Model Railway Sets | Frontline Hobbies

HO/OO Gauge

N Gauge

Other Gauge

All aboard the Frontline Hobbies Express! Check out our range of beginner-friendly and advanced model train sets

Whether you want to buy a train set for the young model railway enthusiast in your life or add to your own hard-won train collection, we’ve got you covered.

Our range of train sets has the latest offerings from Bachmann, Kato, Hornby, Tomix and lots more sought-after titans of the model train industry. From famous fictional trains like the Hogwarts Express train set from Hornby to real life wonders like the E235 Yamanote Train Set from Kato, you’ll find a truly magical range of train sets to choose from.

A brief history of model train sets

Model railways, much like its real-life equivalent, started out in the early-mid 1800s with so called “carpet railways” entering the market in the 1840s.

The earliest example of what we would class as a model railway was built by the French Emperor Napoleon III for his three-year-old son which ran in a figure-of-eight. It wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that the first electric model trains which we know today became available.

Nowadays, collectors can find electric, battery, live steam and even internal combustion engine powered model trains depicting countless famous trains from throughout the world in minute scale detail.

FAQs about our train sets

What’s the difference between HO gauge, OO gauge, N gauge and TT gauge train sets?

OO gauge, or 4mm scale, is mostly used in the United Kingdom while HO gauge 3.5mm scale is the most used scale throughout the world.

OO gauge is 1/76 scale of the real thing or 76 times smaller than the full sized train it’s modelled on, while an HO gauge 1/87 is 87 times smaller than the full-sized train.

OO and HO tracks can often be used interchangeably. N gauge, meanwhile, is far smaller than either OO or HO and cannot be used interchangeably with OO or HO track. N gauge is 1/160 or 160 times smaller than a full-scale train.

One of the newest scales from Hornby is TT Gauge. At 1/120 scale, TT gauge sits between N gauge and HO gauge in size.

Model train set manufacturers who use OO gauge include Bachmann Branchline, Dapol, Hornby and Oxford Rail. HO gauge is used by Atlas, Bachmann, Auscision, Kato, Frateschi, Walthers and many other manufacturers. N gauge brands include Graham Farish, KATO and Tomix.

What’s a good train set for a beginner?

A Hornby Starter Set is the perfect way for a beginner to get in to the model railway hobby.

We recommend sets like the Bachmann Ho Rail Express Battery Train Set for children and novice train set collectors. This set comes with a diesel locomotive, realistic noises and an oval snack-together track all of which operated on batteries without the need for controllers or power packs. This locomotive can also be used on most standard HO tracks so once you’ve learned the ropes you can use it on more advanced tracks.

Do you offer free delivery on train sets?

We offer free delivery on eligible orders over $150. For orders under $150, we offer fast shipping throughout Australia at a flat rate of $9.95.

We also offer free instant click and collect at our Broadmeadow store. If you’re in the Newcastle area, you can select “free pick-up from store” as your delivery method at checkout for easy contactless collection.

Please note that you will need to use a local Newcastle address for this option to be available.

Can I pay for my train set using AfterPay or zipPay?

Yes, you can pay for your model train set using AfterPay or ZipPay. We offer flexible payment options for both in-store and online payments so you can play now and pay later!

What if the train set I want is out of stock?

You may see a “Sold Out - Backorder Available” label on some of our train sets. This simply means that the item is currently out of stock in our store but may be available for us to order in for you.

If the item you need is currently unavailable online, please contact us to arrange a special order. We’ll gladly contact our suppliers for you and arrange to have your item ordered in if it is available.

We’ll provide you with an estimated delivery time on your product once we’ve heard from our supplier.

Train sets with Frontline Hobbies

At Frontline Hobbies, we’ve been supplying the latest train sets to Australian model railway enthusiasts for more than 50 years. We’re proud to be Australia’s largest hobby store and we love connecting hobbyists with the things they’re passionate about.

Browse our collection of model train sets today and stock up on something special.

Are you a member with us? If not, it only takes a moment to register as a Frontline Hobbies member and start earning rewards on every order — plus, you’ll get exclusive access to the latest deals and hobby news!