bought my nephew a model train for his 8th birthday because he asked what my 3d printer could make

three years later he's scratch-building freight cars and correcting me on paint schemes

the secret? i didn't buy him an HO set at age 4 and watch him break it in 10 minutes

age-match the equipmen...

After 4 layouts, here's my biggest lesson:

The hour you spend planning before cutting your first piece of lumber saves twenty hours of troubleshooting later.

Scale selection, benchwork, wiring—get these right from the start. Your future self will thank you.

#modeltrains #hobbies

spent decades watching new modelers make the same mistakes:

• curves too tight for their locos
• ignoring wheel gauge standards
• dirty track (clean before EVERY session)
• loose rail connections
• expecting magazine-quality results year one

the hobby's forgiving if you learn these early

#mode...

My nephew was 7 when he fell in love with my dad's old train collection. Every box said 14+.

Turns out that's just manufacturers dodging toy safety testing requirements—not actual age advice.

He started with O gauge at 7. Now at 16, he scratch-builds his own structures. Let kids try things.

#m...