Surprisingly, one of the most popular hobbies in today's modern world is model railway trains.
I'm not sure why, but perhaps it's because model trains are such a great hobby for enthusiasts of all different ages, appealing to both young and old.
In any event, the popularity of model railway trains is still on the increase, even though they are considered one of the more old fashioned toys.
So why do people still manage to have so much fun with model trains, even in the face of opposition from games consoles, computers, virtual worlds and whatnot? It could be because model railways are a great way for kids to physically apply their imagination to something real.
They can choose what trains to run, what track layouts to have, whether to have scenery, tunnels, bridges or level crossings.
And when they've decided, they can create it and watch it run.
That's got to be very rewarding from a child's perspective.
Although that still applies when model railway train enthusiasts get older, there's also much more room for getting into the detail of things.
Modern model trains are so much more detailed than the older versions, and as such, far more realistic.
It's easy to spend hours, if not days, getting an engine to look just right.
And the scales of the trains are much more accurate too.
Speaking of scales, these days model railway trains come in specific sizes.
They range from G scale to Z scale.
G scale is the largest and Z scale the smallest.
Probably the most popular size is the HO model train.
It's a nice balance and is a good size for indoor layouts.
Being such a popular size, it also comes with a larger range of engines and accessories.
It's interesting where all the scale letters came from.
H actually stands for half, and the O stands for ordinary or standard, so the HO model trains are half the size of standard model railway trains.
Saying that, standard size does differ depending where in the world you are, so I'm not sure if standard is a good name to begin with.
In the old days, model trains were all hand powered.
Enthusiasts still laid out tracks and added all the scenery, but the trains weren't powered at all, maybe a bit of clockwork.
Of course it's all different these days, and much more fun I have to say.
Everything is electrical now, with some systems even being controlled by computers - just like the real thing! I love the fact that collecting model railway trains is a hobby that everyone can enjoy.
You can start off as small as you like and build up as much as you like.
Your imagination (and your wallet) is the only limit to what you can do.
And the reward that you get out of this hobby really does increase with the enthusiasm that you put into it.
A complex and detailed railroad layout that takes ages to build will bring with it a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement when it's complete.
I'm not sure why, but perhaps it's because model trains are such a great hobby for enthusiasts of all different ages, appealing to both young and old.
In any event, the popularity of model railway trains is still on the increase, even though they are considered one of the more old fashioned toys.
So why do people still manage to have so much fun with model trains, even in the face of opposition from games consoles, computers, virtual worlds and whatnot? It could be because model railways are a great way for kids to physically apply their imagination to something real.
They can choose what trains to run, what track layouts to have, whether to have scenery, tunnels, bridges or level crossings.
And when they've decided, they can create it and watch it run.
That's got to be very rewarding from a child's perspective.
Although that still applies when model railway train enthusiasts get older, there's also much more room for getting into the detail of things.
Modern model trains are so much more detailed than the older versions, and as such, far more realistic.
It's easy to spend hours, if not days, getting an engine to look just right.
And the scales of the trains are much more accurate too.
Speaking of scales, these days model railway trains come in specific sizes.
They range from G scale to Z scale.
G scale is the largest and Z scale the smallest.
Probably the most popular size is the HO model train.
It's a nice balance and is a good size for indoor layouts.
Being such a popular size, it also comes with a larger range of engines and accessories.
It's interesting where all the scale letters came from.
H actually stands for half, and the O stands for ordinary or standard, so the HO model trains are half the size of standard model railway trains.
Saying that, standard size does differ depending where in the world you are, so I'm not sure if standard is a good name to begin with.
In the old days, model trains were all hand powered.
Enthusiasts still laid out tracks and added all the scenery, but the trains weren't powered at all, maybe a bit of clockwork.
Of course it's all different these days, and much more fun I have to say.
Everything is electrical now, with some systems even being controlled by computers - just like the real thing! I love the fact that collecting model railway trains is a hobby that everyone can enjoy.
You can start off as small as you like and build up as much as you like.
Your imagination (and your wallet) is the only limit to what you can do.
And the reward that you get out of this hobby really does increase with the enthusiasm that you put into it.
A complex and detailed railroad layout that takes ages to build will bring with it a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement when it's complete.
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