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Supplies You’ll NEED to Make Model Railroading Easy

March 30, 2022

Ready to start building your miniature model railroad town? Great! But, as always, you’ll need to do a bit of prep work first before you start building.

You’ll want to make sure you have the correct model railroad supplies to make it as easy as possible. Keep in mind that what you need will be determined by the scale and size of your model and the type of environment you want to create.

Quick List

Before we delve into more details, here’s a quick summary of which model train supplies you will need to start and end a project smoothly.

Train starter model kits
Tools
Glue
Paint
Electrical accessories

Tools

Any project you build will require the right tools. Without them, making your train model set will get challenging real fast. So which tools do you need? To complete any build, you will most likely need an assortment of some – or all – of the following:

Pliers
Screws
Screwdrivers
Hobby knives
Cutting mat
Ruler
Tweezers
Steel metal straight edge
Multimeter (measuring electrical power to tracks)
Track cutters
Precision drill bits
Sandpaper
Paintbrushes (if you intend to paint details yourself)

It looks like a lot, but these tools are necessary for the job from start to finish. If you’re on a budget, or can’t afford all of these tools, consider what you are trying to build first. You can get a sense of which types you need. Be sure to buy the correct tools that will enable you to work with small pieces and details.

Some train hobbyists invent their own unique tools for specific purposes as they spend time on their projects. However, buying tools specifically for train modeling will be the easiest choice and ensure you have the right ones.

Glue

Some might argue that glue could’ve gone under the tool section, but we decided to separate it since it's one of the more heavily used items in a train build. Glue is used for securing your tracks and holding everything together. You can use a hot glue gun, cement glue, Gorilla glue, or any standard glue for most purposes. There are some specialty glues for specific parts of your model railroad that some builders find helpful to use.

Paint

If you’re going all out for detail, paint is a must-have supply. Many train hobbyists use acrylic or spray paint to apply different colors or textures for their builds. For example, you can use paint to create a weathered appearance like rust on a building or plastered snow on a steam locomotive. You can also use paint to add additional detail to the surrounding scenery.

Electrical Accessories

What if you want to take your build one step further and add sound effects or let your train loop around your settlement? In those instances, you’ll need the proper sound, power supply, and electrical components. These model train accessories are essential if you want to give more life to your build. Thankfully, these accessories are easy to find and implement.

Everything You Need at TrainLife

Your passion for train modeling is likewise our passion here at TrainLife. From train modeling kits, tools, components, and decals to building materials, we have everything you need to start your project and make it easy along the way. Check out what we have to offer!