When we were little kids, we used to play with toys that resemble the real thing—cars, airplanes, trucks, and ships. And some of the favorite ones are trains.

Model trains are some of the most enduring toys of all. They are so enduring that even adults love them. And because of the availability of finances and resources, adults move this further by making model railroads using metal, plastic, or wooden trains toy.

Model railroads started out as carpet railways in 1840. The model trains that were manufactured during this time were blocky and crude. As technology advanced, model trains became more and more realistic. The introduction of electricity brought a whole new era of electric model trains that can move along miniature tracks. Today, train modelers worldwide attempt to recreate the most accurate and realistic set, called a diorama, available.

The main attraction of a diorama is the train itself, be it a wooden train, plastic train, or a metal train. Modular tracks are then placed in a layout carefully designed by the modeler. Either the tracks or the trains itself or both are connected to a control panel where a modeler can manipulate the trains’ movement or route. Often, the control panel also controls other things that move or activate such as miniature windmills or traffic lights.

The tracks of the trains are then surrounded by scenery such as miniature trees, hills, mountains, and tunnels. Sometimes, there are even structures around the set. The trains go past or around these structures, guiding the viewer’s eyes to the wonders built by the model builder. Serious model builders actually spend a lot of money trying to replicate the tracks and scenery where the train (or trains) will run. Of course, there are also less-serious modelers who are just as happy seeing a less-than-realistic train set going around a simple track layout.

Whether these are Wooden Toy Train, plastic trains, or metal trains, they have one thing in common: they come in scales. Most modelers stick to one scale. Trains can range to 1/8 scale, which actually allows a person to ride one, to Z-scale, the size of which is as small as a matchbox.

The most popular scale is 1:87, called HO scale. The numbers mean that an inch of the miniature train is equal to eighty-seven inches of the real thing. The locomotive is around two inches tall and four to twelve inches in length. This scale allows the modeler to feature considerable detail yet keep the size manageable so the set could fit an area the size of a basement.

Another popular scale is 1/24, or G scale. Trains of this scale are big enough for backyard modeling wherein the set actually fits into a garden landscape while keeping the scenery proportional to the size of the wood train toys , plastic train, or metal train. The same is true for Gauge 1 scale trains.