Picking out what to get for your Large Scale railroad empire is hard. It is even harder if you are the spouse of the Large Scale Train fanatic in the household. Let's face it, this hobby is primarily composed of men, husband and wife teams a close second, and women being third in number of participants. I am the female part of the Large Scale equation in our house. I also process dozens of orders each day in our Large Scale Store. Which leads me to the reason for writing this. I wanted to help the women in the lives of our men involved with Large Scale trains. Just what is their man doing with his Large Scale Railroad and what would he really like as a gift? Please print out this article for her. It just might make you both happy.

How can we make sure the guy in our life gets the "perfect" addition to his Large Scale Railroad? Start out by asking a few questions here and there. Make a list and then check it twice.

What kind of theme is there to the railroad?

No need to buy log cars unless you have a logging camp somewhere in the garden. If all you see on the layout is older steam locos, and people dressed in 1860's garb, that bright and shiny new diesel may not be welcome. Check out what he is working on too. If you see him building a modern passenger station, then some Streamline Passenger cars might just be the ticket.

What's the smallest track turn on the railroad?

This is REALLY important, especially if you are thinking of purchasing one of those really neat Aristo-Craft SD-45's. They are really neat, really big, and require a really big track turn! What is big, what is small? A small turn is a 4 to 5 foot diameter curve. A 10 foot diameter curve is bigger and better. Many of the newer diesel locomotives need a minimum of an 8 foot diameter. In Large Scale they talk about turns in measurements of diameters. Remember this is different than the radius which is half the diameter of a circle.

What is the right size train?

That is the question that men will battle for ages to come in Large Scale. Some manufacturers make their locos and rolling stock larger or smaller than the others. When you hear the term "G-Scale" or "Large Scale" it really means nothing when it comes to the physical size. It really only means they all run on the same size track. Good News: No matter what you buy it will fit on the track you have. You may want to see what manufacturers your husband has already purchased from and go with them. General rule. LGB is smaller. USA Trains has bigger. Aristo-Craft is bigger. Bachmann has larger. (This will drive the scale and gauge guys crazy.) So if your husband has all Aristo-Craft, getting him some LGB stuff might be out of place. Unless that is what he told you he wants.

What kind of locomotive would he like?

Is he set on the old fashioned, wood, coal and water burners? Is he geared towards a more modern look, wanting only "diesel" powered engines? Does he want lights and sound and smoke? Locomotives come in all shapes and sizes. Trying to get some specifics like SD-45, or RS-3 will help. They may not mean anything to you, but they'll mean the world to him.

What about road names?

A road name is the just the name of the company on the railroad equipment. Does he have any favorites? Look around the railroad. If all you see is silver and red locos with ATSF printed all over them I doubt that getting something with B&O all over it will work out. Names really don't matter too much when you are buying tank cars and box cars. I find the more colorful the box car, the bigger the ooohs and aahs when opened.

Does the railroad need to get populated?

Large Scale figures have their differences, too. Some are "dressed" in 1800's garb, others are more modern. Some are larger and some are smaller, there is no fixed size. Measure some of the people that he already has and try to stick close to that. You can get bargains at Christmas. Check out our article on Christmas Accessories for your Railroad

What about buildings and bridges?

There are many choices in buildings. You can get them pre-built. (A great idea for my husband.) They come as kits. There are even some companies that sell plans so you can build your own. There are also products like "JigStones" where you can make your own stones and build almost anything yourself. If you are interested in a trestle or covered bridge make sure it is going to fit where you want it to go. Also remember to stay within the theme of the layout. Once you get a few answers to some of these questions, you'll be better prepared to make that purchase that he'll really like.

Check out the Garden Trains Store to get some more ideas so your questions can be more "direct; yet still discreet." Then, you'll be ready to make that purchase with confidence. By planning ahead you'll avoid disappointments, restocking fees, and return shipping costs. AND, you'll be able to enjoy the product right when he opens the box. Just like all my Christmas gifts it will be the right style, the right size and the right color!

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