subject: A Brief History Of Model Train Collecting [print this page] People have been interested in collecting model trains for nearly as long as real life trains have been in existence. How they do this, however, has changed considerably, particularly over the past century.
In the early 1900's, a model train enthusiast would have to build nearly all the parts for his or her layout from scratch. There were no trains or scenery elements that could be purchased in a hobby store, and much time would be spent drawing up plans to create items at a certain scale (if a scale was used), and then creating these elements using items easily available at home or from a local store.
Starting in the 1950s, however, much of this would change with the introduction of plastic model railroad kits by Aurora. These kits were exceedingly easy to use and assemble, required no long hours crafting elements by hand, and became very popular in many households during this period.
However, in the past couple of decades, things have begun to shift again in favor of handcrafted elements. Model train enthusiasts are rediscovering older ways of creating realistic scenery elements using ordinary household items or items found in nature. Manufactured trains, tracks and scenery elements have also gotten more sophisticated and realistic in design, and the model railroad hobby has expanded yet again as more and more clubs and shows have been created to exhibit many beautiful model train layouts. If you are interested in learning about model train building and collecting, now is a great time!
