Model Steam Trains - A Classic that Never Grows Old
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
by Jimmy Hardwick
Model Train Mastery
If you have the money to invest, model steam trains are a great addition to your train collection. They have long been the fascination of people of means, but you may find some bargains on some smaller versions. If you thought that live steam trains were only available in the larger scales, you might consider the smallest working steam engine. Built by Iqbal Ahmed of India , it only measures the length of a thumbnail. How you get the water in it is anybody's guess.
Aster is considered by most authorities to be the best producer of live steam trains in the world, and they produce more than any other company. You can buy very complicated kits, standard kits, or ready-to-run trains. The product line for Aster is a mixture of Japanese, UK , European, and American replicas. Most of their models are 1:32 scale and run on gas, alcohol, or coal.
One of the reasons for owning a steam engine is that they played such an important part in history. It was the official herald to the industrial revolution as it presented a way for man to power factories, trains, and many other things. Prior to the steam engine, the only power that man had was work animals or leverage devices.
The fascination with live steam has transcended generations and never grows old. Walt Disney's uncle was a train engineer, and this probably influenced the love that Walt had for trains. He not only ran a live steam train in his back yard, he also did much of the design and work on the train himself.
One of the earliest model steam trains produced was by W. J. Bassett Lowke at the turn of the 20 th century. He no doubt had a great love for steam locomotives. His father, who was a boilermaker, most likely influenced him.
Like many other older model makers, Bassett Lowke manufacturing has re-entered the live steam market. The 00 scale Mallard has a boiler fired by electricity. It has a run time of 25-30 minutes on a single tank of fuel.
There are several organizations with a common goal to preserve the heritage of the steam train. Some of them sponsor live steam train exhibitions, and a few even have year round attractions featuring live steam models.
Model steam trains represent all that is left of many trains that once travelled the world's countryside. Each time you see one, you can marvel at the technology that was the springboard for most of today's mechanical innovations.
I'm Jimmy Hardwick, lifetime lover of model trains and railroading. Want to know more about model steam trains ? Visit my site ModelTrainMastery.com , where you'll get access to a freight car full of information to help you enjoy the greatest of all hobbies.
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