Sections include: Selecting a suitable scale and gauge; Finding a home for the railway; Building the baseboard; Laying the track; Constructing the landscape; Electrics and control; Point operation; Panels, indications, and lighting, Digital Command Control; Maintenance and tools.

ABOUT THE BOOK Model railroading is an activity that captivates people of all ages and genders. There is something endlessly fascinating about trains, and miniature trains are the most fascinating of all. It's a great pastime that provides a creative outlet, a lot of enjoyment, and the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts. Model railroading is a very adult pastime that makes you feel like a kid again. Best of all, it's a hobby that you can enjoy as a family, parents and children together. It really is the world's greatest hobby. Many are attracted to model railroading but don't know where to begin. You may have seen the impressive layouts created by model railroad enthusiasts and worry that you don't have sufficient space or resources to create something similar. Having sufficient know-how to assemble track, build scenes, or keep electronic components in good working order may also seem like a deterrent. Cost can also be a factor. However, you don't have to be an expert to build your first model railway. Model railroading has a very large support community. It's easy to find an answer to virtually any question you may have about building and maintaining a model train collection, both in person and on the Internet. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Scale refers to the relationship between model trains and the real thing. O scale used to be called 1:48, with HO scale at 1:87, but measurements have changed somewhat. For the novice, it's best to not get too mired in scale details. Suffice it to say that O scale is the largest model train, and is not very common as it requires more space than most people can allot. HO scale is the most prevalent and the standard for most model railroaders, having the most product selection availability. N is smaller than HO, and although there is a good selection, many hobbyists prefer HO since N requires a higher degree of detail and ability to work with miniature parts. Much depends on individual preference. If you just want miles and miles of track and lots of trains going around, N is great. If you want to re-create an elaborate scene with buildings, people, and geographical features, HO is better. If you get into model railroad building in a big way, you may eventually want to explore other scales, but most model train hobbyists are happiest with HO or N... Buy a copy to keep reading!

"My hobby has been model railways for many years, since I was given a Tri-ang Princess Elizabeth train set for Christmas as an eight-year-old schoolboy. Over the years I have gained much modelling knowledge from practical experience, and belonging to model railway clubs, quite apart from the wealth gained from working on the 'real thing' from a young post-school teenager through to my retirement. My first published book, The Newcomer's Guide to Model Railways (ISBN 987 1 85794 329 0) has I am told proved to be very popular and has given many readers a great helping hand in their hobby. So it has been deemed necessary that I should produce a second book, which would enhance the first without covering the same ground too much. While in these pages I write about generic items and often reference the real thing, there are many regional variations, and these cannot be taken into account within the confines of this book. Therefore I would recommend that, before staring any regional or era-based project, you undertake a good deal of research to gain the correct facts. Internet searches, books and perhaps visits to preserved railways or to the national network will usually reveal plenty of detail. If you are starting out in the hobby or returning to it after several years of absence and have not obtained a copy of The Newcomer's Guide to Model Railways, I suggest it might be an advantage to obtain one. I hope you enjoy the items you are about to read and hopefully, they will help and possibly nudge you into producing a great model railway layout. Remember -- think safely, then act." -- From back cover.

Before beginning construction work on a model railway it is essential to have a workable design. The plan needs to take into account the space, time, budget and personal skills available, as well as the type of railway to be modelled. Here, Cyril Freezer draws on more than 50 years experience in designing and building model railways to explain how each stage should be undertaken. Includes 150 specially-drawn track layout diagrams.

Tells how to select a kit and set up a model making workplace, demonstrates the techniques for building the hull, masts, and rigging, and shows how to add the finishing touches.

Mutual-fund superstar Peter Lynch and author John Rothchild explain the basic principles of the stock market and business in an investing guide that will enlighten and entertain anyone who is high-school age or older. Many investors, including some with substantial portfolios, have only the sketchiest idea of how the stock market works. The reason, say Lynch and Rothchild, is that the basics of investing—the fundamentals of our economic system and what they have to do with the stock market—aren’t taught in school. At a time when individuals have to make important decisions about saving for college and 401(k) retirement funds, this failure to provide a basic education in investing can have tragic consequences. For those who know what to look for, investment opportunities are everywhere. The average high-school student is familiar with Nike, Reebok, McDonald’s, the Gap, and the Body Shop. Nearly every teenager in America drinks Coke or Pepsi, but only a very few own shares in either company or even understand how to buy them. Every student studies American history, but few realize that our country was settled by European colonists financed by public companies in England and Holland—and the basic principles behind public companies haven’t changed in more than three hundred years. In Learn to Earn, Lynch and Rothchild explain in a style accessible to anyone who is high-school age or older how to read a stock table in the daily newspaper, how to understand a company annual report, and why everyone should pay attention to the stock market. They explain not only how to invest, but also how to think like an investor.