Just joking! Actually ... there are many first steps before you even get started. Having a little bit of money is a start. The good news is, there are so many creative ways to cut corners. But you must not dive into this hobby without a plan. That's right: a plan.
Questions:
Where are you putting the layout?
What size will your layout be?
What scale will it be?
What era?
What freight line?
DC or DCC? Study up on this one.
What kind of tracks will you use? Continuous or multiple tracks?
The list is endless. But I'll stop here on the questions.
My first suggestion is to visit a real rail yard and take pictures. Get an idea of how they function. Check out the scenery around the yard, the details. Details, details, details ... it's always about the details.
Next, sit down and sketch out your layout. How many sidings, staging areas, the elevations if any, and of course the radius. There are plenty of designs online. I love the KATO track plans: check them out here.
Once you have your track plan, it's time to build a table. I was able to build mine with some off-cuts at a local lumber yard. All material was free. You'd be surprised what people get rid of. Then after your table is built head over to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up some blue board or the pink stuff. My layout is 5' x 3' so I bought a 4 x 8 and used the scraps for mountains and the background. More on this later.
By now, I assume you have purchased your track and you're ready to get started. This is the fun part: putting it all together. I will post a more detailed blog on building a layout at a later date.
So, with your train line picked out, your tracks laid out, it's time to run those trains! Once you've tested your tracks, you can begin tacking them down or whatnot and adding details to your layout. It doesn't have to happen overnight, that's the fun part about this hobby. Over time, your layout will blossom. In the meantime, have fun!
I hope this has been insightful.
Happy railroading my friends.
Cheers!
Stephen
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