• A model train set (or its components parts, including metal and wiring for the rails, a model train, a transformer to power the train, etc.)
• Carpentry tools
• General purpose tools (like a hammer, screwdriver, nails, etc.)
• Soldering gun (and solder)
• Wood (for making the benchwork, like 4×8 piece of plywood)
• Art supplies (paintbrushes, paints, etc.)
• Bench work supplies (like chicken wire and plaster cloth)

Go ahead and get started on your project today with these beginner tips:

Choose your theme. The theme of your railroad includes its’ purpose, setting, the type of trains or equipment you want to use, and the service the train will provide (like transporting industrial goods or logs). These aspects will influence your planning and how you actually build your layout.
A long coal train, for example, might run through the mountains and carry coal from mines to power companies, steel mills, or residential areas, to provide heat for homes.
Locale should also be taken into consideration. Locale includes things like region (East or West Coast, Mountain, etc.), specific towns, or general areas, like the plains of Kansas.
The era in which your model train exists will also need to be decided. A model planned for the 1920s would use a steam engine. You won’t have modern cars either, in this era.
The season you set your model in will change setting drastically. Fall will need to have trees with leaves changing color, winter will need snow, and so on.