When I was a boy they used to always rerun an old sixties movie where scientists shrink a space ship and go into this patient's body to try to cure him of the medical condition he is suffering from. What was it called? "Fantastic Journey", maybe? I'm not sure. Other movies have shown people shrinking down or getting bigger but that's the one that really stuck with me. Well, that's the sensation that a lot of us get when we look at miniature trains. We are just lured into the tiny world of these intriguing and oddly realistic model trains. Here's what's great about these trains:
The smallest trains you can buy:
How small? Real locomotives are 160 times the dimensions of an N scale train. That means that N scale trains are about the size of a ruler. If you think that's tiny, Z scale is even tinier--1/220th the size of real trains!
No matter how small your space, you can surely fit a micro train there.
Because they're so small you can fit these tiny little guys almost anywhere. A 2' x 4' area is more than enough room for these guys. It's probably best to have a domino table for your tiny trains but if you don't want to go to this expense you can place them on a dining room table. What would it be like to be in that little landscape whizzing by tooth pick farms, porcelain cowboys and ceramic chickens and cows? Amazing Journey indeed!
Here are some draw backs:
I hear they torture sweet old grannies with trembling arthritic fingers and weak vision in some countries by making them detail N and Z scale trains
Crafts activities are definitely out with these tiny mechanical wonders. Because these trains are so small people just get generic landscapes and accessories. Don't even try detailing or decaling these guys.
Tiny toy trains are DANGEROUS for small children:
Since these model trains are so small you'll want to be careful that you don't let little hands get a hold of them. Z scale is even more hazardous!
If you don't like to play "Where's the Z", z-scale may not be for you:
Because it is so tiny, z scale does not offer you a lot of varied choices when it comes to trains and accessories.
Put simply, these are really great. There's something strange yet familiar about seeing a shrunken little world--we're drawn to it like we are to miniatures of all kinds! Gulliver and the Jolly Green Giant can tell you all about it.
Tom Taggart is a Model Train enthusiast. For more Model Train Information, see http://easymodeltraintips.com/model-train-information/. For a load of additional Model Train Tips, see http://easymodeltraintips.com/.
