Children's railways - everything about them. All about children's railways

Railway for children is one of the most interesting and popular educational games. The children's railway will bring joy and pleasure from the game not only to children, but also to adults. This is a fun family construction set that will be fun for both mom and dad to assemble and play with.

How is this educational toy useful?

A toy railway is a wonderful gift for a child. Your child will be very interested in laying railway tracks, installing switches and intersections, railway crossings, stations, terminals, freight terminals, bridges, trees and other infrastructure, and sending trains on a journey around an apartment or country house.

The railway is a universal and long-lasting toy that is suitable for both boys and girls. When choosing a toy railroad, you need to take into account many parameters, such as the age of the child, the baby’s temperament, the cost of the railroad, the materials used, the brand, the control method, the possibilities for expansion, so that the toy is interesting for as long as possible.

Typically, a standard children's train set consists of a track, sometimes including switches that can change the train's route, and a train with carriages of various shapes and purposes. Assembling such a toy is not difficult. Also, railroad sets sometimes include additional accessories: stations, tunnels, trees, barriers and other buildings. The set may also include a control panel.

Child's age

One of the first questions you need to ask yourself before buying a railroad is who will play: children or parents? And you need to answer it honestly. And if you understand that yes, dad will play, you can safely buy radio-controlled trains, collectible model cars and multi-level interchanges: dad will handle them. Quite a lot of adults are interested in model making and railways are a great hobby. But if you are sure that you are purchasing a railway for a child, then pay attention to the age of the selected set.

Psychologists say that a child under 4 years old needs simple models, without much detail and radio control. The child first dismantles what the parents built, then begins to roll trains along the rails (they like to roll locomotives on their own), then they begin to transport goods and people, and only then they begin to build a road. Almost all children's railways for kids will cope well with this task.

For children 2-5 years old you need to choose simple model made of plastic or wood with large parts, without complex components and mechanisms. The railway for children should not contain small parts (which the child could swallow) or protruding sharp elements (which could injure the child). For kids, the excessive plausibility of a steam locomotive and carriages is not required. No smoke or remote control required. On the contrary, we need simple and understandable forms and colorful colors. At the first stage, a steam locomotive with two or three carriages and one rail ring or figure eight will be quite sufficient. The following railways are suitable for small children: , Brio, IKEA, WOODY, Chuggington Wooden Railway, Chuggington StackTrack (Die-Cast), Thomas & Friends.

For children 5-12 years old, model railways with different switches, control panels, switches, crossings, interchanges, stations, terminals, trees, towers, sounds, light alarms, etc. will be more interesting. Thanks to switches and various mechanisms, the child will develop thinking and logic. For children of this age, it is better to buy a battery-powered or rechargeable train. The more opportunities you have to change the parameters of the game, the longer your child will be interested in the railway. An excellent choice would be a LEGO railway set. In addition to it, hundreds of other sets are sold, from which you can build an entire city. If parents understand that it is not they, but their smart child, who will be playing with trains, then when choosing a model, it is also worth taking into account the opinion of the future owner. Suitable railways: , Tomica, Strela.

For children over 12 years of age, teens and adults, choose the most realistic railroad track you can find. Detailed, believable model railroads with a metal sheet on digital or analog control with a large number of additional parts and elements are suitable. A toy that has functions such as light, sound, and sometimes steam will be more interesting. Very popular are models of modern and ancient railways, which are smaller copies of the originals; in fact, these are real masterpieces. Such toys repeat every detail of the reproduced object. In addition to the railway sets, expansion kits are sold for arranging an entire city: houses, landscapes, stations, trees, drawbridges, airports, railway signs, figurines of people, animals, etc. Good model railways are produced by the following companies: PIKO, Fleischmann, Roco, Märklin, TRIX, Mehano, etc.

Cost and quality of the railway

The price of a toy railroad depends on the quality of workmanship, detail and detailing, popularity of the brand, scale, material from which the road and rolling stock are made, the presence of electronics and remote control, as well as the size of the set and the number of elements in the box.

For example, in good large collection sets famous brands there is digital remote control, the rails are made of metal, diesel locomotives and cars are detailed and are miniature copies of their real prototypes. It is clear that such railways are more expensive than plastic and wooden analogues without detailing and radio control.

On the other hand, we do not recommend buying the cheapest Chinese low-quality toys. Not only will their poor quality disappoint you and your child, but there is also a chance that such low-quality cheap railway will not last even a few days. And you won’t have to console an upset child because of a breakdown and spend money on a repeat purchase if you bought a good toy from the very beginning (balancing price and quality) from a trusted manufacturer. Good railways always have high-quality packaging, with colorful pictures and good printing.

Material of manufacture

Children's railways are made from various materials: plastic, metal, wood. Wooden ones are used for children 2-5 years old. Plastic railways are universal and there are railways for sale for ages 2-12 years. Metal railroads look the most realistic and are more expensive. Such sets are usually produced for older children from 9 years old. It is important to pay attention not only to the material of manufacture, but also to the quality of the materials used and workmanship.

Control method

Wooden and plastic railways for children 1-3 years old do not contain electronics and are intended for manual riding. For children 2-6 years old, battery-powered sets usually use simple controls. For example, the plastic one is easily controlled by one button located on the roof of the locomotive (this is the most successful and simple control for a battery-powered train). And the Chuggington or Thomas railroad, depending on the set, uses either push-button control on the locomotive or control using switches and levers on the track, and Chuggington locomotives are also sold with remote control.

Train sets for children over 6 years old usually have a remote control. For example, a plastic battery-powered one for children 6-12 years old is controlled using an infrared 4-channel remote control. Moreover, from this remote control you can control up to 8 toy trains, and the lighting is also controlled from the remote control. Model railroading for older children, teens, and adults typically uses digital and analog remote controls. With the analog control method, metal rails are used to transmit the signal.

Opportunities for expansion

All good children's railways have additional expansion kits. To begin with, a starter kit is usually purchased, and then additional rails, stations, barriers, switches, additional rolling stock, vehicles, tunnels, bridges, and accessories are purchased. When choosing a starter kit, it is important to inquire about expansion options. Many options for developing track facilities or surrounding infrastructure are available for Lego Duplo, Lego City, Brio, IKEA, WOODY, Chuggington Wooden Railway, Chuggington StackTrack (Die-Cast), Thomas & Friends, PowerTrains, Tomica, PIKO, Fleischmann, Roco, Mehano .

Scale

Several standard sizes are defined for detailed railway models with metal fabric. The most common of them (in ascending order): Z (1:220 - track width 6.5 mm), N (1:160 - track width 9 mm), TT (1:120 - track width 12 mm), H0 (1 :87 - track width 16.5 mm), S (1:64 - track width 22.5 mm), O (1:45 - track width 32 mm), G (1:24 - track width 45 mm). The "Z", "N" and "TT" standard are popular among adult model railway fans. Standard "G" has become widespread for construction under open air(garden railways).

Theme and era

This criterion may be important if you are purchasing a toy for older children, teenagers or adults. The railroad sets available in stores include a variety of historical eras, countries, and themes. For example, for fans of domestic railways, sets with modern Russian Railways rolling stock or USSR trains are sold. Also on sale you can find, for example, steam locomotives depicting the era of the Wild West or European railways from the period of the First World War. If desired, you can purchase railway sets of different themes and purposes: freight, repair, fire, postal, military, oil tankers, passenger trains, high-speed trains, electric trains, metro trains, monorail trains, etc.

Manufacturers of wooden railways for children 2-5 years old

Brio (Sweden)
IKEA (Sweden)
Woody(Czech Republic)
PlanToys (Thailand)
Biltema (Finland)
Bino (Germany)
Eichhorn (Germany)
ELC (UK)
ROYS (China)

Manufacturers of plastic railways for children 2-12 years old

Lego (Denmark)
Tomy (USA)
Fisher-Price
Little Tikes
Jakks Pacific
Joy Toy

Manufacturersmodels of rolling stock for children over 10 years old

PIKO Spielwaren GmbH (Germany)
Roco Modelleisenbahn GmbH (Austria)
Gebr. Fleischmann GmbH (Germany)
Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH (Germany)
Tillig Modellbahnen GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Brawa Artur Braun Modellspielwarenfabrik GmbH (Germany)
TRIX Modelleisenbahn GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Liliput (Germany)
Bachmann Industries (USA)
Hornby Railways (England)
Lima S.p.A (Lima Models) (Italy)
Rivarossi (Italy)
Arnlod (Germany)
Elektrotren (Spain)
Mehano (Slovenia)
Jago-Modellbau (Germany)
Kuehn (Germany)
L.S. Models (Belgium)
Graham Farish (England)
Kato (Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.) (Japan)
LGB (Lehmann-Gross-Bahn) (Brazil)
Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc. (USA)
ACME (Italy)
Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. (USA)
Ibertren Modelismo, S.L.(Spain)
Dapol (England)
Athearn (USA)
M.T.H. Electric Trains (USA)
BEMO Modelleisenbahnen (Germany)
Os.Kar. International (Italy)
Broadway Limited Imports, LL (USA)
Rocuhan (Toytec Corporation) (Japan)

Manufacturers of premium models for children over 10 years old

Lemaco (Lematec Prestige Models SA) (Switzerland)
M1 Modellbau (Germany)
Bavaria (Germany)
Micro-Metakit GmbH (Germany)
Flugurex (Switzerland)
Weinert-Modellbau (Germany)

Manufacturers of fashion accessories for children over 10 years old

Faller - G.E.R.B. FALLER GmbH (Germany)
Auhagen (Germany)
Peco (England)
Noch GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Woodland Scenics (USA)
Busch GmbH & Co (Germany)
Vollmer GmbH & Co KG (Germany)
Viessmann Modellspielwaren GmbH (Germany)
Heki Kittler GmbH (Germany)
Heljan (Denmark)
Kibri (Germany)
Herpa Miniaturmodelle GmbH (Germany)
ESU electronic solutions ulm GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Preiser (Germany)
Zimo (Austria)
Kadee Quality Products Co (USA)
Uhlenbrock (Germany)
Lenz Elektronik Gmbh (Germany)

Manufacturers of domestic models for children over 10 years old

TT-Model (Russia-Germany)
Eurotrain (Russia)
Onega (Latvia)
Model Hobby-Orenburg (Russia)
Bergs (Latvia)
Russian Costum Train (RCT)
Modelldepo (Russia)
Peresvet (Russia)
Norkin-model (Russia)
Miniaturmodelle
Phoenix (Latvia)
Modela (Latvia)
ModellHouse (Russia)

Still have any doubts?

Do not doubt the benefits of such a purchase. Having received a model railway as a gift, your child will be provided with a calm and interesting activity. Playing railroad is a very exciting activity for children. This game performs an important cognitive and developmental function. By laying railway tracks and running trains along routes, your child develops imaginative and spatial thinking, logic, coordination of movements and fine motor skills hands The whole family can play the railway, where everyone will have their own roles: the head of the railway, the train driver, the passenger, the railway worker, the cashier, etc. By inventing various game scenarios, children develop their imagination, have fun and usefully spend time.

In the end, which railway should you choose?

Our dear readers and customers, no matter what you decide, in any case, the choice is yours. For ourselves, after looking at all the options and weighing all the pros and cons, we made this choice in favor of LEGO railways. For our two children (one and three years old) we bought sets

For some time I have been analyzing all children's railways for the ages of approximately 2-10 years. I have collected simply a huge amount of information on almost all children's railways that can only be purchased at this time in Russia or on the Internet. I have collected all the material into a single review article, which I present to your attention. Read, choose exactly what suits your child. I hope this material will be useful to many parents!
If you have any questions about the roads, don’t hesitate to ask them! And be sure to write reviews about your roads - it will be interesting to read :))


Children's railways - everything about them.

Children's railways have been one of the most popular children's games for many years. There are quite a large number of model railways on the market and it is often difficult for parents to choose the right one. We hope this review can help you navigate this diversity and choose exactly the road that suits you best. the best way suitable for a child.

When choosing a road, you should pay attention to the following points:
- the quality of the roads - are the rails easily connected to each other, is it possible to build complex circuits whether trains fall, the quality of the rails themselves, trains, additional buildings;
- the possibility of “growth” of the road - having bought one set of any company once, after some time you will definitely want to expand the capabilities of the road itself, make it more interesting and as close as possible to real life, perhaps - acquire new trains.
- safety of road use - absence of small elements for children, strength of fastenings of small parts on trains, etc.

It is also worth noting that parents often try to choose a route with self-propelled trains, but this is not very important for the children themselves, especially in at a young age. From about 2 to 4 years old, children want to ride trains THEMSELVES, they are not satisfied that the train travels on its own, this is due to the psychology of children at this age. They like to drive the train themselves, to move it with their own hands, so even sometimes children argue because they cannot move the train themselves - there are roads where the train cannot move with the motor turned off. Therefore, the presence of self-propelled trains on the road is an important condition, but not mandatory for young children. But when the child has already grown up, it becomes interesting for him to watch the movement of the train, somehow control this movement using the remote control; here the presence of self-propelled trains is important. But this should not exclude the possibility of moving the train yourself, because children still play longer if their play is not limited by any technical “bells and whistles.”

The author of this review had the opportunity to “play” live all the railways listed below, thereby truly assessing their quality and professional suitability.

- Lego (Denmark)
- Wooden railways
- Do City (Fenbo, Hong Kong)
- TOMY (Japan)
- Chagginton (USA)
- Blue Arrow, Continental Express, Journey into a Fairy Tale, etc. (China)
- Baby (Bauer, Russia)
- Tolo Toys (Hong Kong), Wader (Germany), Little Tikes (USA), Simba (Germany), etc.
- Railways of the Ogonyok plant (Russia)

Lego (Denmark)

Lego has two types of roads -LegoDuploAndLegoCity.

Road Lego Duplo- for children from 2 years old. The rails are large, the track is wide, the joining of the rails is very simple and strong, even a 2-year-old child can do it. The roads of this company are of very high quality; a moving train does not get stuck anywhere. At the same time, it is possible to simply roll the train by hand. Trains can be completely disassembled down to the base platform and assemble something of your own on this platform with wheels. In addition to the road itself, the sets include a belt loader, a crane, a gas station, and little men. The pieces fit together with all other Lego Duplo bricks, so you can easily imagine life around the city on the road. The manufacturer positions it as a toy for children up to about 6 years old. After 6 years, Lego now has another railway - City. The City road rails do not mate with the Duplo rails. This is a completely different road, with its own buildings, trains, etc. City already has a lot of small details that are unacceptable for kids. Of course, on the City road there are much more opportunities to build some of your own buildings, but this is all from the age of 6, you need to pay attention to the age limit. But everything is relative, children of 4 years old can also play the City road, but they are unlikely to be able to join the rails themselves.

Lego City, Brick, Sluban, BanBao(here we also include the roads of Lego analogue companies, their rails or trains are connected to Lego rails). In this segment of roads, you need to know the features of these analogue companies. Due to the high cost of Lego, you can make a road from Brick rails. They match Lego perfectly, except that the color is different - Brick's are brown, while Lego's are gray. But, nevertheless, to diversify the road surface, you can absolutely safely buy rails from both Lego and Brick. The rails are fastened to each other tightly and firmly, a 4-year-old child cannot join them or will have difficulty joining them, which is why the manufacturer writes the recommended age - 6 years. But this will not stop a 4-year-old child from simply rolling trains along the rails, playing out various situations.

Self-propelled trains Brick no, there are only different special cars. The Lego City train is controlled by a special remote control and has 7 speeds. The value of Lego trains is that any train can be disassembled to its very foundation, all buildings can also be disassembled and assembled at the child’s request, and there are places on the trains for little people.

At the designer's Slubanthe rails do not fit the Lego City tracks, but the trains themselves can be rolled - the Lego City track is suitable for them. This designer has interesting trains, with good detail. But their rails have a very poor type of joining, which causes frequent breakdowns of the joining point itself. However, the trains and additional buildings are worth a look.

Constructor BanBao also fits in with Lego City according to some sources, but it has been poorly studied by the author. If anyone has information about it, please share it in the comments to the article, we will be glad to receive useful information!

To summarize, we can say - of course, original roads Lego Duplo and City are of high quality, well made and have high play capabilities, but they have one, but nevertheless significant drawback - especially for Duplo roads - VERY few additional elements are sold in Russia basic sets. In general, Duplo roads in Russia do not have bridges, separate rails or forks - everything will have to be looked for on the foreign Internet. Well, one more minus that still has to be mentioned is their expensive price, a good set with trains, switches and other buildings will cost more than 10 thousand rubles.

Wooden railways

This type of road was approved by the psychological and pedagogical examination of the Moscow City Psychological and Pedagogical University in 2010. One of the most diverse and multi-story roads. The most valuable and important thing about them is that it is produced not by one manufacturer, but by many - and they all fit together. We list the main manufacturers of wooden railways:

Brio (Sweden)

Ikea (Sweden)

Woody (Czech Republic)

PlanToys (Thailand)

Biltema (Finland)

Bino (Germany)

Eichhorn (Germany)

ELC (Early Learning Center - Center early development, Great Britain)

Learning curve (a division of Tomy in America)

The age at which it is recommended to play these roads is from 2 to 10 years. Even at one and a half years old, a child can already assemble a small road on his own, which is not unimportant - in most other roads, parents do this for him, and the child can only roll the trains, or watch their movement. This is a very big plus; the child himself can imagine what he wants his path to look like today.

All wooden elements of these roads are absolutely safe for children (there are no sharp chips, splinters, or nicks). The roads of the Brio company are of the highest quality, but their price is correspondingly higher. According to history, the Swedish company Brio was the first to produce such roads; all other manufacturers are either under their license or their subsidiaries. Therefore, the assortment often overlaps, but each manufacturer can find something special to diversify the road surface.

The road has a wonderful quality - it can “grow” with the child. If a small set of rails and a couple of trains with trailers are enough for a two-year project, then later you can buy additional bridges, cranes, and special-purpose trains. In addition, the game can be diversified with additional buildings for a role-playing game - it could be a train station with a real mini-elevator, a depot, a metro station, just a passenger platform, or even an airport - and all this will be connected to train rails. When the child is not so clumsy, you can already buy special stands with which the child will make multi-story roads - there is no limit to perfection. Although, according to the observations of the author of the review, cubes of suitable height can act as stands. But still, to build a strong and tall structure, it is better to purchase special racks; the building will be more stable.

The trains are attached to each other with magnets, and some Brio trains have a special magnet attached to the train itself - it is not dead attached to the platform, but on a hinge, this ensures better grip of the cars on turns and their non-disconnection. You can “magnetize” as many cars as you like to one large tractor car. There are both self-propelled locomotives and ordinary carriages: crane cars, passenger cars, and freight cars. It should be noted that wooden carriages are durable, but many of them do not have precise detailing of small elements; often, a drawing is simply applied to a rectangle. It all depends on what age you want to buy such a road. For kids this will be a plus, because for them excessive detail is probably even a minus, but for older children you can buy more interesting trains.

The Learning curve company (Tomy in America) produces special trains for wooden roads from the animated series “Thomas and His Friends” - all of them are well made, some with lights and sounds. For unknown reasons, they are not sold in Russia; only cheap, low-quality Chinese analogues are found, but they are not of particular interest for the review.

Brio has an interesting locomotive, controlled from a remote control - with sound and light, there is a locomotive with a special removable battery - you can buy two batteries: one for running the train, the other for recharging. All cranes are equipped with magnets - they can be used to lift or lower loads into cars, and the loads also have magnets inserted into them.

Due to the excellent quality of workmanship and wooden components, the road can be absolutely passed down by inheritance, providing joy to more than one generation of children in the family.

Some features of roads from different manufacturers: only their own locomotives pass under the Ikea bridge, the Brio locomotives lack about 1 cm in height, the Ikea rails are not the best in quality, and due to the fact that they have a plastic pin slightly shorter than the standard Brio socket, they don't always fit well with Brio and Woody rails. Woody has a good range of additional buildings, the rails themselves and forks, but the range of rolling stock is poor - for its variety you can safely buy Brio trains.

Do City ( Fenbo , Hong Kong)

It’s a good railway, bright, reliable, the rail joints are rigid and tight. A 2-year-old child cannot do the docking. By the age of 3-4, a child will be able to build a canvas from rails himself. There are no additional buildings on the road; everything you need can be purchased immediately in one set. The packaging box contains all kinds of assembly diagrams (there are 9 of them in a large set). The trains are not very diverse, you can’t put anything in them and transport them, the train can move itself, and the trains are connected using rings with slots. It is possible to lay rails along the second floor - on special stands. Overall, this is a solid 4 out of 5 road. It is a pity that there are no bridges or other buildings connected to it, such as a train station, depot, cranes, and that there is no possibility of transporting goods in wagons. The sets include fences, figures of people, animals, and lanterns. To expand its capabilities, you can only buy additional sets like this, which will make the road surface itself larger.

Price range 800-2500 rub.

An interesting and quite important note: the gauge of the roads Fenbo and wooden roads coincide, which allows you to roll trains made from wooden sets (such as Ikea ), in addition, the trains from the Tomy “Thomas and His Friends” sets are also perfect for this track, the coupling of the cars is also the same - with rings with slots.

TOMY (Japan)

From Takara TOMY (Japan) there are two types of railways - the Thomas and Friends railway and the Tomica railway." These are two completely different roads; without a special adapter, their rails cannot be connected. Not all sets are equipped with adapters. The “Thomas and His Friends” roads in the new version of the TrackMaster series have double rail fastening, the color of the rails is gray-brown; roads " Tomica » HyperCity series - one mount, blue rail color. "Thomas and Friends" is intended for younger children, and "Tomica" - for older children, from about 4 or 5 years old. Although, of course, the age division is relative. If parents try to diversify the “Thomas and His Friends” road, then it will also delight the child, who is both 5 and 7 years old, for a long time.

So, let's take a closer look at each of the roads.

"Thomas and His Friends"

These railways are made exclusively based on the famous animated series "Thomas and His Friends", i.e. All locomotives and all trains are made with faces and names from this children's series. The cartoon itself takes place on the Island of Sodor, there are many roads and trains on it that run along these roads for some tasks, their needs. Accordingly, the road itself follows the plot of the cartoon.

The workmanship of the parts is good, the rails fit together exactly, the trains do not get stuck or fall, and they are very easy to put on the rails.

The rails rise slightly above the floor, they are made as if on a mound of stones. The speed of the trains is good, they pull even two or three cars behind them remarkably well, the connections between the cars are very strong - a ring with a slot - it is very difficult for children under 4 years old to uncouple or couple the cars themselves. When the power is turned off, the motor is disconnected from the wheel axle, which allows the child to roll the trains. Now they even started releasing trains with smoke coming from the chimney. The roads are designed for ages from about 3 years old; connecting the rails will be a bit difficult for a child himself, but at 4 years old he will certainly master it.

In addition to rails and trains, there are also many additional buildings on this road - road crossings, stations, bridges, etc. Everything is made of high-quality (not thin) plastic.

On the downside, everything extra is not very common in Russia; mostly ready-made sets with a specific theme are sold - for example, winter's tale, loading coal, from a depot, with an airplane, etc. All particularly interested persons need to turn to the foreign Internet - Europe, America, and best of all - Japan, because... The company itself is Japanese and the largest range of these roads is presented there. Almost nothing is sold separately, only rails with forks and trains. Well, one more thing is that if your child is not particularly keen on the animated series “Thomas and His Friends” and the Island of Sodor, then, most likely, this road will not be particularly interested in him - here you need to watch it according to the child. Although, of course, the author of the review, in his long experience of communicating with children, has not met any boys who did not like this cartoon)))

Price range 600 - 3000 rub.

Tomica

The manufacturer declares age - from 4 years. The rails fit together well and firmly, but very young children are unlikely to be able to connect them themselves. Although, of course, many children are not upset by this turn of events - they are enthusiastically waiting for their parents to collect everything for them and they will finally put their train on the road. The train looks realistic and runs quite fast. You can purchase various buildings, a highway, which is one of the components of the railway. You can even buy special cars for the road, although, of course, you can use ordinary ones, which any child has.

The road and buildings leading to it can be found in many shops in the city and online stores. In general, the entire road is designed for the construction of not only one road, but for the construction of the city of Tomy HyperCity - with train stations, highways, tunnels, houses, etc.

Previously, this type of rail was used by the company for roads with Thomas, now a special adapter is needed to connect gray-brown Thomas rails and blue Tomiki rails, as mentioned above - adapters are not available in all sets.

The downside is that you can’t put or transport anything on the trains - they only serve as a “wind-up toy.”

Price range 700 - 5000 rub.

Chagginton (USA)

This road is based on the plot of the recently very popular animated series “Chugginton Engines”. The trains have a very specific look, unique to this cartoon.

The design of the rails itself is not particularly realistic - there are no sleepers or rails here - the road resembles more an ordinary road than a rail bed. Nevertheless, this is a full-fledged railway. The quality of the rails is good, they are firmly attached to each other. There are few additional railway buildings; there are no urban ones at all.

The locomotives themselves are bright, colorful, and made of very high quality, but there is no way to transport people or cargo.

In general, the road is not bad, but unless, of course, the child is “sick” of this cartoon. Otherwise, it is still better to purchase some kind of neutral road, so that it does not turn out that the child’s interest in the cartoon has cooled down, and the road will have to be completely changed to another.

Price range 400 - 3000 rub.

Blue Arrow, Continental Express, Journey into a Fairy Tale, etc. (China)

Here we will touch a little on the recently very common sets of railways from various Chinese companies, so to speak - not branded ones. The names of the roads may be different - “Journey to a Fairy Tale”, “Blue Arrow”, etc. Appearance on such roads it is a huge transparent box, a train with cars and a set of rails for building a circle or figure eight.

These roads have one thing in common - the very poor quality of the rails and the connecting mechanism. If they are constantly connected and disconnected, the lock mechanism can quickly break. It’s good to assemble these roads once and admire them. It is generally not advisable for children under 3 years old to play with them, because the excessive detailing of the trains makes itself felt - parts constantly fall off. The rail itself is narrow, the wheels of the trains are also narrow and small, so it is difficult for a child to connect the train and the rails, which can frustrate little railway workers. At turns, trains can either derail or become uncoupled - in different sets in different ways, but the general trend is exactly this.

For these roads it is definitely worth discussing the age limit - at least from 4 years old, not earlier.

Price range 500 - 1500 rub.

Railway Krokha ( Bauer , Russia)

Railways are produced under this brand under license from the German company Bauer. As usually happens, Russian products are inferior in quality to German originals - either the license is not the same, or the Germans have not discovered the most main secret high-quality road, or ours have already mastered something. As a result, the idea is good, but its execution is lame. Very often, sets are missing some parts, stickers, figures, etc. It is not clear what this is connected with, but before purchasing, carefully check the contents in the package.

The rail joining mechanism is reliable and complex, but, in principle, it is realistic for a 3-4 year old to master it. The track is wide and comfortable, the locomotives are very easy to install. There are reviews from parents that during long-term use, the assembled railway track seems to warp, but the ride quality of the locomotives does not change - they also run well on the rails. The only weak point on the road is when the rails are uncoupled; a child can break the fasteners and you need to be careful here. You can disassemble it yourself as an adult or teach your child to follow the instructions for disassembling the road exactly.

The trailers can carry passengers or any cargo. It is possible to build various additional buildings from cubes. The bricks in the road sets are compatible with the regular brick sets sold under the same brand. They can be used to build houses, bridges and other related structures around the road. The plastic of the cubes and trains is not very thick, but quite durable.

In addition to railways, this company also has roads; rails from railways and roads are connected to each other.

In general, the brand of roads is not bad, it has great variability for role-playing games, which is especially important for children under 5-6 years old; it can easily be purchased in stores or you can buy some other sets to diversify the game.

Price range 300 - 1000 rub.

Review continues below ▼


Hobbies can be different: someone quietly and calmly collects stamps or candy wrappers, placing their entire collection in a thick album in the top drawer of the table, someone plays golf on Saturdays, and someone chooses an entire branch of art as a hobby and dedicates it to it all of my life.

This is exactly what can be said about lovers and fans of railway or railway miniatures, because to create crafts of this kind, desire alone is not enough - it will take a lot of time, effort, careful collection of information, sometimes resources, and financial investments, as well as, undoubtedly, skill, so that As a result, you have a real miniature railway of your own.

A miniature railway is a subject of interest not only for children, but also for adults, and even more and more often for adults. Almost every child had a children's toy in the form of a railway station with rails, locomotives and carriages, and if it was more expensive, the set included various railway signs, semaphore, driver figures and other interesting details.

It’s interesting to play this game, but I always wanted more, for example, that the railway network was more developed and contained many branches and turns of the rails, so that the model trains were inertial or moved on their own, and you could control them using the remote control, so that there were many additional elements: tunnels, bridges, roads with vehicles, trees, people, etc.

To make such a toy, or rather, not a toy anymore, but a real model of a railroad with your own hands, you need to work hard, and not all children have this opportunity, so you will probably need the help of your parents. It’s good if they share your passion for railway miniatures and help you create crafts. For an adult lover of railway modeling, of course, it is easier in this regard.

As for the areas in which the miniature railway hobby exists, there are several of them:

  • some people simply collect only toy rails, trains and all the accessories that go with them;
  • others also collect, but now scale models;
  • still others are engaged in the production of railways in miniature, recreating entire historical stations and terminals, laying a real railway network from different directions of tracks, and engaged in the actual reconstruction of certain objects;
  • someone tries to make miniature copies of real or existing locomotives and trains in the smallest detail;
  • and one more interesting view Model railway is a park or garden railway, the creation of which uses very large scales, so such a model railway can even be used as an attraction and transport people in it.

A little history

The miniature railway is not at all a tribute to fashion and not a new phenomenon, because the history of railway miniatures and model making goes back more than one hundred and fifty years. For the first time, a model railway appeared as a toy in the nineteenth century (in the second half). Germany, represented by the manufacturer Märklin, took upon itself to ensure the necessary industrial volumes. Their miniature railways were so high quality and good that even the royal family ordered such a model for the Winter Palace.

Based on the scales of the railways presented in the miniature German production, scaling standards for model railways were later adopted. By the end of the nineteenth century, America also got involved in the matter, launching for the first time in the world an electric model railway (manufactured by Carlisle & Finch).

Almost until the middle of the last century, an ordinary toy in the form of railway rails with a train, and a perfectly accurate copy or a miniature railway were perceived equally, however, after the toys stopped causing such a stir, and modeling began to take shape as a serious hobby, gradually finding more and more more fans.

Therefore, manufacturers tried to please their new admirers - adults who were eager to assemble a full-fledged miniature model of the railway. To do this, they began to produce more advanced models, where the rails could be folded into a full-fledged railway track in miniature, where locomotives and cars had many parts and elements, which also included various buildings, road paraphernalia and signs, semaphore, etc.

Nowadays, there are practically no global giant companies left that would be engaged in such production, however, there are many small successfully operating companies that specialize in the production of certain models of trains or additional accessories, without which a miniature railway is impossible.


Scales, components and other nuances

To make a model of a railway, you must understand many nuances, for example, on what scale a miniature railway is usually made, what type of kits and configurations of the craft can be obtained, whether a diagram is needed and where to get it, what to do with the components and necessary parts and various accessories, etc.

Standards of scales and sizes for railway modeling are very different. The most common sizes are those bearing symbol TT and NO.

Standard size TT - from the English Table-top trains - means that the model of the railway is made on a scale of one to one hundred and twenty (1:120) with a track width of twelve millimeters. Such a miniature railway is also called twelve-millimeter. It also makes all the moving model trains - this is done by supplying electricity along the rails, although it is also possible to connect an electric locomotive through the contact network.

A large number of models and various accessories for assembling railway miniatures of this standard size are produced:

  • German companies Berliner TT Bahnen, Tillig;
  • European manufacturers Roco and Piko have a small selection;
  • the Jago company delights fans with rare models of vintage locomotives;
  • Russian companies “Peresvet” and “TT-model”;
  • American PossumValleyModels, GoldCoast (some models of cars and locomotives).

Another common standard size is BUT. The name comes from the English abbreviation HalfZero or half zero. In this case, the model of the railway is made in a scale ratio of one to eighty-seven (1:87). There is also standard size 0, in which the scale is taken twice as large, that is, 1 to 45. And here we get half a zero, but the Latin letter O is used instead in the designation.

A miniature railway on this scale is considered the most popular and widespread in the world due to the fact that it can be made without using complex devices; moreover, these model railways are large enough for detailing, but at the same time quite convenient and compact for placing the layout in a house or apartment.

A miniature railway of this standard size is also mobile: energy is supplied from the contact network or along the rails (in the case of electric motors in locomotive models). Plus - you have the opportunity to use additional interesting elements when creating crafts:

  • device of a smoke generator that will run on oil and create a smoke effect over diesel or steam locomotives;
  • installation of a sound decoder in rolling stock - you can play any sound files that simulate the noise and sounds of train movement, etc.;
  • signaling devices, which stands for alarm, centralization and blocking.

There are various other sizes available. For example, the large-scale standard G, the development and production of which has been carried out since 1968 and is still being carried out by the German company LGB. This is a prime example of a garden railway designed to be located outdoors. In general, the larger the scale at which the miniature railway is made is chosen, the more detailed the prototype should be repeated, the smallest details and elements should be taken into account.

Do it yourself or buy it?

Today you can find many thematic forums and special publications dedicated to railway modeling. You can purchase various elements separately and then assemble them together to create your own model railroad.

However, first of all, you will need to decide on the available free space. Can you dedicate half or even an entire room to the layout? If not, then you will have to first start building a sub-model or equipping a special place. To do this, you can use at least a separate table or make a retractable / folding tabletop, which will be used only for your project and nothing else, which means you don’t have to fold and put away the layout every time.

There are also options for modular layouts, which consist of individual blocks, cantilever structures (you can attach sub-layouts to the walls, like shelves) and lifting ones (easily removed from the ceiling).

It is also better to take an appropriate scale for an apartment, for example, with a standard size of 1:87 you will not do much, because you will need a minimum space of one by three meters. It is better to stay at a scale of 1:120 or 1:160, since designing a layout in an even smaller standard size Z (1:240) will require a lot of skill, effort and financial investment.

To create your own miniature railway, you will need to invent and think through its future appearance down to the smallest detail. Perhaps it is worth starting with the simplest scheme, for example, making only one rail ring and a locomotive with several cars. Over time, you will add additional tracks, trains, semaphore and signs, a station and buildings, figures of people, etc. to the project.


Experienced craftsmen already know how to create entire detailed landscapes - mountains and plains, bridges and tunnels, forests and fields, miniature streets, numerous forks in paths, depots and other interesting things.

Even for the simplest project it is better to make a diagram. Just try to draw what exactly you want to create. If your plans are to create a railway of a certain historical era, then you will need to thoroughly study all the available information on this topic, find archival photographs, copy them, etc.

Also detailed diagram will be needed for making models of steam locomotives and carriages. You can use a diagram of a specific machine by finding a photo of it. Just divide the actual dimensions of a particular train by the scale you need and you will have a ready-made construction plan.


Step-by-step work plan

  1. Provide space for the project and make a base (a simple configuration can even be placed on a sheet of plywood).
  2. Transfer the diagram of the future railway miniature to the sub-model (draw how the rails will go, mark forks and turns, roads where you will place buildings or structures). For a complex rail arrangement, the circuit can be designed on a computer in a special program.
  3. Laying the rails. Rail material can be purchased at a specialty store or made yourself. Since current passes along the rails in moving roads, craftsmen make them from thick copper wire, rolling it to a rectangular section on a manual machine. Sleepers are made from thin blocks, which are also cut on a machine. The tracks are attached in two ways: either glued or nailed with small nails to the base; then the rails can be soldered to the same nails or the rails can also be glued to the sleepers.
  4. For a moving model, you need to additionally develop an electrical circuit, and then mount it on a breadboard. Homemade units are usually used as a power source, but a factory one can also be used. Do not forget about the safety rules - the output voltage cannot be high, use a power supply up to sixteen volts, and if the model is small, then six to nine volts will be enough. An electric motor for a train can be purchased at a radio store or removed from a toy. Conduct electricity from two rails to the engine. To distribute electricity throughout the base, stock up on connectors and copper wires. Think through all the details before wiring - where the semaphores and traffic lights, barriers will be located, whether the lights will be on, etc.
  5. Dump and lay ballast, selecting it according to size among aquarium soils or any household bulk materials.
  6. Think over and create the relief and landscape. To make your layout look like the real thing, be sure to decorate it with a beautiful landscape. You can use professional materials such as spatula, forest litter, meadow powder, different layers of earth, crushed stone, sand, gravel and other interesting accessories from well-known manufacturers. If you choose more budget options, then to imitate mountains you can get by with construction foam, which can then be easily painted in any desired color. Hills, fields, vegetation and other decor can also be recreated from plywood, gypsum, fiberglass, papier-mâché, wood and other finishing materials. To paint the parts, use acrylic paints.
  7. If you don’t have the time or desire to bother so much, then many elements can be taken for a model and in finished form, for example, from toy sets, which contain figurines of trees, and dummies of grass or bushes, animals, cars, signs, people.
  8. The situation is the same with buildings - either use ready-made options, or build them yourself from cardboard, wood, plywood, papier-mâché. Use photographs of real train stations and other buildings as samples.
  9. Add the necessary components: paint roads, paint the grass, place human figures and place trains on the rails.

A passion for railway modeling can begin with a gift of a set with railroads and trains. Although such a hobby requires considerable effort and expense, it undoubtedly helps to develop, think, create and not stand still.

Toy railroads are integrally associated with childhood. Many of us at a young age once owned a plastic or iron model railroad. And those who could boast of a foreign-made model were considered lucky.

Nowadays, the hobby of toy railroads has grown into a large modeling industry. Moreover, this business is already more focused on an adult audience than on children.

To the main attributes - a track and a locomotive with trailers - trees, houses, roads, cars, and relief surroundings were added. And a table with a full-fledged model of a railway, with many details and little things, is already real art.

Abroad, similar products cost from 2 thousand dollars, but in this article I will tell you how to make a full-fledged model of a toy railroad with your own hands.

Table

You will need space for the layout. Ideally, this should be a separate table, but you can get by with a small table, or simply a fenced-off area on any suitable surface. It all depends on your desire and scope. I recommend starting with a small place - for example, part of a table, and then, if you are inspired, make a larger layout. It’s better to start small than to immediately take on a large amount of work and quit halfway.

Starter set

The thing without which it will not be possible to make a model railway is the railway itself. Or rather, a set of rails, a train and a power system for it. Here, alas, there are no alternatives - everything needs to be bought. It’s good that these days there is so much to choose from on the market.

Sketch

To know where you are heading, you need to have a goal in front of your eyes. Make a rough sketch on paper - where everything should be and what it will be like general form your layout. Browse the Internet, look at numerous railroad models and take note of what you like - bridges, crossings, houses, stations. You can make a model of a stop station in the Wild West, or you can make a model of a station in the center of a modern city. But be sure to decide before you get to work. And make markings on the table so that you don’t suddenly discover that the track goes beyond the boundaries of the table, or that the barrier will cling to a passing train.

Mountains

The presence of a mountain with a tunnel through which the train will pass will decorate the layout. To create a small mountain you will need polyurethane foam, plywood, a knife, alabaster and sandpaper.

First, think over and, if possible, draw a sketch of the future mountain. Then knock down a small box of plywood or other suitable material over the rails. Make sure that the size of the box will allow your train to pass freely through the tunnel. Then start applying foam around the box, with pauses of one and a half to two hours, to allow the layers to dry and not sag under their own weight. After you apply the required volume of foam, leave it to dry for at least a day.

After a day, pick up a knife (a stationery knife is more convenient) and start picking at the mountain - cut off the excess pieces, giving it the shape you intended. Cut out hollows, crevices, try to make it as natural as possible.

Next you will need alabaster. Dilute it with water and cover the entire mountain with a thin layer of up to 3 mm. It dries quickly, so use small amounts of it. Then wait again for several hours until everything hardens - it is better not to use a hairdryer.

Now you need to paint the mountain gray. To do this, buy a can of primer at any auto store, matching the color of the gray stone, and you can paint your mountain. Just test the paint on something else first to make sure it's the right color for you.

Next, use sandpaper and rub the mountain in places to remove layers of primer here and there. This will make the mountain more naturalistic, so that it is not a uniform color, but a shade from light to dark gray. You can repeat painting and sanding several times until you get something you're happy with. You can also paint individual pieces of the mountain white or black to make it more realistic.

Finally, take green paint and tint the pieces of the mountain in the color of green - this will make it even more naturalistic. Only the paint should be a believable, “moss” color.

Your mountain (or slide) is ready. Congratulations, you've already done quite a bit of work. Next in line are the remaining details of the relief.

Here it all depends on your imagination, the size of the free space and the suitable details that you have. Fill an empty table surface - for example, with fake grass, which is sold in stores. Toy houses, figures of people, transport, a railway crossing, a train station with a station, a bridge, trees - these are all the details that will decorate your layout. Many of them can be found in Lego sets, or simply individually in toy stores. Companies that sell products for railway modeling also sell excellent kits, but in this case, be prepared to spend a lot of money.

You can make a model on a large table, with lots of details, relief terrain, electric running and a real miniature town. But you can also make a small model - a battery-powered train, with a small piece of landscape and a few decorative elements.

Whatever option you choose, the model you make will decorate any home and will be of interest to any company - both children and adults.