Hello everyone! I'm a new member and I'm also new in the world of model trains. So new that I do not even own anything yet. Let me start out by saying that I did a search tonight on model tairns and this was the first thing that came up and I'm very gald that it did. I really think that this will be the best place for a rookie like myself to get started. Next I also want to add that I have been blown away by some of the pictures I have seen so far. I DREAM of doing something like the things I have seen on here and hope to add my own pictures someday. I have always wanted to build a large scenic landscape with a couple of trains running through and now I have the room to do that. well I'm about to have the room once I get the old truck moved out of the garage. I have NO clue where to start and or what route to go. I stoped by a local small time hobby place this week to look at some trains and I found out that there are different scales (see i don't know much)... I will have about a 8'X16' space to work with my plan or what I have in my head is to have at least three - four different trains. One will be a transport type with all types of crago. another will be passenger and last will be a mix type with old cars that looks all run down. I want one whole end to be big mountain scene with at least two to three tunnels with the tracks running on a stair step if they will run up hill. Next I want to build a city in the middle that runs along a river that runs from a waterfall in the mountains to off the other end, I want the tracks to cross the river useing different types of bridges for each train. and last have a rail yard/ factory area to the city that the tairs use. I have NO idea how to lay this out. What to use and or how to get started. I have it in my head and thats it. Can you all help me? Should i go find books, videos, magazines? How do you start to lay this thing out? and of course what scale should I use? I need ideas on what to start with from bulding the base to laying out the scene to build mountains and rivers and grass? where do you order things from and what is the best things to use? You guys are going to love me . HEHE. thanks so much for your time . -Rob