Trains: models and the real things
© Wayne Dawe
I just returned from a trip to Holland and I was extremely impressed by the rail system in the Netherlands. Then it struck me that most kids like trains (at least mine do) and that trains, both models and real would be a good article topic.
When I was smaller my brother and I shared an HO scale train set and played with it for hours. The thing to remember before you get a train set for your kids is that you need a stable, flat surface to assemble it on. Carpet is a definite no-no and though a wood or tile floor works most train sets have many small relatively fragile parts that are better off not being on the floor. You really need a table surface that you aren't planning on using for a while. Taking train sets apart and putting them together again can be time consuming so it's better to put your train set someplace where it can be left undisturbed. If you want more information on model trains your local hobby shop is a great place to start. Model trains are something you don't have to give up as you grow older and there are many model train hobbyists on the world wide web. Most hobbyist pages contain information of their track layouts and often pictures of their trains. Links to many of these pages can be found at NMRA on the Web - Web links homepage. NMRA stands for National Model Railroad Association. One train aficionados page I found was in the Netherlands and I thought it would appropriate to include it, click here to check it out. If you have always wondered what was the difference between HO and N scale a quick reference to model train scales and gauges can be found by clicking here. If you want to try out model trains in a long distance kind of way you can visit the Interactive Model Railroad, a web page which allows you to control model trains using your browser.
If model trains aren't your cup of tea watching real trains can be an interesting hobby. A good Web resource is Cyberspace World
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