Model Railroading in India is virtually non-existent. A few of us with the means and access to acquire models from overseas have been able to pursue the hobby and get great joy from those little trains.
Today as the world shrinks and India is growing and getting access to a lot of things from the west, Model Railroads is one of those that have made an entry into the country.
Since I’ve been indulging in this Hobby for over 10 years, I have embarked on this mission though this website to provide people an insight into the hobby and world of Model Railways before they go steaming into it.
When I started out, I didn’t know where to begin. The concept itself was alien but my interest was soaring already. Two factors that could have stopped the pursuit:
1. The knowledge of what is Model Railroading, which I scouted around for.
2. Availability of Products to indulge in the Hobby, which I went to great lengths to acquire.
I bought my first train set (pic below) which was the first step towards the hobby. It was a battery operated NEW-RAY model, very basic, plastic tracks and very little control except starting and stopping the trains which would go around the oval track provided.
You might want to start with something like this - Dickie Toys City Train Set (HO/1:87)
I’ve come a long way since then.
This website will hopefully give you all the information that you need to produce your first small scale railway.
For your first attempt I would advise a simple oval layout, with a little bit of everything in it so you can gain experience. Join our Modelling club which would be very useful as you can get lots of free advice and ideas and it will be a very good way of meeting new people.
After you have mastered the basics you should start reading the more experienced modelling books and magazines. By then you will understand a lot of the terminology and have the skills to create a better layout.
This is the first of a long series of posts which I will dedicate to Model Railways.
If you have any good hints and tips or if you need some advice on something not mentioned, feel free to drop a message in comments.