Featuring off-the-shelf trackwork and ready-to-run trains, this guide is perfect for you if you re a beginning or intermediate hobbyist. Adding basic scenery, structures, and details to the layout has never been easier, and can easily be completed during spare hours. The book features layout construction, effort-saving ideas and more, bringing trackwork, scenery, operation, structures, and trains together.
Lots of practical tips and advice on building a model railroad, from benchwork to final touches. However, I was a little disappointed how often the deviated from the "ready-to-run" theme, as if the author just couldn't help himself. He starts relatively strong (after the benchwork of course, which has to be custom) but starting with about chapter 5 everything is, "It's nice out of the box, but here's how to make it look really good!" In a hobby where there's lots of shaming of amateurs and casual hobbyists, I expected this book to be a little more affirming of those who want to simply use ready-to-run components to allow them to spend less time working on their trainset and more time just enjoying it.