2. Table: wood and foam

You’re going to need a table to build your train on, and preferably this table will have an accessible underside. I made the mistake of building my train on top of my desk, so I can’t access the underside of the table, which means that all electronics–and there are a lot of them–have to be blended into the scenery.

For wood I used a 3/8″ thick sheet of MDF that I bought at my local hardware stores (Lowe’s if you’re wondering). I also bought a 4×8 sheet of 2″ thick XPS foam there and have discovered that the economy has done a real number on building materials. The XPS foam was nearly twice what it was before the pandemic and the supply chain problems.

I would suggest buying your XPS foam from Amazon in small squares (generally 2’x2′).

#3. Woodland Scenics inclines

These things were a lifesaver. I know it’s a proprietary product and there are no real competitors, but it’s just so dang useful. If you have any interest in making your train go up an incline, then Woodland Scenics makes a product that is better than everyone else. It’s flexible, it’s made to the appropriate grade, and it’s easy to cut with either a hobby knife or a hot knife.

#4. Extra Track

So I got really ambitious and designed my track using a (really great) free software called SCARM, and I figured that I could do all of it with Atlas Flextrack. But that required skills that I did not have, namely soldering and cutting things to exact lengths. I messed with that flextrack for so long and so hard, and KINDA got it working, until it all went on the fritz and I decided to pull it up.

I bought a bunch more Kato Unitrack, thinking that there was no way I was going to get non-flexible track to fit my model train layout, and I was amazed when it did, and it’s worked like a dream ever since. Kato Unitrack is the stuff.

Terrain Building

#5. Ballast

Now entering the first major disaster of the train layout. I laid down ballast in the way that I had watched several YouTubers lay down ballast. I put down PVA glue on the sides of the track, I got one of those ballast depositors. And it all LOOKED great. The problem–and I say this so that you’ll learn from my mistake and not follow it–is that I ran the locomotive over the ballasted area when the ballast was still tacky. And the grit got up in the trucks and the locomotive was essentially ruined. I still intend to try to get it fixed, but all of my dismantling can’t clean it.

As one helpful commenter put it: “The first rule of model railroading is: patience.”

#6. Isopropyl Alcohol and Scenic Cement

So here’s the key to good ballast (and good ground cover, which we’ll get to in a second): isopropyl alcohol sprayed through a fine spray bottle, and then Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement (my choice) or watered down PVA (another fine choice) dripped out of a pipette.

The isopropyl alcohol breaks the surface tension of whatever you’re gluing–the ballast or the ground cover. If you didn’t spray the alcohol first and just tried to drip on scenic cement, the cement would bead up and leave unsightly tracks in whatever you’re gluing. But when you use them together, the alcohol will spread the glue out for you so that it’s even.

#7. Woodland Scenics Ground Cover and Clump Foliage

I haven’t come across any ground cover or clump foliage that are as good as Woodland Scenics, and I know this is starting to sound like a Woodland Scenics commercial, but they are really dedicated to model railroading.

I paint PVA (I use Elmer’s Glue-All) on the ground. (I have previously painted the ground brown.) Then I begin sifting ground cover down onto the glue. I use a mix of several different colors, and I DON’T use the shaker on the bottle. I use my fingers, like a chef sprinkling seasoning. This may take a while, but the variation that you get is much better than the shaker.

Then I put down clump foliage, usually in three different colors–light green, medium green, and dark green. Even though this is crumbly, I place it more like I’m planting bushes, but I don’t mind if I’m getting it in random places. Once I get the ground cover looking good, I spray it down thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol and then drip scenic cement on it. It takes a little time, but it’s one of the most satisfying parts of the build.

#8. Plaster Rock Molds and Sculptamold

When you want to make a mountain, an embankment, or any other kind of craggy slope or wall, then you need rock molds. You may think that your sculpting skills are good enough to make your Sculptamold look like rock, but trust me: rock molds are so much more realistic. Simply fill the molds with plaster, let it harden (this only takes about 30-40 minutes) and then pop them out. If they break, no big deal because they still look like rocks.

The best way to attach them to a mountain is with either hot glue (if the plaster doesn’t weigh a lot) or, my preference, Liquid Nails. I’ve also used Gorilla Glue but it tends to drip and then expand, making a mess.

Once the plaster rocks are in place, mix up a batch of Sculptamold (work in small batches because it dries out quickly) and fill in all the gaps between the plaster rocks. Let it dry and then paint it, and then do work with your ground cover.

#9. Woodland Scenics Tree Canopy

This is a product that I have only recently discovered. They sell little trees (which are some kind of plant that look like little trees, but are dried out). Mix up a bowl of watered down PVA–heavy on the PVA and light on the water–and dip the top of the tree in the mixture. Then roll it around in a pile of clump foliage. On my layout, my trees are autumn themed, so I used the red, orange and yellow clump foliage. Makes a world of difference to any layout.

Fleshing Out the Train Layout

#10. Buildings

There is a lot of joy that comes in scratch-building your buildings, and I’ve done that with a lot of them. Because the aesthetic of the art project (Pilgrims vs Sea Monsters) I have a lot of leeway to add greeblies and wires to the buildings, and make good use of the Games Workshop Skull Set.

That said, I love the premade buildings, especially industrial ones. And on my layout I jump back and forth between N Scale and HO Scale buildings. This is because 1) I don’t care about being realistic, and 2) my train is N Scale but my people are 1/72 scale–something much closer to HO scale.

Adding buildings can be a ton of fun to the layout. In fact, I’m enjoying it so much that the layout itself is becoming overcrowded and I’m trying to find new ways to add them.

#11. Figures

You can buy a lot of model railroading figures, but most of them are boring. My preferred figures come from a manufacturer called Imex, which are 1/72 scale, and which come in a huge variety of ranges. I started with the Pilgrims, but branched out into an Alamo set which had both Texans and Mexicans. Then I got into American Civil War, a little bit of Redcoats, and some English Men-at-Arms to guard the castle.

You can really do anything you want with your figures. I’ve included Flames of War tanks, loads of Nolzur’s DnD Miniatures, a Sons of Behemat Mega-Gargant, and the Slaves to Darkness Daemon Prince. Fly, little bird.

#12. Lighting

For lighting, you can go really deep into the weeds of electronics and wiring, or you can go the easy route and use the Just Plug Lighting System. That’s what I use, and it works phenomenally (with the caveat that I have to hide the cords because I can’t drill up from the underside of the table.

You want to start with the basic kit, which comes with power supply, a main switch, a lighting hub (into which you can plug four lights) and an expansion hub (into which you can plug four lighting hubs–or more expansion hubs). Altogether, one system can have 50 lights. There’s a variety of colors, a few specialized items like billboards and streetlights, and it really brings the whole thing together.

So that’s it: 12 must-have items for your first model railroad. I’d love to hear if you have some ideas. I’m just a novice and this is all based on my new foray into the hobby.