Model Steam Train – What’s Good About It?
When you think of a train, you automatically think of a trail of metal with its head emitting smoke. You also think of two men with shovels taking turns in putting coal into the fire. You also think of the sound that goes “Choo! Choo!”: that a train makes along with smoke from its exhaust pipe. It’s also the sound we make when we play around with a spoon before it lands into the mouth of our eagerly waiting babies. It’s a sound we heard when we were infants and when our parents wanted to feed us. That sound is instilled in our minds and we become familiar with it as we grow older. Basically, when you think of trains, you think of smoke.
Now you’re all grown up and trains still fascinate you. You pick up a hobby – a geeky one, for some – and guess what? It’s all about trains. Of course, you go for model trains. But most of them these days are electric, and they do make you look geekier than they already do. If you have some money to spare, and you would like to make your miniature trains as close to reality as possible, then you can invest in a model steam train. Of course, you’re not going to be using real coal to generate real steam. The steam trains sold today are still electric-powered. They simply have these small containers to house the smoke and emit as the train runs.
Take note that model steam trains do not really come cheap. But what are the returns? Here are a few of them:
Lifelike: Most trains back in the day were coal powered. This is what trains have given them their identities and what sparks interests in people. Getting a steam model train gives your miniature railroad setup a nostalgic feeling as well as a sense of authenticity. If you already have a track where you’ve sculpted the best landscape, thrown in some accessories, designed houses and train stations, not putting a steam train in there can destroy the realistic feel. In contrast, having a bland setup can be remedied by a single steam train.
Unique: Okay, unique for a lack of a better word. You’re not entirely unique since other people do have steam trains as well, but you can separate your model railroad setup from those of other aficionados; especially your friends, if they have picked the hobby up too. Your track will have an identity of its own simply because your steam train gives life to your whole setup.
Bragging rights: For a model railroader, nothing beats the satisfaction of assembling your own landscape, your own tracks, and your own trains. Designing where the tracks go is even better. Combine your steam train with other vintages, and you’ll have a track you can truly be proud of.
