A model train is a model of a real train that is scaled down to a certain scale and gauge. It also includes tracks, stations, buildings around the railway, and natural scenery. Model trains are basically powered and run on their own.

The size (reduction ratio) ranges from small enough to be held in your fingertips to a size that is a fraction of the size of the real thing, pulling a passenger carriage and allowing a person to straddle it.

There are other differences between real trains and model trains besides size. For example, one difference between real trains and model trains is that many of the curves in the tracks of model trains are single curves, while real trains often have transition curves inserted before and after the curves.[1] Other differences in the power supply method can be seen in the case of model trains.

Initially, it was an expensive hobby. In the past, the boundary between tin toys and model trains was unclear, but gradually standards were established for making trains, layouts, and dioramas at a set scale and track gauge, and enjoying the scenery of trains by collecting them or running them on the tracks. As they became more widely used, small-sized models tended to become more popular, reflecting the small housing conditions of ordinary people.

One feature that sets model trains apart from other types of models is that the trains and track gauge are always paired. This is because model trains are meant to run on tracks. The sizes vary depending on the scale, but they are consolidated into a certain number of scales. This is because standardizing the scale makes it possible to use ready-made products.