New to Modelling

[CJ37]

Hi there. I’m in my 50’s & have been a collector of numerous things for most of my life. Coins, stamps, militaria etc. Hobbies include bottle digging, metal detecting, mud larking & such like. It also includes a few items collected that are railway related including rail mail/fdc’s, track & depot books & a few other odds & sods. However I have decided to branch out into locomotive & unit models. I have plenty of die cast WW2 model planes so I thought why not railway traction? I only wish to obtain the types of traction I have signed over the years in my job as a train driver.
My question’s are these…as a complete newbie to this hobby which is the best maker of model loco’s & units, the best gauge to go for & the best magazine to look through for learning whats available etc?
Any advice much appreciated in advance. Thank you.

 

[Cowley]

Hi there. I’m in my 50’s & have been a collector of numerous things for most of my life. Coins, stamps, militaria etc. Hobbies include bottle digging, metal detecting, mud larking & such like. It also includes a few items collected that are railway related including rail mail/fdc’s, track & depot books & a few other odds & sods. However I have decided to branch out into locomotive & unit models. I have plenty of die cast WW2 model planes so I thought why not railway traction? I only wish to obtain the types of traction I have signed over the years in my job as a train driver.
My question’s are these…as a complete newbie to this hobby which is the best maker of model loco’s & units, the best gauge to go for & the best magazine to look through for learning whats available etc?
Any advice much appreciated in advance. Thank you.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

It’s a complicated question in a way because there’s so many options. I guess the first thing to ask is, what sort of thing are you into and what would you like to recreate?

I’m of a similar age to you and I’m a bit of a nostalgia nerd so I’ve gone for making a model of what I remember from my teenage years. However you might be more interested in the contemporary scene and that would mean looking at things in a very different way…

I think it’s probably worth having a think about that initially before looking at what steps you need to take to achieve what your imagination is conjuring up!

 

[Sun Chariot]

... what sort of thing are you into and what would you like to recreate?

Wise words from Cowley and I'd add: 1) what budget do you want to set and 2) how much space do you have available? It's devilishly easy, otherwise, to buy more than you need.
Also - are you wanting them to go into a display cabinet, in a static diorama, or on a working layout?

In the late 1970s and 1980s, I collected the UK contemporary scene from Hornby, Lima and Mainline/Airfix.
My interest rekindled in 2008 - and I have spent far too much since! I am guilty of flitting interest between HO (Rio Grande / Southern Pacific 1980s-90s) and OO (LNER 1930s and British Railways late-1950s Stainmore route). With the available loft space, realistically I'll never get to model all those to the level they deserve.
I wish I'd kept to one modelling scope...

Enormous amount of inspiration available online and, to a lesser extent, in print
In your internet browser, or YouTube, try typing keywords for your preferred scale, period and represented location.

 

[CJ37]

Thank you to both yourself & Cowley for your replies. At the moment I have no intention of recreating or building a model railway. I see that thing every day at work & I dont feel the need to build a replica at home. But who knows down the line (excuse the pun). My aim at the moment is more to acquire a model of each traction I have driven over the past 30+ years. I wish to keep each in the box it comes in (maybe to later display) & hence the condition of the model & box needs to be new or ‘like new’. I guess my budget would be approx £100 give or take per model which with other hobby/interest commitments means picking one up every 2 months or so. I would like good detail on the models also. I am not aware which traction is harder to acquire than other traction in model form. The items that I am hoping to pick up in time are as follows…
Class 08/09 in BR livery
Class 31 in BR or RFD livery
Class 37 in BR or RFD livery
Class 47 in BR, RFD or Freightliner livery
Class 66 in Freightliner livery
Class 70 in Freightliner livery
Class 86 in BR livery
Class 87 in BR livery
Class 90 in RFD livery
DVT in BR/Intercity livery
Class 313 in North London Lines livery
Class 319 in Thameslink livery
Class 197 in TFW livery

 

[Sun Chariot]

Thanks and that sounds a good practical approach. I do like your principle of "£100 per loco". Models today, are far more detailed and feature-rich and the prices reflect that.
However, it's easy to source older (but still very acceptable) models via auction sites like eBay, plus local swapmeets and model shops. I buy most stock second-hand, so I can budget decent models at a fair price.

Probably worth you looking at your nearest model shop(s), to decide what size models you want to collect.
Your listed locos, OO and N gauges offer most choice. Most - if not all - of those classes are available in both scales.
The units will be a more difficult option, as those are likely.to be in kit / 3D printed form and require you to build them.

 

[CJ37]

Thanks and that sounds a good practical approach. I do like your principle of "£100 per loco". Models today, are far more detailed and feature-rich and the prices reflect that.
However, it's easy to source older (but still very acceptable) models via auction sites like eBay, plus local swapmeets and model shops. I buy most stock second-hand, so I can budget decent models at a fair price.

Probably worth you looking at your nearest model shop(s), to decide what size models you want to collect.
Your listed locos, OO and N gauges offer most choice. Most - if not all - of those classes are available in both scales.
The units will be a more difficult option, as those are likely.to be in kit / 3D printed form and require you to build them.

Ok, understood. I’ll have to look into the units more. Maybe I can obtain them already built by somebody else at these ‘fairs’. What modelling magazine would you recommend for me to have a gander through to broaden my horizon in the hobby & whats available? Thank you.

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi,
I'd agree with Sun Chariot about the locos being relatively straightforward to find, either new or second hand.

The units are harder to find and when you do, be prepared for a bit of a price shock.
The 313 is going to be available in "N" gauge, see for example: Rails of Sheffield

A 319 is currently available in "N" gauge, see for example: Bachmann Europe
Or also in "OO" gauge: Bratchell Models (Decorated Models)

Some kits include;
OO gauge 313 E-Bay link
OO gauge 319 cab fronts for a scratch build model Phoenix Paints

The Class 197 will be the hardest as it's comparatively so new. The only source I've found for these is CMAC Models which are 3D printed basic body shells.

Have fun finding and collecting the items you want!
Mr Toad

 

[CJ37]

Hi,
I'd agree with Sun Chariot about the locos being relatively straightforward to find, either new or second hand.

The units are harder to find and when you do, be prepared for a bit of a price shock.
The 313 is going to be available in "N" gauge, see for example: Rails of Sheffield

A 319 is currently available in "N" gauge, see for example: Bachmann Europe
Or also in "OO" gauge: Bratchell Models (Decorated Models)

Some kits include;
OO gauge 313 E-Bay link
OO gauge 319 cab fronts for a scratch build model Phoenix Paints

The Class 197 will be the hardest as it's comparatively so new. The only source I've found for these is CMAC Models which are 3D printed basic body shells.

Have fun finding and collecting the items you want!
Mr Toad

Thank you for your advice, especially the links. All taken on board.

Well I’ve taken the plunge. Bought my first traction. A Bachmann Class 66 419 in the orange & black Freightliner livery. OO gauge. A new model purchased at Rhuddlan Model shop. Its a loco I’ve actually driven a number of times. First in my collection.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

I see that thing every day at work & I dont feel the need to build a replica at home

A feeling familiar to many when 'on the job', myself included. But the reason I joined in the first place was because of my interest in trains as a nipper. The job can, for many, kill that spirit of interest as it did for me for many years. Sure you know what I mean, but after a few years in retirement that old 'youthful' interest started to return. My theme, initially, reflected my old job (unit diagramming), and have over the last few years amassed a fair few units that represent the types I diagrammed, and whilst not used on a layout, I did build a display shelf along one wall, with a series of berthing sidings, and just enough spare capacity to allow units from every siding to be shunted to another siding and swapped around a bit, as and when the feeling took me. The same could be done with a loco depot scenario perhaps? Some people refer to such as micro layouts I think, but essentially a display, but with the option to shunt things about if one wishes for a change of scene.

 

[CJ37]

A feeling familiar to many when 'on the job', myself included. But the reason I joined in the first place was because of my interest in trains as a nipper. The job can, for many, kill that spirit of interest as it did for me for many years. Sure you know what I mean, but after a few years in retirement that old 'youthful' interest started to return. My theme, initially, reflected my old job (unit diagramming), and have over the last few years amassed a fair few units that represent the types I diagrammed, and whilst not used on a layout, I did build a display shelf along one wall, with a series of berthing sidings, and just enough spare capacity to allow units from every siding to be shunted to another siding and swapped around a bit, as and when the feeling took me. The same could be done with a loco depot scenario perhaps? Some people refer to such as micro layouts I think, but essentially a display, but with the option to shunt things about if one wishes

I wouldn’t have the room to build any sort of layout even if I wanted to plus the cost involved would prevent me enjoying my other hobbies. Its only now after all these years of driving the things that I’ve decided to pick up models of what traction I sign. Having said that I saw some lovely steam models in a shop in Chester the other day that really took my eye. Some of these items are so detailed! As & when I pick up a model loco or unit I think they are likely just to stay in their box. I have boxes of route maps, traction books & similar stuff collected over the years from being on the job stored away in airtight containers in the loft. I’m a collector more than a modeller I guess. The hope is when I’m long gone somebody (maybe a grandchild if any come along) will take an interest in me &/or railways & appreciate what I’ve put aside for them. These things will tell a story, put a bit of meat on some bones & maybe be collectable to someone as they were to me. Same goes for the stamp & coin collection I have spent years investing in…someone else will ultimately benefit. But I appreciate quality, history & a good story & I hope what I’m picking up as I go along through life gives somebody else the same pleasures in years to come.

 

[MotCO]

If you don't want to run any models, and have no intention of doing so in the future, you may be able to pick up some secondhand non-runners which will be cheaper.

If you think you may want to run them, then you need to think about whether you want DC or DCC models.

 

[CJ37]

If you don't want to run any models, and have no intention of doing so in the future, you may be able to pick up some secondhand non-runners which will be cheaper.

If you think you may want to run them, then you need to think about whether you want DC or DCC models.

Understood thank you. I have looked at a few secondhand models but either the boxes are damaged or missing. I wish to keep the models in pristine boxes for collector value so I guess its mostly going to be new models. They aint cheap either