I'm going to start off by saying that is that I have been playing with trains ever since I was born, but I didn't start modeling until around the mid 1990's. 

 

Difference between a model railroad and a train set in my opinion:

The difference between a train set and a model railroad to me is that modeling consists of having a layout with scenery and roads that have a purpose.  Generally all of your building should have access to them in one way or another.  It could be that there's a house with a driveway going to the edge of the layout that is on a fictitious road off the layout or a road that just connects things, but doesn't go off of the layout.  Having a diner that is set against a cliff with 4 sets of train tracks between it and the edge of the layout with no possible way of getting to it seems a bit unrealistic to me.

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I consider myself an average run-of-the-mill guy who didn't major in model railroading and has basic skills in wiring, but I'm creative and decent at painting.  My biggest challenge is that I don't have steady hands so I need to find unique ways to steady my hand when doing something like painting a straight line or placing the Z scale cars on the track.  N scale cars are not a problem.

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My scales in chronological order:

1. LGB - When I was born my father got me a set of LGB trains which I would watch go around for hours at a time.  Over the years I got (or my father got for me) some additional cars, another locomotive, switch tracks, extra track, and some buildings.  I still set the trains up around my Christmas tree every year where they stay until my wife says enough.

2. HO - Once I got a bit older my father let me play with his HO trains which was a pretty decent setup on a 4x8 board.  It was with these trains that I learned the joy of running 2 trains at once and the heartache of running trains too fast when they flip on the corner and fall to the floor.  As I got older I painted roads on the table and helped my dad build houses.  Once I got a little bit older I got my very first HO train set.  It was Christmas and I got an Amtrak locomotive and three cars.  I was so excited that I told him that he got trains for Christmas.  He then reminded me that it was MY name on the gift and they were mine.  I was sold!  As time went on the layout became less his layout and more my layout.  CAUTION: NEVER SPRAY THAT SNOW JUNK ON YOUR LAYOUT.  ONCE IT COMES OFF IT NEVER TOTALLY GOES AWAY!!!

3. N scale - I was always fascinated with N scale because of its smaller size and the fact that you could do more in the same amount of space of the HO layout.  I dismantled the HO layout and used N scale Kato unitrack for a little while which I found to be fun, but I wanted more.  This is when I truly began a model train set on a 4x8 board.  Fast forward 7 years.  With the 4x8 board basically finished (I don't think a layout is ever truly finished) I decided to build an extension that basically doubled the size into an "L" shape.  I got track laid down and build a nice area that would eventually model the NJ Transit terminal in Hoboken, NJ.  Unfortunately time was not on my side, I got married, and moved out of my parent's house before I could get any further.  Whenever I visit I make sure to run a few trains.

4. O Gauge & O Scale:  I got a Lionel NJ Transit passenger set for Christmas one year.  I added onto that by buying some O Scale Atlas Comet II passenger cars.

5. Z Scale - living in a townhouse I didn't have room for a big layout and didn't intend to spend the rest of my life in it, so I wouldn't want a permanent layout anyway.  This is how I found myself in Z scale.  It doesn't take up much room and how cool is it to be able to walk around with your layout!  I decided that I would spare no expense when building it.  It would be small, but I'd make sure it'd pack a punch.

6. What's next - Next I hope to have an HO and an N scale layout once I get a house with a good size basement.  The HO layout I would like to build in the garage and attach pulleys so I can raise it up out of the way when I'm not using it.  I intend to have my main layout be N scale and over the years have been writing down ideas of how I'd like it to be.