Children and the young at heart love to play with trains. For some people, it is a serious hobby and there are model railway clubs where enthusiasts gather together. Whether it is a large public display or a little set up in someone's basement, train sets are lots of fun. These scale models may be based around a make believe location or they may be based on a real place and use replicas of real locomotives.
In addition to the locomotives, track and rolling stock, are the signals, lights and other equipment. The early models were clockwork but train sets are normally electric these days. Tracks come in different gauges, depending on the preference of the manufacturer and the early scale varieties can command a high price today as collector's items.
Most enthusiasts want their trains and layout to be as realistic looking as possible. Great attention to detail is applied when it comes to the scenery and infrastructure in the background. Station houses and other buildings all add to the authenticity. There may be model figures standing on the platform and other vehicles on surrounding roads or bridges. Trees may line the roads and hills and streams form part of the landscape. All these features can be bought or constructed at home.
One of the most successful companies to make train sets is the British company, Hornby. They specialize in making replicas of famous trains, such as the Flying Scotsman, which ran from London to Edinburgh during the 1930s. This engine was celebrated for its speed and the model version has teak coaches and an LNER 4-6-2 locomotive. The oval track comes with a track extension.
The Mallard LNER locomotive is another replica of a bygone age. This model has the familiar livery of garter blue and is based on the 1938 train. The cab and tender is sculpted in great detail and has been carefully re-created as a tribute to the train that once held the world steam train record. More recently, Hornby has produced train sets for the Eurostar. The actual train travels at 300kph and the model is noted for its realistic details. It comes with a power driving unit, two passenger saloons and copper oxidized wheels.
American trains are modeled too as in the famous McKinley Explorer, manufactured by Bachmann Industries. It has a powered and an unpowered locomotive, three passenger cars and runs on an E-Z oval track. Romance surrounds the real train as it speeds through the Alaskan wilderness.
|
